AIB, DTMA start awards program for
Downtown business beautification
July 08, 2015
Santa Paula News
If you take pride in your business shoppers will be proud to come inside your store, and America in Bloom (AIB) and the Santa Paula Downtown Merchants Association (DTMA) have joined together to reward businesses that add to the attractiveness of the city’s historic business district.
The program will also encourage more participation in DTMA and/or AIB and demonstrate that both organizations are inclusive.
The awards program said Larry Cossid of AIB, started several months ago with discussions at a DTMA board meeting.
“We were talking about different things and I thought AIB helps honor a home of the month,” for beautification, “but who is doing anything for a business of the month,” that takes the attractiveness of their enterprise seriously.
Cossid noted, “Our first thought was we do the award based on a points system we decided to just go by the visual…that’s easy! The Business Forward Santa Paula award is a means of trying to improve the downtown area,” by recognizing those for their improvements and providing an example to others.
And such businesses attract not only shoppers but also other businesses to the Downtown.
“We need more businesses that are doing things to improve their look and new businesses, and AIB and DTMA wants to recognize businesses that are trying to change the perception of Santa Paula,” said Cossid.
His next challenge was to find “what is considered Downtown…I couldn’t find anybody that had a definitive description,” so he met with Planning Director Janna Minsk.
During the meeting Minsk shared the Cal Poly Downtown revitalization plan that concentrated on the historic Downtown area and they also discussed potential improvements to the Harvard Boulevard business corridor.
Cossid said he admires the efforts of the DTMA: “The organization does so much to promote Santa Paula…America in Bloom and the Downtown Merchants Association is a good match!”
Indeed it is said Susan Kulwiec of DTMA who also owns the Main Street-based Kulwiec Interiors which shares office space with Anderson Kulwiec Appleby Architects; Susan and her husband John Kulwiec own several buildings on Main Street that they have restored.
“Of course this all started with AIB encouraging Downtown businesses to add planters in front of their buildings,” a beautification effort that Susan Kulwiec said “has grown from there…”
The planters were in addition to the hanging baskets that Dianne and Dudley Davis, owners of the former Do Right’s Nursery established on Main Street. Later, when Dianne Davis founded the local AIB chapter the Downtown beautification program started to grow.
“Downtown Merchants has helped with funding the re-planting of the businesses’ planters,” said Kulwiec, and “AIB and FFA did all the labor, picking up the boxes, and re-planting. AIB’s board has an energy level that is unsurpassed in my brief experience!”
And there is a commitment on both boards that the diversity of Main Street businesses should be highlighted.
The award program so far has honored two Main Street businesses and Kulwiec said the owners’ reaction has been “That they are truly honored, which is lovely. The first one,” Angelitos Decoration & Accessories owned by Marta Viveros and her daughter Yesenia Viveros, “is a beautiful little shop, nicely done with some style and grace and design sensitivity…we want to recognize and encourage them,” for their efforts that hopefully encourage other merchants to spruce up their stores.
The second Business Forward Santa Paula recognition was awarded to Adan Sandoval, owner of La Terraza Restaurant at the corner of 10th and Main streets.
“With La Terraza expanding into the furniture store next door,” Kulwiec said when Sandoval attended the DTMA meeting to accept the award he gave “an update on that project,” to create a banquet hall and heard some suggestions about his new enterprise.
“We were delighted to have him and he seemed very happy to be there…we are hoping he will attend meetings on a more regular basis. “That is one of the Downtown Merchants Association’s goals, introducing businesses that have not participated in the organization,” and said Kulwiec, “to be more comfortable in becoming involved.”
