If you want to restart then why not buy a new AC:NL cartridge from Target when they have them on sale for $15.
That way you can keep everything you have worked so hard to get and transfer things to the new town by using a friend or a second 3ds unit. If you choose to get a second 3DS then the old town can become a huge storage unit, a townsfolk recycler, and somewhere you can visit without any interruption whenever you want to help get those event items.