GREENVILLE — During the public hearing at the Greenville City Council meeting Tuesday evening, a new idea for the First Friday event in June was proposed by Executive Director for Main Street Greenville Crista Hutchinson.

“For our June First Friday event, we’re hoping to incorporate a little bit of a new activity,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson said she wanted to have parklets installed in front of downtown businesses. These would be temporary and take up two to three parking spaces. It would limit the parking spots in front of businesses, but business owners would have to agree to this prior to utilizing their parking spaces.

The advantage for businesses in allowing the parklets to be installed will be the potential rise in sales because it will provide seating for shoppers and give them the opportunity to gather in the downtown area, she said, instead of leaving after they are done shopping.

Hutchinson was searching for landscaping companies to install the parklets on Friday and tear them down the following Monday morning. She said it was on the suggestion of the mayor, safety service director and zoning director to bring the idea to city council for approval. She provided the council with photos at the beginning of the presentation from other cities who have used parklets successfully.

“It’s different,” Council member Dori Howdieshell said. “I like it.”

The parklets would not interrupt the regular flow of traffic in the downtown area on Broadway Street. The council members all agreed and approved the install of the parklets for June First Friday’s event.

Greenville was recognized in the magazine Site Selection. The city ranked forty-one in their 2017 list of the top micropolitan communities in the United States.

“For exemplary achieve in developing a favorable business climate in our community,” Council member Jeff Whitaker said was the reason for the accommodation

The next city council meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 15.