Commentary ...
Is downtown Bardstown as friendly as we like to think it is?

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

It's been nearly a month since Bardstown native Rick Hill presented his revitalization plan for downtown Bardstown. Hill's vision of Bardstown was bold, creative and forward-thinking, though much of what happens next will depend on local leadership.

As Hill explained in his April 26th presentation to a packed house at Kreso's Restaurant, his definition of the term "leadership" wasn't limited to those in elected office. Sure, it includes those men and women who serve in local government, but his definition is much broader. Leadership in the community comes from many sources: business owners, financial institutions, builders, developers and more.

During his presentation, his remarks turned to the topic of downtown parking. The notion that downtown has inadequate parking is simply not accurate, he said. There's plenty of parking in downtown he said, though he found that business owners and their employees frequently were using the closest parking spots -- which is not a very customer-friendly move. In big retail areas, store owners and their employees typically park in the more distant parking spots, he said.

Hill said he was disturbed by the apparent turf war among businesses who are competing with one another in a race to claim parking spots. There are numerous signs next to businesses with ominous warnings of the consequences of parking there and visiting a neighboring business.

The signs, explained Hill, present a very unfriendly face to visitors who are seeking a friendly place to stop and shop.

Business owners can negotiate parking spots among themselves if they wish, but the signs should go, he said. A shopper who parks next to one store will likely visit several shops and walk around town.

Visitors to Bardstown shouldn't feel threatened by the place they choose to park, he explained.

Unlike much of Hill's plan for downtown, fixing the parking issue doesn't require a huge capital outlay. There's no construction costs, permits or fees involved.

But the one thing it will take is leadership.

It will take leadership to call for the removal of all of the warning signs that are plastered in parking areas all around downtown -- particularly now, with the summer tourism season on its way.

It will take leadership to get the sometimes myopic downtown merchants to see "The Big Picture" -- tourism and shopping go hand-in-hand, and making it a more positive experience enhances the whole of downtown Bardstown.

Downtown businessmen and women should do this, not because Hill suggested it, but because it makes good sense. The people who abuse parking won't be tourists, it will be locals, and if a warning is needed, a courteous note on a windshield -- perhaps on the back of a coupon for that particular business -- would be a way to get the message to offenders and promote a visit to your business.

Perhaps the local Chamber could create its own version of a "parking ticket" with ads or coupons for chamber member businesses. Each business would be given these "tickets" in exchange for taking down its nag-notice parking signs. Throughout the summer, shop owners could put the tickets on cars in "their" lot. The ticket would of course thank the visitor for stopping and shopping in Bardstown and invite them back.

Hill was right. The warning signs make our downtown merchants look petty and small. We're all better than that, and we should want our public "face" to show that too.

Leadership, Hill said, comes from all sections of a community. Which downtown business will be the first to demonstrate its leadership?