Leaders in Santa Clara are trying to decide on the safety perimeter around Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup matches.
Just a ten-minute walk from Levi’s Stadium – there’s a strip of locally owned restaurants.
The owner of Bistro Siam, Bennie, said business is not easy when there’s a special event at the stadium.
“I don’t think that the city think about us at all,” Bennie said, who has been here for the past 15 years.
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She said during 49ers games, VTA skips the stop nearest to her business and continues onto the stadium.
“We right by the train station, they not even let the train stop here, they let the train go all the way to the 49ers. I know it’s helping with the traffic but even my worker has to get off from there and walk,” Bennie said.
The city of Santa Clara is proposing a “Special Event Zone” when Super Bowl 60 and FIFA World Cup matches are here next year. For days at a time, the city could regulate or prohibit certain activities around the stadium for safety. This would include no street vending or outdoor merchandise sales. Bennie supports that.
“They came over here. Pop up the trunk, and sell the jerseys all kinds of stuff, we inform them that you know this is a private property,” Bennie said.
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A map of the proposed Special Event Zone includes Mission College and dense neighborhoods.
ABC7 News spoke to the CEO of the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Harbir Bhatia.
“We will need to create very specific, well-thought-out policies that do not deter our existing businesses from getting the benefit as well as our new age of businesses which are predominantly pop-ups. Whether it’s a restaurant, whether it’s a truck,” Bhatia said.
City Councilman Albert Gonzalez would like to see some changes. Right now, the proposed ordinance says tents, canopies, or inflatables would not be allowed without getting city approval – this includes businesses and residents.
“We want to make sure you know if little Johnny or Juanito is having a birthday party on that Saturday when there’s a game or event that we don’t impact them, they can still have a canopy up in the park,” Gonzalez said.
Santa Clara city staff will possibly make the event zone smaller; they will be looking at their options and will discuss the ordinance at their December 9th meeting.
“It’s just a matter of how do we get it as right as possible,” Gonzalez said.
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