Locals, business owners weigh in on closing Arenas Road in light of Palm Springs terrorist attack

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) -- Talks over closing the Arenas District main road for safety reasons have circulated for years but are coming to a head now in light of the recent terrorist attack.

Several people have floated the idea of making Arenas Road pedestrian only to prevent risks to public safety.

News Channel 3 took those concerns to Palm Springs and checked in with bar-goers on their thoughts.

"This is a 'gay haters Mecca,' and they could do some serious damage just driving down the street," Greg Begin, a Palm Springs resident, said.

Several locals that talked with News Channel 3 said they liked the idea of a closed street but are unsure what that could mean for parking, which is already limited in the area.

"My only concern is the parking lots being not closed off. That access to the parking lots where someone can drive up behind the building and still cause problems," Chris Sustaire said.

That concern is shared by some business owners.

Dean Lavine, the owner of Blackbook, says the feelings are mixed. Some restaurant owners are open to the idea, but retailers on Arenas Road say a lack of parking would hurt revenue.

"If you're coming to shop at a retail outlet, you might want to pop in really quickly, grab something and go. If you're coming to a restaurant or bar, it might be fine to walk a block or two before super busy. So again, you want to make sure everyone can maximize the value for their own business," Lavine said.

Mayor Ron deHarte says the topic of road closures have circulated for years and are becoming stronger following that attack. However, he doubts if that's the answer and says a lot of logistics would go into that decision.

"How do you protect everybody and the entire city with 250 miles of streets? It becomes daunting to think that you can close down roads here or closed down roads there because that's not the end solution," deHarte said.

According to him, the city is focusing on public safety awareness and outreach, with several mass casualty trainings taking place during large events like Pride.

"We've got an incredible police department, an incredible fire department, and they very frequently are having community outreach, very frequently having meetings in Arenas, so that constant education and talking with the community is very important."

PSPD Chief Andy Mills also addressed the fears, saying, "We want to make sure that the if there's a reasonable fear that it will let you know and, and that, we can work together to make sure this community as safe as possible."

Locals say until a decision is made, they'll continue to enjoy the area.

"People come here to celebrate. People come here to mourn. When things happen, this is a community gathering place," Lavine said.