Hidden Impacts of the St. Julien Expansion:
Trash and Traffic
How will more trash and traffic impact our downtown community?
Yes, we’ve paid much attention to the size, design and impact of the St. Julien’s proposed expansion on our downtown’s character. But another critical aspect has been largely overlooked: the unglamorous yet essential matters of trash and traffic.
Behind every busy hotel and event space swirls a symphony of service vehicles — garbage trucks, delivery vans, staff cars — to keep operations running smoothly. At the St. Julien, this behind-the-scenes activity happens in the narrow alleys behind and adjacent to the hotel. But with a proposed 8,600-square-foot ballroom and 39 new hotel rooms, where will all this additional service traffic go?
With a new ballroom and more rooms, where will the extra waste go?
Expansion means more deliveries and pickups dominating the alleys.
The alleys today already see tight fits, with little room for error.
Will more dumpsters line the alley? Where will traffic go when it can’t use the alley? Walnut Street is already a pinch point where if a large vehicle is parked on either side, two cars struggle to pass — creating a virtual one-way. The expansion plans do not mention how to handle this increased activity.
