The Charlotte City Council has voted to effectively ban street vending citywide, except in designated areas where vendors have permits — such as uptown Charlotte.
Council members voted 8-1 Monday night to approve the restrictions, which carry fines of up to $500. They considered criminal penalties for repeat offenders, but ultimately decided not to.
A council committee took a similar vote in February to ban street vending in NoDa after complaints about blocked sidewalks and storefronts.
That's where WFAE's Nick de la Canal first met Avery Britt. He was selling vintage and upcycled clothing on the North Davidson Street sidewalk, including pieces featuring his own designs.
Britt called the council's latest decision "sad and a little deflating." He spoke with de la Canal on Tuesday to share his reaction to the council vote.
Nick de la Canal: When we spoke back in February, the city had just ended a program allowing street vending in NoDa. That's where you often set up. How have things been going for you since then? Have you still been able to sell your clothes?
Avery Britt: Yeah, I mean, I always stay booked and busy, but as far as being in the neighborhood specifically, I'm not there as much anymore. Even before the ban, it felt like the pressure was there that made people stop wanting to come. So, I mean, the foot traffic has been lackluster.
De la Canal: You mean that there were fewer people walking through the neighborhood?
Britt: Right, right. There's a lot of small business owners that either got inspiration or directly profited from being able to be out there, and so it really hurts the future small business owners of Charlotte.
De la Canal: The city says that it's responding to complaints about vendors who are blocking sidewalks or crowding storefronts, sometimes selling unsafe or illegal products. Do you think those concerns are legitimate? And do you think there's a better way for the city to address them?
Britt: Yeah, I mean, I for sure think that community safety should always be at the top of mind, but I feel like the overall enforcement is still lackluster. Even right now, at nighttime, there's still people setting up, selling food out of grills and flash-frying stuff, but no one comes to make sure that it's being safe.
So it feels like they're just picking and choosing what they deem is safe and unsafe and how they want to police it.
De la Canal: When we talked back in February, you told me that you were worried that Charlotte was losing some of its artistic identity. Do you still feel that way? And what do you think this decision says about the kind of city that Charlotte wants to be?
Britt: Dude — funny enough, my cousin is a muralist in the city, and it's been intriguing how he's able to maneuver in the city with different programs ... whereas I feel like with what we're doing, it's the opposite.
So instead of there being more options, there's even less options. So we've been driven into extinction, it feels like.
De la Canal: Well, the council decided not to impose criminal penalties on vendors who repeatedly break the rules. Does that make any difference to you, or are you still concerned about fines and restrictions for street vendors?
Britt: Yeah, I mean, a fine is pretty much putting me in jail. I'm not gonna lie, because when you go to jail, you can't make money. When you fine me, you take my money. So it's one and the same.
De la Canal: Well, Avery Britt, it's really nice to talk with you again, and I definitely wish you luck out there with your business.
Britt: Thank you so much, Nick. I wish you could see the vintage NPR sweater I'm wearing right now, and I got a sports radio hat on.
De la Canal: Are you really?
Britt: Yeah, man.
De la Canal: Well, that's awesome. I might actually have to come out and peruse the selection, then.
Britt: Yeah, dude, pop out. It's still a fun time, even though, like I said ... this is sad. (But) we still find so much joy in being out there whenever we do get the chance, and we still make that experience as great as we can.
