The Chelsea Downtown Development Authority board heard from representatives of the Chelsea Area Festivals and Events Committee (CAFÉ) at its meeting on Oct. 19.
Denise Cugliari introduced herself as the committee’s event coordinator, and updated the DDA on plans for this year’s Hometown Holiday event, which will take place Dec. 1-3.
She said that an additional gingerbread house workshop has been added this year for special needs children and their families. In addition, she said store owners who would like to display gingerbread houses in their store windows are asked to contact CAFÉ at [email protected].
Business owners can also contact the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce at 475-1145 for more information about becoming a sponsor for a Shop Locally campaign that promotes the weekend as an opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done while enjoying the family-friendly event that kicks off the Christmas season in Chelsea.
In addition, Craig Common addressed the board requesting $5,000 in support for Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights, the Sounds and Sights Festival and Hometown Holiday. He said that the goal of the committee remains to become self-sufficient.
“I really appreciate what CAFÉ does to bring people into town,” said Board Member Jennifer Fairfield.
Also mark your calendars for this year’s Wine, Women and Shopping event, which takes place throughout the city and also brings lots of people into Chelsea. This year it takes place on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The DDA board also discussed the election of new officers, which is expected to take place at an upcoming meeting. It’s expected that the group will nominate and vote on new officers before the end of the year. During the discussion several board members stepped up to say they would be willing to be nominated for the chairman, vice chairman, treasurer and secretary positions. There was also the suggestion that a recording secretary from city staff take over the job of compiling the minutes from the meetings.
City Manager John Hanifan told the board that bids are due to the developer this week for work on the Mack Building and it’s expected to be made structurally sound before the winter.
He said that work is progressing on the Palmer event space and most of the underground work is complete. Two old catch basins were found. He said one will be abandoned and the other will be televised and repaired.
Plus, with the inclusion of a rain garden, there should not be any puddling in that corner of the property.
He said the corners for the building have been staked and he expects the concrete pad to be poured and the building enclosed in the next 3-4 weeks. Once the building is enclosed, the plumbing and electrical can be installed.
The final landscaping, including the asphalt, sod and ornamental landscaping will be done in the spring.
There will be continuous fencing along the south and west property lines and “robust landscaping” will be done on the city’s side of the fence to act as a buffer from the neighboring homes.
