Bikes, Blues and Bother: Residents sound off on Fayetteville’s motorcycle fests

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Julie Sill, co-owner of Hog Haus Brewery on Dickson Street, speaks in support of Bikes, Blues and BBQ and the proposed Bikes, Babes and Bling festival scheduled for July 1-3. She is wearing a name tag that reads "We support Festivals in Fayetteville". [Disclosure: Ozarks Unbound publishes a beer review column by the restaurant's brewer, Mehmet Kadiev.

By Christopher Spencer

Assistant City Attorney Jason Kelley did his best to frame Tuesday night’s discussion before it started.

The city doesn’t have the power to tell Fayetteville’s Advertising and Promotion Commission what to do. The city cannot revoke a permit from an event already approved because it opens Fayetteville up to a lawsuit. Changing the rules mid-game for an application is a legal no no, he said.

If you want the legally astute version of these conclusion, you can read the actual memo Kelley provided to city council members here.

But city officials can alter the special event process in the future to better reflect community wishes.

Planning director Jeremy Pate provided this two-page summary of the special event process to give audience members and the council an overview of how 62 special event permit requests were processed last year.

This questioning of the special event permitting process began because many residents oppose the creation of a new festival called Bikes, Babes and Bling, a festival set for July 1-3 aimed at female bikers.

The event was originally scheduled for later in July, but because city policy is to give preference to the Walton Arts Center first, the festival was moved back to the current date.

The rally received $20,000 in seed money from the Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Committee.

Most visible in his opposition was city council member Matthew Petty who sought public opinion and initially brought a measure opposing the festival to the city council. That initiative was dropped after city attorney Kit Williams said it could open the city up to a lawsuit.

Instead, Tuesday night served as a public discussion, almost a verbal referendum, on both sides about the benefits and problems with Bikes, Blues and BBQ and the spin-off festival proposed this year.

No actions were taken by the council or appear at this time to be contemplated, but a packed house of residents got a chance to speak.

Bikes, Blues and BBQ benefits a small group of people financially at the cost of all residents, said Steve Frankenberger. He asked how much money the festival brings in for the community.

Both Chief of Staff Don Marr and Paul Becker, director of city finance, agreed that there is little data to track the effect, but added that inspecting several years of tax revenue led them to believe it brings about $80,000 to the city.

City alderman Bobby Ferrell said even if there is no strong data, it’s clear that hotels are full during that weekend. That must lead to additional money for the city through sales tax collection, he said.

At least two hotel owners spoke in favor of the proposed festival.

T.J. Angeleno of Courtyard By Marriott in Fayetteville said business at his hotel spikes the weekend of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. His occupancy rate on the July 4th weekend is 18 percent. A new festival in the area during that time will bring needed money to his business, he said.

Dwain Cromwell of Fayetteville said the holiday will be usurped by the new festival, as families try to enjoy backyard picnics and a relaxing time while bikers race around the city and the region.

Others agreed that a new loud festival featuring bikes is too much for the community to handle. Some said they found the name offensive to women.

Scott Gardner is the organizer of a Facebook group that opposes the festival. He spoke Tuesday about the nuisance caused by hosting a second motorcycle-oriented festival would cause Fayetteville.

In an e-mail later to the group, he wrote, “The pro-BBB group was almost entirely comprised of hospitality industry business owners. If my count is correct, there was only one citizen who was not affiliated with a hospitality industry business who had anything positive to say about the event. Conversely, there were several small business owners and independent citizens who spoke in opposition to the event.”

[Disclosure: I belong to this group in order to receive information, not because it is an expression of my opinion. I also belong to the official Bikes, Blues and BBQ Facebook group for the same reason.]

Lisa Sharp, owner of Night Bird Books on Dickson, closes her business the weekend of Bikes, Blues and BBQ because few sales are made. She said she accepts that as the cost of living in the entertainment district, but does not want another weekend like that in the city.

Cindy Arsaga, who owns several coffee shops in the area, also expressed opposition.

Brian Crowne, owner of George’s and Crowne Pub on Dickson Street, spoke in favor of the festival and expressed confidence in the city’s special event permit process.

“Let’s not reinvent the wheel,” he said. “Fayetteville produces safe, professional events that have a positive impact on the city.”

Steve Clark, president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, said it’s important the city not move to a special event permitting process based on values.

“We don’t share the same values in Fayetteville,” he said. Permits must be regulated in an objective and measurable manner.

It creates a chilling effect among event organizers when a city doesn’t use objective standards and uses values instead, he said.

It became clear after more than two hours of public discussion that opinions about the city’s motorcycle-related festivals, one more than a decade old and a new one just being planned, run deep, pitting business owners against one another and residents against one another.

“I didn’t realize this was a beating match for Bikes, Blues and BBQ,” said festival director Nelson Driver as he took the podium to speak.

He said after the public discussion that he wasn’t surprised by the opinions expressed by the public about the event.

It’s a loud and obnoxious festival, he said, but it’s important that the city collect all economic development dollars it can.

Bikes, Blues and BBQ and Bikes, Babes and Bling helps that happen, he said.

Alderman Robert Rhoads is one of two city representatives on the Advertising and Promotion Commission. A few people criticized the commission for not publishing their agendas online and holding public meetings without sufficient notice.

After the public discussion ended, Rhoads said he was pleased to hear all the concerns residents voiced.

“This was two hours and 45 minutes I enjoyed, hearing people speak articulately about it,” he said.

It’s unclear what effect, if any, this public discussion will have on the future special event permitting process.

SIMILAR POSTS

• KNWA ’starts the discussion’ about Bikes, Babes and Bling by reading Monday’s newspaper | Ink By the Byte at 1:22 AM on November 25, 2009
• Some concerned that HMR vote could mean a budget hit for Fayetteville parks and rec at 1:41 AM on January 6, 2010
• Bikes, Blues and BBQ resumes charitable donations of $48,500 in 2009, plugs spin off Bikes, Babes and Bling festival for women bikers at 3:58 AM on November 17, 2009
• Matthew Petty on ‘Why the Council should have the final say on a second motorcycle rally | CF at 1:14 PM on January 11, 2010
• Bikes, Blues and BBQ adds new board member, third new member this year | Press Release at 12:57 PM on December 15, 2009