Arts at the Armory??
Sep. 8th, 2012 09:57 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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davis_squareDoes anyone know what happened at the zoning board meeting for the Arts at the Armory?
Someone posted that question on their Facebook wall and all the venue replied is that the poster should "email the executive director if you're interested." That doesn't sound promising... it also doesn't seem like a good way to communicate with your community, unless they're legally constrained from talking about it. I feel like if you do a big "come support us" public appeal, you should really tell people whatever you can, even if it's just that an answer is pending.
Did anyone from here go? Did they hear the appeal? Give an answer?
thanks!
Someone posted that question on their Facebook wall and all the venue replied is that the poster should "email the executive director if you're interested." That doesn't sound promising... it also doesn't seem like a good way to communicate with your community, unless they're legally constrained from talking about it. I feel like if you do a big "come support us" public appeal, you should really tell people whatever you can, even if it's just that an answer is pending.
Did anyone from here go? Did they hear the appeal? Give an answer?
thanks!
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Date: 2012-09-09 04:15 am (UTC)I was disappointed that Aldermen-at-Large White and Sullivan, who are supposed to represent the interests of the whole city, argued against giving the Armory extended hours.
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Date: 2012-09-09 04:42 am (UTC)Why is the Armory being so cagey about this on their facebook page? Why aren't they soliciting comments in their support? I'd post on my FB asking people to submit letters in support, but not if the Armory for some reason doesn't want people to do that.
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Date: 2012-09-09 04:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 01:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 06:13 am (UTC)The meeting was video recorded by scat so hopefully it will be available soon.
Also the city website posts agendas and minutes, but the minutes aren't up yet.
http://www.somervillema.gov/event-meetings/50255?event-title=Zoning+Board+of+Appeals+Hearing
Letters and email seem to matter. Email can be sent c/o Dawn Pereira at
dpereira@somervillema.gov
Letters can be mailed c/o Dawn Pereira at
Zoning Board of Appeals
93 Highland Ave. S'ville, Ma. 02143.
There's also an online form that looks easy with a drop down choice for Zoning board of appeals at
http://www.somervillema.gov/contact-us
I pulled all that stuff off the city website. It seems to be accurate but if someone knows more, please add.
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Date: 2012-09-09 12:36 pm (UTC)Except that the most malcontent NIMBY neighbor, John Sullivan, was allowed to ramble on for what seemed like at least 10 minutes. I don't understand why he wasn't subject to the time limit that everyone else tried to obey.
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Date: 2012-09-09 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 02:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-09 12:47 pm (UTC)aldermansullivan@aol.com (AOL? Really?)
william.a.white@verizon.net
I also send a similar message to the Zoning Board of Appeals via the city's website.
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Date: 2012-09-09 11:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 04:21 am (UTC)A bit like the pot calling the kettle black. The opposition has been against the Armory since 2004, and have never wavered in their mission to take every opportunity to derail it (before it opened) and shut it down (after it opened).
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Date: 2012-09-11 02:58 pm (UTC)and spoke at recent neighborhood meeting in favor of moving forward with the proposed changes. If the ZBA
hearing is being shown in entirety it should eliminate any issue over potential bias that an edited version might suggest.
Another concern was that several local individuals are simply leery of having their names and addresses floating
around on the internet. The chairman made an announcement about the taping and those who shared that concern
did not speak.
In general, it is a clearly volatile issue that has unfortunately devolved into an "us vs. them" mentality.
There are two sides to every story and in fairness both deserve to be aired. That is the purpose of
the hearing. There is always room for discussion if opposing positions are open and willing to talk.
If not, communication and credibility will falter and the situation will deteriorate into a neighborhood feud.
It's hard to believe that anyone wants that.
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Date: 2012-09-10 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 04:18 pm (UTC)"Hi. Someone from SCATV taped the last Zoning Board of Appeals hearing. Do you know when this will be aired, and if it will also be available online? Thanks."
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Date: 2012-09-10 04:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 05:21 pm (UTC)I will be airing the show uncut and streaming it online.
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Date: 2012-09-10 05:39 pm (UTC)--------------------
Hello Ron and others. SCATV remains a free speech venue. Our member producers may take out our equipment in order to produce any program they like for channel 3. Our policies clearly state that the producers take full responsibility for the content of their shows, and if there is a question from the public about a program on our channel, we refer them to the producer. That is what occurred in this situation, and the member clearly understood that policy. If there is a copyright issue, or any other legal issue with the content of a program, it is the producer's responsibility. This is an essential feature of any public access television station. Otherwise we could not operate as a free speech venue.
SCATV staff does sometimes produce programs, such as the Alderman Debate, Talking About Somerville, etc., and in those cases SCATV takes responsibility for the program. That was not the case for the ZBA Hearing.
I hope that answers you questions about our operations.
Thank you.
Wendy Blom
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Date: 2012-09-10 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 09:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-11 10:43 pm (UTC)The meeting went quite late and there really wasn't a resolution. Adam Dash gave our case for why we need to have later hours etc. to be financially viable. The Planning Commission weighed in, supporting us but also listing a number of concessions that we needed to make for the well-being of the city and of the neighborhood. For instance, they requested that we are ask that only Friday and Saturday be listed as week-end nights rather than Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They also discussed a number of solutions that we arrived at during our two prior community meetings (e.g. posting signs telling our patrons to respect our guests, etc.). State Representative Denise Provist emphasized her support of the Arts at the Armory in general, as did District 5 Alderman and the at large Aldermen. However, most called for further negotiation and perhaps mediation with those neighbors who still have concerns.
The reactions from the Somerville community were mixed: some neighbors where quite opposed to changes in our operating structure, and largely re-iterated concerns from the two community meetings we held in August. Other neighbors, including abutters, argued that they appreciated our presence here and wanted to allow for the changes that would make us a fiscally viable organization.
The meeting was taped for SCAT TV and will be up shortly. Some neighbors had concerns with the taping, but the head of the Commission, Herbert Foster, told the assembled body that they would be taped for television. Public hearings are fequently recorded and uploaded by local cable access channels. I would imagine that the next meeting will also be taped.
If people want the full details of the meeting I suggest you look at the tape. I can post a link as soon as they send it to me.
The next meeting is next Wednesday at City Hall. The meeting is scheduled for 6 pm. I am not sure where we are on the agenda, but to be safe people should plan to be there at 6pm when the session starts.
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Date: 2012-09-12 01:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-11 11:01 pm (UTC)The meeting went pretty much as posted below. The Planning committee encouraged the changes we requested, while asking that we concede on a many points, most of which we brought up in our August community meetings. We have agreed to these requests, and have further agreed to limited the "week-end" hours to Friday and Saturday rather than Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
State Represative Provist and the Aldermen present largely supported the Arts at the Armory in theory, but didn't make specific recommendations. Most asked that we engage in some kind of mediation with the people who oppose granting the changes to operating protocols.
The reactions from those at the meeting were mixed: some neighbors expressed concerns mostly about noise and parking. Others, including some abutters, said that they support the Arts at the Armory's mission, and would like to see the proposed changes go through so that we can continue to exist in the neighborhood.
At the end of the hearing, our lawyer, Adam Dash, reiterated that we are in financial trouble due to the restictions on our activites and that time is of the essence for our survival.
If people want more specific details, I suggest they go to the SCAT tv posting of the public hearing. The next one is scheduled for Sept 19, 6pm at City Hall. I encourage all concerned citizens to attend and have their voices be heard.
Tracey Stark--Executive Director of the Center for Arts at the Armory.
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Date: 2012-09-12 01:57 am (UTC)Please post the URL of the SCAT video as soon as it is available.
I do hope people will turn out, and write letters, in support of your organization.
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Date: 2012-09-12 01:44 pm (UTC)Full disclosure - I work for Arts at the Armory. This is a GREAT discussion and thank you for having it. Also - THANK YOU for your support of Arts at the Armory. I just want to clarify so that folks understand that Arts at the Armory did not put anything in front the ZBA - The owners of 191 Highland Avenue did. Arts at the Armory is a non-profit tenant of the building (there are 13 tenants total). So please continue to support our great programming, but please help us to spread the word that Arts at the Armory is one tenant of 191 Highland Avenue, not "The Armory" or the owners.
Thanks!
Jen Lawrence
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Date: 2012-09-12 03:17 pm (UTC)What is the relationship between Arts and the Armory and the owners? Does it go beyond a traditional tenant / landlord relationship?
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Date: 2012-09-12 06:26 pm (UTC)The Center for the Arts at the Armory is a tenant of 191 Highland Ave. The owners of the building have petitioned the city to amend the conditions limiting our ability of the tenents of the building to fulfill their missions. While all of the changes that owners are appealing will benefit our non-profit center, the other tenants in the building, such as Actor's Shakespeare Project and Yesterday's Music will also benefit by being able to extend their hours of operation. Further, if our Center cannot be financially viable the owners may have to sell the building, thereby also displacing all of the non-profits housed in the building. I hope this helps clarify things.
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Date: 2012-09-12 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-12 07:02 pm (UTC)The other tenants in the building cannot have any activies until after 8am or after 10 or 11 pm depending on the day of the week. That means no early morning yoga or late evening Folk Archieve events, for instance. Also, without a kitchen we cannot provide cooked food for any of the activities for other tenants.
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Date: 2012-09-12 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-12 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-12 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-12 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-14 02:12 pm (UTC)As one would expect, everyone is spinning the ZBA proceedings slightly to the benefit of their own position. That is natural enough, but this is
not strictly a numbers game. For Arts at the Armory to be considered a real community project, the nearest neighbors need to be a part of it.
Some have as many as three generations of family in their homes and substantial investment in their property. Some have school aged children.
Of course they are concerned, even fearful. Venting, as many from both sides have, is OK, even necessary to move forward. But postures as well as promises are easy. What is more difficult is creating an atmosphere that is mutually satisfying and where everyone feels acknowledged and respected. Is it possible? Yes. What is required is a high order of communication and trust, including especially careful listening from all parties.
Consider this: It could become a work of art. Wouldn't that be amazing?
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Date: 2012-09-14 07:58 pm (UTC)