Is Riverside’s downtown so strapped for parking that a new parking lot needs to be paved this minute at 61-63 E. Burlington? Probably not. And in the wake of the village board’s decision to table the matter until September, Friday’s park-in protest at the vacant lot was, to us, more than about paving over paradise and putting up a parking lot.
It was about a business community flexing what muscle it has to get village government to take it seriously. Parking is just a part of the issue. In time we hope that new business development in downtown Riverside will make it a serious issue.
The business community has reason to be concerned that its needs aren’t being addressed. After all, the subject of business and of bringing businesses to downtown Riverside was a central theme of the last election campaign.
Feeling unappreciated by government, many business owners saw the Riverside Community Alliance as a group that understood what small businesses were looking for and one that could deliver on its promise of making economic redevelopment a priority.
So when the RCA-majority board decides to table for three months (which works out to essentially a year) an issue that business owners believe has a direct impact on their well-being, it’s understandable when those business owners start to get a little edgy.
From our perspective, that was the reason for the protest. It had less to do with finding a parking space directly in front of a certain business and more about a business community feeling left out.
That’s why when the village board and village administration does get around to addressing the subject of economic redevelopment in Riverside, it will have to do so in partnership with businesses.
The last thing businesses want is for it to seem that government officials are dictating to them, telling them what their problems are and how to solve them. They already know about the problems and they’d like a part in finding solutions.
It’s far too early to tell how effective the RCA majority on the board will be in promoting business development, and we understand that paving over a small lot is no magic bullet for the issues that face the central business district.
But as this board moves ahead, they need to hear the business community or risk losing its good will and trust. Business and government in Riverside need to be partners, and it’s up to the village board to make sure that spirit of cooperation takes root.
Real friends
Your mother always told you that in tough times, you’ll know who your friends are, right?
A perfect example of those kinds of people are the Friends of the Fourth, the group of Riverside volunteers who banded together earlier this year to make sure the village’s July 4 parade didn’t disappear in the wake of village budget cuts.
As of June 6, the group had raised nearly $20,000 from 180 donors, ensuring that The Fourth will be festive as ever.