With a hat tip to Thin Lizzy, here is an ode to the Burlingame Avenue Autonomous Zone–the BAAZ:
Guess who just got back today?The wild-eyed BAAZ that had been awayHaven't changed, had much to sayBut man, I still think them blocks are crazyThey were askin' if you were aroundHow you was, where you could be foundI told 'em you were livin' downtownDrivin' all the merchants crazy
The BAAZ is back in town (the BAAZ is back in town)
I said (the BAAZ is back in town)(TheBAAZ is back in town)The BAAZ is back in town…ow..ow.owwn
As reported in the Daily Journal here, the council has voted to bring back the BAAZ for two weeks in August–exactly three years after it was stopped as we noted here.
The closure will take up two blocks of Burlingame Avenue east of Primrose Road, west of Lorton Avenue and a small portion of Park Road. The Park Road segment will be a small portion of the road ending before the city-owned parking lot, so vehicles will be able to park or turn around. The council also agreed to start the two-week street closure after the Burlingame on the Avenue festival, Aug. 19, which is hosted by the Chamber or Commerce, and reopen the streets Labor Day, Sept. 2.
There was council commentary on the thing we need most on the Avenew–live music. I'm not sure it needs to be taxpayer subsidized beyond waiving the entertainment permit and encroachment permit fees, but 5 grand is a modest amount either way:
(Council member Emily) Beach said the city could work with the downtown businesses and the Chamber of Commerce to provide a musical ambiance the remaining two weekends. “Quite frankly, the smaller single [or] duo instrumental might create exactly the right ambiance as opposed to a big loud band that some people may like the style and some people not like the style,” Beach said.
One option, she suggested, would be for the city to set aside $5,000 to match restaurants or businesses who may want to hire a small band for the night and then the city would reimburse the business up to $500.
Mark your calendars for Art on the Ave Aug 19-20 followed by two weeks of strolling the BAAZ for dining, tippling and hopefully some good music. Maybe we will even see our guitar-strumming council member out busking on the Ave.
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