From the podium at the front to the wall in back, chairs were crammed into every open space of the room and, still, a standing crowd led out to the hallway.
Most of this 100-person crowd was Ketchum's restaurateurs, gathering to tell the City Council at a meeting Monday that they were against allowing food vendors in the new town square, to be constructed by Independence Day.
The decision is up to the council because a 1983 city ordinance currently prohibits vendors on public land, and would have to be amended. The square along East Avenue, next to Atkinsons' Market, is a mix of city- and Urban Renewal Agency-owned land.
Restaurateurs and several residents said the added competition of vendors would kill already-struggling restaurants.
"We're an island here," said resident Anne Corrock. "The pie is only so big."
Dale Bates, design team leader for the square, argued that the reasoning behind allowing vendors is that food would cause people to linger in the town square and vitalize downtown by getting people outside.
The council seemed to agree, including Councilwoman Nina Jonas, owner of Rickshaw restaurant. The council directed city staff to amend the ordinance to allow food vendors.
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"There's no reason to not look at what was written in the past and make it better," Councilman Baird Gourlay said.
But the council didn't take restaurateurs' concerns lightly. Mayor Randy Hall and Gourlay said the answer lies in compromise between the demands of restaurant owners completely against vending of any kind, and people who are for competition and vending to spur all business.
"If you sit up here long enough, you're guaranteed to piss off everyone," Gourlay said, later adding, "We're trying to make the island bigger."
He referenced the comments of several restaurateurs who said the town square should have plays and performances to bring people there instead of food.
Gourlay said authorizing plays would then upset Rick Kessler, owner of Magic Lantern movie theater in Ketchum.
To cater to restaurateurs' concerns, the council also said rules need to be outlined—with the help of restaurateurs—that keep vendors from competing with them. Possible regulations include only allowing brick-and-mortar restaurants to operate vending carts and limiting the kind of food to things like water, pretzels and quick snack food. However, the exact wording of these rules remains to be seen as city staff draws them up for council approval or amendment, possibly as soon as May 10.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
