The Roswell City Council has appointed a seven-member task force that to study whether to shut down a portion of Canton Street to vehicular traffic.

The panel consists of four business owners, two Canton Street residents, and one at-large resident who is a police officer, but critics fret that the people chosen may not be open to all viewpoints.

The city explicitly asked applicants if they’d be “open” to establishing a Canton Street Promenade on a “trial basis.” At least one of the businesspeople chosen for the panel, Bristow Hair Company owner Laine Bristow, has spoken publicly in favor of the closure idea and was quoted in a local publication about it.

“We are deeply disappointed with the process and outcome of the meeting,” said 1920 Tavern owner Jenna Aronowitz, who applied for but was not chosen to be on the task force. “It’s possible this entire task force will be a sham.”

One businessman, Ryan Pernice, owns several restaurants there--two of them on Canton--and tells WSB he knows people on the new task force and admires their willingness to serve. The Table & Main owner just hopes the task force is a real, honest effort to get all opinions and thoughts on how a closure might play out.

“It’s odd to me that no restaurant that would be affected directly by this, particularly the piece of Canton Street that might be closed, was opted to be on this task force,” says Pernice. He also applied to be on the panel.

WSB Radio reached out to Roswell’s City Council to ask how many people on the task force were in favor of the closure plan on their applications, and how many were against it. We’re awaiting a response.

The task force is expected to issue its report in 45 days.

©2023 Cox Media Group