In attempt to start a conversation about the struggling downtown economy, local artisan and merchant, Robert Ortiz, of Robert Ortiz Studios, unveiled the results of three surveys he conducted to learn what a first-time visitor to Chestertown would perceive about the historic district.
“I wanted to find out if there were questions that could be asked that would either confirm, or not confirm, that the Chestertown we think is here is actually the Chestertown that is here, and I wanted to do it from the business point of view,” Ortiz said, presenting his findings to the Chestertown Town Council on Monday.
“Anyone who owns a business…knows that it is a whole different ball game since 2008,” Ortiz said. “When I talk to my peers who own businesses in town, my own sense is that despite the smiling faces that we all have…we are all struggling.”
Ortiz conducted three surveys, taken on a Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday that focused on categories of storefronts – retail, services, restaurants, attorneys, galleries and studios.
“I pretended I was someone coming from out of town,” Ortiz said. “I wanted to see what those people saw, which I think is different than what we… think they see.”
Ortiz found that there were 112 storefronts downtown, more than he originally thought, and 78 percent were open on Tuesday.
When combining legal services with all other services, Ortiz found that Chestertown has 50 legal services businesses compared to 28 retail businesses.
“So it is almost 2-1 services to retail,” he said. “I’m asking the question, is this a mix that a healthy town has. The numbers say to me that we are really becoming more service oriented and less retail.”
“With services outnumbering retail 2-1, and with empty stores, most of what I think you will see is not designed to engage the visitor to Chestertown,” Ortiz said.
A Saturday survey taken at 1 p.m, which Ortiz considers primetime for retail in the historic district, found that only 62 percent of the storefronts were open.
“And heaven forbid you should come on a Sunday, only 26 percent are open,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz believes the business community wants to see the town council, and candidates for office, address the business climate in the historic district.
“My primary hope is that the results will get people talking, thinking, and problem solving about the needs of our historic downtown business district and its future,” Ortiz said.
See the complete surveys, Saturday Survey, Sunday Survey, Tuesday Survey.
See video of Ortiz giving his presentation to the Chestertown Town Council.
Howard McCoy says
Hiya, Bob. If you think it’s bad in Chestertown, you should walk around Centreville where there’s no vision (what would we like Centreville to be?) and little desire to create a vibrant, thriving community with exciting places to shop. There are at least seven closed up storefronts. How inspiring is that?
Harvey Wigder says
Robert,
Thank you for starting to quantify what we all know. Empty store fronts are depressing. I think most of us wish for a more inviting and exciting downtown. We are a great place to live. The lack of retail volume and variety contributes to making us not so great to visit and detracts from our overall quality of life.
This is a shame. I think most of us want our retailers to do well and would like to see a more vibrant downtown.
I think the potential is here. I hope the next mayor and city council get it and are able to create an environment that welcomes and supports businesses and creates more events that draw visitors to our town.
Holly Geddes says
The discussion of the perception of Chestertown and its economic situation is the first plank in my platform as I run for mayor. It is vital to the existence of this town that we plan to bring all parties together to address the lack of a strategic direction, the lack of cohesive action in support of that direction, and the insufficient promotion of the town of Chestertown. We need this conversation!
Some people say it is the culture – not the government. I say that it is up to all of the leaders of Chestertown, especially in the town government, to encourage and facilitate a positive culture.
I have had some experience with Main Street. I found it interesting, and also encouraging, to hear our mayor say that it needs to be revived. I couldn’t agree more. It
is an organization that encourages economic growth through historic preservation. That
sounds tailor-made for Chestertown. The Main Street organization employs only one professional manager. All of the other members of the team are volunteers from the community. Along with economic growth, it teaches many strategies for promotion that the town sorely needs. Promotion is so important that I want to appoint at least one person on the town staff whose sole duty is to promote the town and it’s businesses. This will include promoting the town to entrepreneurs who might relocate in Chestertown.
In some ways, increasing prosperity has simple solutions. The solutions may not be easy, but they can be simple. Businesses that are open when other offices are closed, including Sundays, is but one example of a simple solution to make the town facilities more open and accessible.
Another function of town government is to assist the economic growth process with thoughtful planning and zoning. Why plan for shops to clutter the riverfront when the shops of town are but a block away? A golf cart or two could supply trolley service access between the riverfront and downtown shops to those of limited walking ability.
The prosperity of Chestertown is not a simple or one-dimensional challenge. Much of the challenge is due to a lack of a clear definition of what the future of the town is to be. Is it primarily a tourist venue or a functional town for residents?
Another factor that makes the problem more complex is that all of the issues must be approached in a cohesive manner. Fostering economic growth, increasing the number if full time residents, implementing good business practices, designs, zoning, parking, and promotion are all intertwined – knotted together. It will take an over-all vision and organized leadership to find the strands of the knot and untie them in a useful way. As a candidate for mayor, I hope to provide those qualities.
Tim O'Brien says
Thank you Bob for taking the time to provide information and perspective that will hopefully lead to critical and productive discussions. Hope it leads to actual steps to strengthen the businesses and increase visitors in downtown.
Mike Hunt says
I believe there are three problems: 1) a town populace which allows vocal and not necessarily representative members to thwart every little change from a sign for newly-opened Owl Pen art gallery or the Garfield Theater (Heaven forbid the smallest changes!); 2) a populace willing to spend their money in Delaware, even for eggs (Save 10 cents (before the gas), close down your town!); and 3) a town council either without a vision and/or unwilling to stand up to the malcontents. It’s time for a can-do, more free , and more free-market market agenda.
Mike Hunt says
I forgot to say thanks, Mr. Ortiz: you’ve demonstrated time and again, just how much you love this town. You enrich us with your crafts, your music and your public spirit.
Judi O'Brien says
Good on you, Bob! We recently visited Bowling Green, Kentucky, and for the first time I thought about Chestertown from the perspective of the out of town visitor. We were in Bowling Green on a summer Saturday evening. The only storefronts open around the central park were a restaurant, a candle shop and the coffee shop. Just off the square was a small, artisanal distillery (the business that had brought us into town). (Microbrewery, Chestertown, microbrewery).
This visit had me reflecting on what visitors to Chestertown experience on any given Saturday evening in the summer. So, I applaud your efforts, Bob, to try and gather some stats to help us figure out where to go from here.
Bill Anderson says
Unfortunately, what Chestertown does not see in itself is blatantly obvious to all others. The scant actual retail establishments want, and have for years wanted this, is for somebody else to do the things necessary to improve business conditions in Chestertown. Nobody wants do do anything themselves, for fear that one of their neighbors might receive some benefit from their effort or expenditure, without having made the same or similar investments themselves. Even if there is a downtown merchant association or its equivalent, the same problem exists – nobody wants to commit for example to group advertising, because somebody else may obtain a larger benefit than they. In reality, even though Mr. Ortiz evidently either fails to see or declines to recognize inconvenient truths, is that Chestertown’s downtown business community is in decline and may soon become non-existent. The attitude of most downtown merchants seems to convey a belief that somebody owes them patronage, support, or whatever, despite their own failure to make it happen. To have any chance at all of survival, the town merchants need to find a successful “Main Street” consultant to show them the way, and then commit to following that expertise and advice in an effort to improve things before all are out of business.
Zach M. says
Bill,
As someone who has worked in St. Michaels for the last three years I have seen first hand what a vibrant historic downtown can offer. If what you claim about the Chestertown business community is true then there are serious issues going on. In St. Michaels co-operation and collective activities drive the local business community. Through their business association, tourism board, and town sponsored events they manage to draw in large crowds for most of the year. Businesses are happy to work together and make investments in the community that may not directly benefit them. They understand that the good of their business relies on the good of the town, so an investment in the town or a partnership with another business or businesses is good for them. Hopefully what you claim is not true, but if it is hopefully the community can see how working together will help out the individual.
-Zach
Keith Thompson says
If true (and your observations match many of mine), the problem is more reflective of the town’s culture than it is the town’s government…or perhaps the town’s government is simply a reflection of the culture. What this tells me is that this fall’s mayoral election is less about changing the town’s leadership as it is changing the town’s culture.
One thing I will say is that if you don’t recognize you have a problem, you’re not going to listen to a consultant.
Louise OBrien says
Bob Ortiz sounds like a devoted, patriotic and loyal citizen and has produced a survey which is quite revealing. He hopes it will start a conversation; the town needs to do a lot more than just talk. The town officials need to DO MORE THAN JUST TALK! Our town is declining each year. The only stable attraction any more is the college.
Thank you, Bob for spending the time and energy on this project. I hope it will stimulate more than talk.
PS How ’bout running for mayor?
Mary Wood says
Very interesting points from Bob Ortiz. My questions?
1. Why would this visitor from away come here. To shop – if so what for? Only gifts and gadget?
2. What would this visitor want to do? See quaint old buildings? Enjoy attractive town with many gardens and plantings seen from street ?Art galleries?
East interesting Shore food. – Yes to all of these,or come for our various festivals,Downrigging etc.,Nat’l Music etc.Why not river trips via motor boat,or guided tours with canoes or kayacks , gondoliers,like in Providence,R.I.?
3. Visitors by boat need a grocery & liquor store,within walking distance of marina.
4. Small grocery that delivers would be a boon to many older folks living in town.
5. To attract younger families here, hospital needs to reinstate maternity & pediatric services.
Keith Thompson says
Mary, great questions…I’ll attempt to give some answers.
1. Why would this visitor from away come here. To shop – if so what for? Only gifts and gadget?
I don’t think a visitor comes here to shop per se, they come here for the history; the culture; the river; the college; the events, etc. The tourism related retail part should simply be there to capitalize off of the tourism. I think one of Chestertown’s biggest retail problems is the lack of retail opportunities unrelated to tourism for the residents who actually live here. I think the town needs to keep residents here rather than sending them to Middletown, Easton, Annapolis or Dover.
2. What would this visitor want to do? See quaint old buildings? Enjoy attractive town with many gardens and plantings seen from street ?Art galleries? East interesting Shore food. – Yes to all of these,or come for our various festivals,Downrigging etc.,Nat’l Music etc.Why not river trips via motor boat,or guided tours with canoes or kayacks , gondoliers,like in Providence,R.I.?
All of these are great things, but it is up to the business community to capitalize on all these things. Don’t forget to factor Washington College into the equation. Of course the marina purchase greatly factors in which I’ll cover on the next question.
3. Visitors by boat need a grocery & liquor store,within walking distance of marina.
The town bought the marina expressly for the purpose of facilitating it as a part of economic development on the riverfront. The longer the town waits to act, the less valuable this resource becomes. One question I’ll ask is that if grant money is not forthcoming for dredging, are there alternative funding options? Can there be a corporate/municipal partnership formed that could involve an entity doing the dredging and getting the economic benefit from it?
4. Small grocery that delivers would be a boon to many older folks living in town.
That takes someone willing to make an investment into providing this service. How do you attract people who want to invest in the town?
Or maybe it’s better to ask…how can the town avoid running off potential investors?
5. To attract younger families here, hospital needs to reinstate maternity & pediatric services.
It’s kind of a chicken or the egg scenario. In order for it to be profitable for the hospital to provide maternity and pediatric services, there must be more younger families here. Certainly the Kent Forward initiative and the potential synergy from the new school superintendent should help this problem quite a bit.
Pat Bjorke says
The landscape has certainly changed since we moved here 30 years ago. It would be interesting to know what other Shore towns with a strong visitor presence look like, say St. Michaels and Easton.
Carol Brown says
KUDOS to Bob Ortiz………..great dedication and efforts……….proud to be a member of the same family!
Linda Parry says
I’ve been wondering how long it would take for someone to light a fire under the declining downtown situation – and I don’t understand why Chestertown is not actively marketing itself. During the tricentennial year, it seemed as if Leslie Raimond was everywhere with a video camera – and I wondered then if some of that filming could be used as a marketing tool. I don’t think we need Bob Ortiz to be mayor, despite his wonderful efforts. I think he should be made head of a Marketing Committee for Chestertown – and I’d like to see Chestertown add a line item to the annual budget for just that. Market the daylights out of this town! See what we can attract in the way of new commerce. I can guarantee you that if I were a tourist, I’d have little interest in drug stores, banks and attorney offices! And how many art galleries can anyone visit in one day? We should have costumed docents giving tours on weekends – do the “haunted house” thing on First Fridays – extend the Concerts in the Park to EVERY Saturday night in the summer. There are so many creative things that could be done for a minimum of expense that would add to Chestertown’s charm and allure. What say, people? There are enough experienced, talented marketing people in this community to make a go of it – and I think the starting point should be a brainstorming session to come up with ideas. Just name a date, place and time, and I bet this community would turn out to get the ball rolling!
Keith Thompson says
How about something as simple as someone in the town office to update the town’s Facebook page every day rather than about once a month. Not all marketing involves spending money.
MBTroup says
Marketing works best when it helps buyers buy. We’re often focused on helping sellers sell. The latter falls into place when the former is successfully accomplished. And without using those words, I think this is Bob’s point. If we look at the mix of what is downtown, is that necessarily satisfying the needs of the market? Does being closed at 1 pm on Tuesday help buyers to buy? These are cultural questions. Answering them requires a mix of macro and micro economic solutions. I’m not holding my breath for Maryland to reform its sales and use tax statutes. So what can we offer at the micro level that is appealing to the market place?
Steve Payne says
That pretty much covers it.
Brenda says
How about exploiting the college connection. I was visiting a friend at the college and during the hour that I sat in her office 5 admissions tours past. The college has buildings that are downtown so that area can be an extension of the “sell”. Do merchants have coupons that can be given to the families of prospective students? There has to be a connection to be made. Now this does not open up storefronts but it can be discussed as a future way to sustain and attract business.
matthew weir says
Brenda,
This is a great idea and, to some extent, has been tried. For two years now, every family of a Washington College student has been sent a brochure for a ‘Spend Local’ card. If you are not aware of the program, this is a debit card offered by Chesapeake Bank and Trust that is accepted at many downtown businesses. While the program is certainly not as large as any of us would like, it is a start. Mitchell Reiss, in his cover letter to families, explains in simple terms that Washington College is eager for students and families to support the important local economy.
One thing that I have not seen (although it may exist) is a student discount at retailers to encourage foot traffic or a ‘College night’ at local restaurants. I am sure there is more that can be done.
Zach Milash says
Matthew,
There are some locations around Town that offer such a discount. The location that sticks out most in my head is Plaza Tapatia. Few business “downtown” have such offers however, and other then bars and the few restaurants that are there what types of businesses downtown would benefit from such a discount anyway? I would think other then five stores, college students are not the target market of most downtown stores.
-Zach M.
Peter Newlin says
I am one amount many who are really thankful that Bob has taken the initiative to conduct his survey. He puts great questions to us, and I’d like to add my own thoughts to the conversation.
Bob tells us his survey is subjective, and my comments are equally so, based on my experience as a downtown property owner and service business owner for 35 years. I believe most of our visitors come to Chestertown to enjoying the pleasures of walking around in our Historic Marketplace and surrounding neighborhoods. It isn’t one thing; it is the whole of it as experienced on foot. As a community, we need to put in place measures which will optimize our downtown pedestrian environment. Think of our parking lots. Where they are masses of cars without landscape appeal, they undermine Chestertown’s marketplace economics. On the other hand we have the County’s welcoming parking lot right across from of Town Hall, with people-oriented pavers which allow storm water to be captured by the several feet of gravel below, not to mention the canopy trees and shrubbery. Our Planning Commission, currently revamping Chestertown’s Comprehensive Plan, could set as a goal, for example, all parking lots of four cars or more should be designed as pedestrian environments. In truth, our parking lots are a gateway for accessing our downtown. They should be welcoming.
But even if we can all agree our town should adopt that goal, its implementation is thorny. Chestertown’s Planning Commission needs to work with the economic realities which our property owners and business owners know, because we need these folks to invest in the improvements which can bring a vision of a more appealing Chestertown to fruition.
Architects like me are in the business of getting their clients projects permitted, and every jurisdiction regulates its construction differently – so differently that for example, there is a palpable pro-growth culture in Queen Anne’s County at high contrast with Kent County’s dedication to rural preservation. Yet both are design friendly. The negotiations with staff and with the Planning Commissions are conducted with mutual respect. Both jurisdictions invite the property owners to explain their agendas and seek to help property owners achieve a win-win outcome with the community’s goals. Planning issues are quite complex and rarely well resolved from a single point of view, but over the years Chestertown has developed a culture of authoritarian reviews, in which the interests of the owners are treated with disrespect. As a case in point, when 9 out of 10 Park Row property owners had reached a consensus that their neighborhood needed more flexible zoning to thrive, the Planning Commission took up the issue. When the owners showed up to provide their input, they were twice told this was not the time they were to be heard. On four other occasions, when the property owners were not present, the Planning Commissioners discussed their fate, coming to the decision that nothing could be done in response to that neighborhood’s struggles with inappropriate zoning. As one of Chestertown’s long term leaders has said to me, Chestertown is “willfully ignorant” of what it’s businesses need.
Our local government is not a willing partner with downtown business. For example, the Downtown Cestertown Association sent a letter to the Planning Commission which identified the Garfield Center as a “downtown anchor business” that should have their proposed programmable LED sign approved. DCA voted unanimously in support, and Chestertown’s Historic District Commission has offered to oversee a 6 month trial review of the limitations which must be set to guarantee this sign will behave with good citizenship in the historic district. In the face of all of that support, Chestertown’s Planning Commission is recommending a total ban on all forms of electronic signage throughout Chestertown, including inside devices that are within 6 feet of a display window. There is no business support for such a regressive restraint on emerging technology, but the Town Council has schedule the public hearing (at 7 PM, Monday August 19th) required for approval. Businesses will have to come out en mass if they want stop this unnecessary and severe restraint on their ability to market to passersby. There can be only two winners behind such regulation: the enforcement officer who would have a rigorous “No!” to wield, and the elected officials who won’t have to deal with the complexity of what it really takes to figure out how our marketplaces can increase their competitiveness without detracticting from the quality of our neighborhoods, not to mention that this legislation will leave the Garfield Center with no allowable sign short of the movie posters Hollywood stopped manufacturing in the 1950s.
As we can be see, we will get no where until we adopt a culture of meeting as equals to build our consensus understanding of the complexity of the issues we must confront, and an evidence-based decision making process for addressing them. With an election coming up, let’s be on the lookout for a leader who can listen, who can learn, and who can build consensus. There is no constituency in Chestertown which should not be understood, and our future depends upon us doing so collaboratively.