Knucklebones Closing

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Knucklebones is apparently being forced to close. Does anyone have more insight into the situation?

Letter from the owner explaining:

Date: Wed, May 30, 2012 at 9:09 AM
Subject: Important Epicenter News


Hello Loyal Knucklebones Followers,

Before news spreads we wanted to share with you directly, we will be
closing the Epicenter on June 30th. As many have already heard, three
weeks before we were to open in December our investor backed out.
This forced us to alter our original plan of "Interactive Toy Store"
to "Play Space with a Toy Store" because we simply did not have the
funds for shelving, inventory, check out system, etc. Our vision had
to be put on hold but we moved forward with what we could afford and
what we thought would be successful. As you have helped to prove,
this concept has been a success and a lot of fun!

For the past few months we’ve been in discussions with the City of
Cambridge due to a neighbor complaining about our backyard use.
Although we have only used the yard for three parties (from
October-May) for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes, this neighbor
contacted the police and filed a formal complaint. After coming to an
agreement with the City that we will no longer use the backyard for
paid activities, we thought our troubles had come to an end. However,
a week later the City placed a Cease and Desist Order on all paid
activities essentially ending ‘Open Play’ and any classes due to
zoning regulations. Although we had hoped to be a functioning Toy
Store by this time we know that testing products is what makes our
store unique and we are not willing to give up that portion of our
vision and become ‘just another toy store’.

Although the Epicenter will be closing you can still get your KB fix
as we will continue traveling to our clients for play services and
we're looking to run a weekly ‘Open Play’ at the Arts at the Armory.
Of course, you still have the entire month of June to enjoy the
Epicenter’s Open Play, Creative Movement class and purchase remaining
inventory. Beginning Friday, June 1st we will have a Flash Sale of
our current inventory, priced better than Amazon. We will also be
offering reduced rate memberships for $55 (one child) and $50 for
siblings as a Thank You closeout for the month. Open Play will remain
at $7 for the day and we will still host parties through the end of
the month.

I know this news may come as a shock to many of you, it did to us as
well. It has been a fantastic six months and you have been an
integral part of it! Of course, we're excited to move forward to find
a new space, with the correct zoning, for our unique vision of an
interactive toy store. Feel free to provide us any information to
help us locate our next "perfect" location. Thank you for your
support and remember to think of us anytime you need fun and healthy
athletics, retail, consultation, etc...for love of play!

Mitch

Founder | CVO
Knucklebones
196 Elm Street North
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-851-2928
www.Knucklebones.us

Comments

[ron_newman]

The ungrateful complaining neighbor should be publicly named and shamed, in my opinion. This is just as bad as trying to shut down the VFW post.

I'm going to point Marc Levy of Cambridge Day at this post, since the business is on the Cambridge side of the line.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Please read the message. There is no reason to put all blame on the neighbor, according to the message. The people running Knucklebones stated that the city of Cambridge sent them a Cease and Desist order because Knucklebones did not follow proper zoning laws and procedures. That order from the city has closed the store, not the neighbor's complaints. Rather than call for a knee jerk public naming/shaming of a perhaps innocent neighbor, a better course of action would be to ask Knucklebones' owners/managers why the proper permits weren't researched and received prior to opening their establishment.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Should they have been more careful in following the apparently draconian zoning laws of the area? Sounds like it.

But it's hard for me to imagine circumstances that make their neighbor any less of an asshole.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

However, a week later the City placed a Cease and Desist Order on all paid activities essentially ending ‘Open Play’ and any classes due to zoning regulations.

Urge to (moderate) libertarianism rising...

[ron_newman]

For future reference: original post about Knucklebones from last August.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

While I can certainly sympathize with a neighbor who objected to the use of the yard, I see no reason why use of the indoor play space shouldn't be allowed. Why can't they get a zoning variance for the indoor space?

[ron_newman]

And because they can't use the yard anymore, it is now abandoned, overgrown, and weedy. Surely that's worse for the neighborhood than if Knucklebones was using it as originally planned?

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

What I don't get is, if they only had outdoor events three times, and, since it was for kids playing with toys outside from October to May (which seems backwards, but maybe they were winter toys?), one would assume that it was during the day...who the heck was complaining and what kind of blackmail material did they have, and on whom?

Because whenever I've called to complain about neighbours' unruly behaviour outside, it's not in the in the middle of the afternoon, it's in the middle of the freaking night, and rarely, if ever, did the cops manage to actually shut the people up. So how does this place get shut down?

It just seems...I don't know. Extreme.

[ron_newman]

At my suggestion, Cambridge Day has now published a news article: Knucklebones closing after complaints it’s all play, no sales.

The article says that "Information about the complaining neighbor would be made available [by Inspectional Services] Thursday", and that "This post will be updated with information from the city’s Inspectional Services Department."

[ron_newman]

The Cambridge Day article has been updated to identify the complaining neighbor as Christopher Barr.