‘Part of the fabric’: Charlotte council eyes rules for NoDa street vendors

CHARLOTTE — Every weekend, dozens of street vendors turn out along the sidewalks of N. Davidson Street in north Charlotte; but now, city leaders are weighing what to do about them.

NoDa is known as the city’s arts and entertainment district, but it’s also a neighborhood full of culture. Its streets are often filled with fashion, with sidewalks serving as the neighborhood’s closet -- no fitting room needed.

“Street vending has always sort of been part of the fabric of the NoDa neighborhood and community,” said Danté Anderson, Charlotte Mayor pro tem and representative for District 1.

But for some business owners nearby, they say the street vendors have gotten out of hand.

“It’s been out of control, and it seems like a new vendor pops up every week,” said Michael Sims, the owner of Crowntown Cannabis.

Sims says the sidewalks have become “dangerously impassable” because of the vendors.

“Most people, just to get down the sidewalks, have to get out onto the street to get down the street, especially those in wheelchairs and baby strollers and things like that,” Sims said. “Passing on the simple sidewalk is just not an option.”

This area is part of Anderson’s district, and she told Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz she’s heard and seen similar things.

“We’re having some challenges with some of our vendors, not all, who are basically not respecting the space on the sidewalk; they’re becoming confrontational,” Anderson said.

Take one instance in July 2023, when police say a fight involving street vendors led to someone being shot. The victim in that shooting was Jameson Hill, who sells his cannabis products at the corner of E. 35th Street.

“It’s just commerce, this is my job, just like somebody else has their job,” Hill told Sáenz.

Hill says the vendors often police themselves, making sure they aren’t blocking walkways or causing trouble for those walking through.

But it’s clear that many vendors are right on the sidewalk, and some people say that snaking through the obstacles is a concern.

“It’s not an issue as frequently as people say it is. Yes, there’s a lot of vendors out here, but people walk through here like normal,” Hill said.

Down the street at Old News Vintage, Brennan Tarra doesn’t see an issue either.

“For one, I feel like that kind of thing brings this neighborhood more foot traffic,” Tarra said.

He worked hard to open his brick-and-mortar store, selling vintage clothes similar to those his competition sells just outside of his shop. But he doesn’t see them as competition.

“They don’t really bother us that much at all,” Tarra said.

Regardless of opinions on the street, the neighborhood debate has found its way to City Hall. Councilmembers are now considering tougher rules for street vending.

“Largely, the desire for the neighborhood is not to totally get rid of street vending, but to have some process that the street vendors would abide by, and have some level of enforcement,” Anderson said.

Charlotte’s street vendor rules date back to the 1980s. It’s generally legal in NoDa, only vendors in the congested business district in Uptown need permits to sell along Tryon Street. Selling without a permit could get you a fine between $10 and $50.

But outside of Uptown, there are no structured permit rules, and there’s little enforcement.

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