Blockade
Downtown businesses frustrated by closure of public parking lot

The free city parking lot next to the Chamber of Commerce was roped off for most of the day to reserve it for Park and Ride service to Friday's Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial at Red Rock Park. Area business owners say the closed parking lot had a negative impact on customer flow. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It was a good idea in the beginning.

And it's probably still a good idea: Gallup's small public transit system, Gallup Express, providing "park and ride" shuttle services from the Gallup Cultural Center to the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial at Red Rock Park.

However, what wasn't so good was that one of downtown Gallup's few public parking lots was barricaded from free public use on Friday a day that crowds of spectators come to downtown Gallup to view the Ceremonial Parade and a day when most local merchants hope to see many visiting tourists walk through their doors.

But no parking lot on Friday seemed to mean very few customers and even fewer sales.

Melinda Sanchez was particularly not happy. When she arrived at First American Traders, where she works as a bookkeeper and manager, the public parking lot between the Gallup Cultural Center and the Chamber of Commerce was already barricaded at 7 a.m. The Ceremonial Parade was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and Sanchez had arranged for Native American author and singer Bonnie Jo Hunt to spend the morning at First American Traders for a book signing appearance. Sanchez could look out her employer's window and see the empty parking lot across the street. A Gallup Express bus was blocking one entrance to the lot. The other entrance became manned by a group of workers who were reportedly telling motorists they would have to pay $5 to park in the city-owned lot.

After a morning with very few customers, Sanchez called The Independent to complain. "We depend on the parking lot," said Sanchez, who estimated business was down 80 percent in her store compared to last year's Ceremonial Friday.

"I'm just frustrated. I don't understand why they make it so difficult to do business," Sanchez said of city officials. She suggested the newspaper call other business owners along the street to get their views.

Several had plenty to say, but most insisted on speaking anonymously.

A nearby business owner reacted with anger when contacted. "Where (are) our tourists supposed to park?" asked the man. "Why do they need that entire parking lot?" he added. Looking across the street, the man reported "not a soul" was in the parking lot, other than people representing Gallup Express. He called the barricaded lot "stupid" and criticized city officials. "They're not thinking very straight," he said.

"I agree with them," said an employee at a third business. She also insisted on speaking anonymously because her employer was not present to speak for the business. "They've taken away the parking."

"Business is off today, no doubt about it," said another business owner. He said his business was noticeably slower since the parking lot was blocked.

Scott Richards, the owner of Gallup Saddle Shop, agreed he was getting fewer Ceremonial visitors than last year, but he wasn't sure it was due to the parking situation. Richards said he has heard complaints about Ceremonial being moved up from its traditional date in August, and he thought perhaps that was at the root of the problem.

Rhonda Ray of the Southwest Indian Foundation and Jamal Jawad of the Oasis Mediterranean Restaurant said they didn't believe their businesses were being negatively impacted by the situation.

Dorothy Claw, the transportation director at the Na'Nizhoozhi Center, which runs the Gallup Express, did not respond to a request for comment. In an article published on Tuesday, Claw said the shuttle service would operate from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and would cost $5. Shuttle riders would thereby be exempt from the $5 parking fee at Red Rock Park.

A Gallup Express employee who did not want to provide her name, said she didn't have information about how many riders had used the service thus far and how many buses were in use. She said she was aware of one complaint about the parking lot and had attempted to pass that complaint on to her supervisor over the transit system's radio.

When a photographer from The Independent arrived at the parking lot at about 3:45 p.m., the parking lot's barricades were being removed. The lot was "99 percent empty," he reported, with three Gallup Express buses and four private vehicles parked in the lot.

Glen Benefield, the director of the Gallup Development Commission, blamed the situation on "some miscommunications" that took place during the shuttle service's organization. Gallup Express was supposed to set up on the east side of the Gallup Cultural Center, he explained, where it will be set up today. That parking lot will not be barricaded, he added, and motorists will not be charged for parking in the lot. And, he said, the shuttle fee has been reduced to $3 for a round trip ride to Red Rock Park.

In addition, Benefield said, Karl Lohmann, who was supervising youth workers collecting money for the shuttle service, went from business to business offering apologies for the parking lot snafu.

Sanchez was one of those who received the personal apology and was pleased with the City's response. Although frustrated with the barricade of what is normally a free, public parking lot, Sanchez said she thought the idea of a Ceremonial shuttle service remained a good idea to pursue.

Reporter Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola can be contacted at (505) 863-6811 ext. 218 or ehardinburrola@yahoo.com.