Walkway-to-roadway conversion favored by some at The District

Business owners at The District at Green Valley Ranch are weighing in on plans to turn the shopping area's pedestrian walkway into a roadway.

Vestar, the company that owns The District, has submitted a proposal to be discussed at the Thursday Henderson Planning Commission meeting.

When residents such as Grieg de la Houssaye found out about the proposal earlier this year, it sparked many concerns.

"You would be taking away a jewel," de la Houssaye said.

Residents opposing the measure have begun organizing to raise awareness and concerns about the street closure. They started a Facebook group at tinyurl.com/roadwayd.

Many of the residents are frustrated that Vestar didn't do more to inform many people of its decision to switch the walkway over or invite more people to public meetings on the issue.

According to the Facebook group, which had 105 "likes" as of press time, many residents plan on attending the Planning Commission meeting to voice their concerns.

Chris Connors, owner of Rachel's Kitchen in The District, is not among those concerned. Conners thinks it is a wonderful idea.

"If it were open to a vote, I'd vote in favor of it," Connors said.

Since hearing rumblings of the decision, Connors has spoken to Vestar officials.

"After talking to them as a concerned business owner, I believe if they go through with this they are going to knock it out of the ballpark," Connors said.

Connors said the primary reason is the lack of parking.

With the new roadway, additional parking is expected to be added.

"It won't solve the issue altogether, but it will help alleviate some of the problem," Connors said. "Customers tell me on a Friday or Saturday night they spend 20 minutes trying to find parking because it is full."

Connors said the roadway would also potentially help the restaurant gain recognition. When the business first opened about four years ago, Connors added, people didn't know the restaurant was in there because it was hidden.

"I spent $5,000 on my sign and nobody could see it," Connors said.

A roadway could change that, he believes.

Eric and Christina Sarabanda have operated their clothing store, Sarabanda, in The District for about eight months.

The owners hope the change proves to be fruitful for the business.

"I am about 50/50 on the decision," Christina said. "We want what's positive for all the businesses."

Christina thinks it might increase business if people can park closer to a store they want to patronize.

In the summer, Christina said walking in the 100-degree heat has been a deterrent for some customers, which could be solved by closer parking spots.

Eric added that he has seen an increase in people walking around and hopes the proposed transformation doesn't stop them from coming back.

"Just because people are walking around doesn't mean they are stopping in and buying things," Christina added.

The Sarabandas are still unsure of the timeline this process would take and how the construction would affect business.

Eric hopes that safety issues are taken into consideration, such as having speed bumps to prevent from drivers going too fast.

There are business owners who didn't want to be identified who said they think it is a terrible idea because people enjoy being able to walk without fear of dodging cars.

Regardless of what happens, all owners want the same thing: a rise in customers and business.

For more information on The District, visit shopthedistrictgvr.com.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.