Artists will return to park
S.L. Council backs away from Pioneer prohibition
The Salt Lake City Council on Thursday backed away from its ban of artists in the park at 300 West and 400 South by passing a new ordinance designed to regulate street artists citywide.
The bad part of that good news for the artists, however, is they are still banned from "funky" neighborhood commercial districts such as 900 South and 900 East, 1500 South and 1500 East and other areas of the city by the new ordinance.
Still, Mayor Rocky Anderson said artists can get into those areas with special-event permits that may cost only $5, much less than the new $30 yearly fee artists must pay to hawk art on the street.
"It might be that artists could get into these areas more cheaply," he said.
Also, street artists will be allowed in all city parks larger than nine acres (Pioneer Park is 10 acres) as well as throughout downtown, the Gateway district, Sugar House, Library Square and Washington Square.
While street artists may be satisfied, the Downtown Alliance, which puts on the summer Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park, was less enthusiastic. The Farmer's Market crowd has been complaining for years that street artists, who don't have to pay large fees to rent space at the park the way farmers do, are drawing off the large customer base the farmers have built.
Bob Farrington, executive director of the alliance, downplayed the idea that the Farmer's Market would move away from Pioneer Park to private ground where street artists couldn't follow.
Many council members, who hired outside legal counsel to advise them on constitutional issues, said they were frustrated they couldn't ban artists from Pioneer Park. Councilman Dale Lambert said street artists, who don't pay fees to rent space at the park like the farmers do, were taking advantage of the farmers' hard work.
Anderson has been pushing for a street artists ordinance almost since he took office in 2000. The City Attorney's Office has also been urging the passage of some artist ordinance since an all out ban on street art sales — which is what the city previously had — is unconstitutionally restrictive of free speech.
Anderson had threatened to veto the measure if the council decided to ban artists from Pioneer Park. However, he seemed at least mildly pleased with the council's effort, which was more restrictive that he would have liked.
E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com
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