yesterday's Davis Square Task Force meeting - brief notes

[ron_newman]

I did not take written notes, so this is just from memory:

Michele Biscoe: Som|Dog presentation about off-leash areas on bike path. The organization would like to build one or more small fenced-in off-leash dog runs along the Community Path, similar to the successful one at Nunziato Field near Union Square. Possible locations are Lexington Park, Cedar Street, or Willow Avenue.

Sara Rosenfeld about Community Servings: would like to recruit people to sell "Pie in the Sky" around Davis Square at Thanksgiving time. The organization prepares and delivers meals to people suffering from AIDS and other debilitating illnesses. Their website is servings.org.

Sign at Middlesex Bank: the sign is permitted by zoning, but is not allowed to advertise the bank's services. It is limited by law to time, temperature, and public service announcements. The bank's president(?) was there, and got an earful from people in the room who complained that it does not belong in the Square, is too bright, doesn't fit the building well, and is irritating to the eye. He says he wants the sign to promote community events and activities. We'll see if he listened to the feedback he got.

Someday Cafe and Mr. Crepe: All interested parties were present: Richard Fraiman (who owns the building), Gus Rancatore (who owns the Someday Cafe), Ian Judge (who manages the Somerville Theatre), Mr. Crepe himself (whose real name I did not get), and a whole lot of Someday employees and customers.

The basic facts, agreed upon by all: the Someday's lease expired in February, Rancatore neglected to renew it, and Fraiman did not notify Rancatore of his failure to renew. After several months of hearing nothing from Rancatore, Fraiman entered into negotiation with Mr. Crepe, and last week told Rancatore he needed to vacate by September 1. Mr. Crepe has not yet signed a lease with Fraiman but is close to doing so.

As you might expect, the next hour was quite emotional. Local residents were upset to see a beloved community space about to disappear. Someday employees were unhappy that the city learned of the cafe's fate (and announced it to the public) before they did. Some people said they would never patronize Mr. Crepe if he displaced the Someday. Rancatore apologized for overlooking the lease expiration. People asked if the two businesses could somehow divide the space, or time-share it, or otherwise work together.

In the meeting, Fraiman did not appear to offer much flexibility, but out of public view, there may soon be back-room negotiations involving Fraiman, Rancatore, Mr. Crepe, and Ward 6 alderman Rebekah Gewirtz.

Comments

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the report.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Good report, Ron.

Wow, I like the idea of the dog run (because I love dogs), and the possiblility of Someday/Mr. Crepe sharing the space if they can work that out.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this.

It would be nice to see the creation of an off-leash area for dogs. I always worry about the dogs allowed to run loose on the bike path, that they might get hit by someone on a bike (which would also suck for the biker), or run into my building's parking lot and get hit by a car. I know dogs need space to run around, but I feel better if that space is controlled and secure for them when it's in a busy area.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Someday coffee and a crepe would make a nice combo! :D

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't it? :-) It could be Someday Crepes. Actually I don't know if the two business owners even get along, but it sure would bring together the best of two worlds.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

I've got to say, forgetting to renew the lease was a bad move. And threatening to not patronize Mr. Crepe because he got the space doesn't make sense. How is Mr. Crepe the villian?

[reed-davis.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ron.
I really appreciate that you attend these meetings and share the info with all those that can't make it.

[ron_newman]

He's not. I feel bad that he had to put up with all of this fuss last night.

[ron_newman]

I doubt that they ever met before last night.

[mud-puppy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update!

I know I won't be very popular when I say this, but I'm actually glad to see Mr. Crepe moving into the square again. Not that I'm glad to see the Someday go, that's just the opposite. Mr. Crepe was always a nice comfortable atmosphere for me and while I understand that the Someday was popular, I never felt terribly comfortable there. The music was too loud and to be honest the staff was, the few times I went there, disinterested and somewhat rude. *shrug* Maybe I just got them on a bad day?

I think it's an interesting idea about sharing the space so that the Someday and Mr. Crepe could continue in Davis, but I don't see how that would actually work. The atmosphere of both businesses are, imo, very different so it's hard for me to see how they could blend them successfully.

Anyways, I wish them both luck. And thank you for the thoughtful update!

[fanw.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update. It's really interesting.

That said, why didn't people say "Mr. Crepe, we missed you so much! Thank you for coming back!" Has everyone forgot that they left with much remorse so recently. If we have to lose Someday, I'm glad it's to Mr. Crepe.

[brianbeck.livejournal.com]

Thank you Ron. I think there should be no compromise with the irritating sign at the Bank. It is going to be unsightly no matter what it says on it. I also think the Someday Cafe, as much as I've loved it in the past, has come to the end of its day in its current incarnation. There was an understandably emotional outpouring from those connected with the cafe but I would ask everyone to welcome back Mr. Crepe and let him know how we'd like the new business to fit in with the Square. Imagine if it was a bank or an insurance company moving in instead?

[ron_newman]

A few people did. But the whole atmosphere was a bit unfair to him, as the Someday's supporters turned out in force.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update.

I am absolutely fascinated by this whole process.

Do many other "squares" in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville area have such task forces?

How long has this been going on in Davis?

[miraclaire.livejournal.com]

thanks for keeping us in the loop!

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Why doesn't Mr. Crepe just take on the Someday name and keep the coffee/teas, but ditch the old food for the new? It seems highly unlikely that Someday will reopen anywhere else.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Someday has been losing money for quite some time. I seriously, seriously doubt he "forgot to renew the lease." It just sounds better than "I'm closing down." (Which could result in people boycotting his other establishments.)

[ron_newman]

DSTF started in the late 1970s, to deal with the MBTA's proposal to extend the Red Line. This is before my time, but my understanding is that the T's original plan would have demolished many houses and added large commuter parking garages to the square. Had that happened, none of us would find Davis Square very attractive today.

The Task Force has been meeting ever since, every 6 to 8 weeks, as an informal forum to discuss all public and private developments in or near the Square. It has no officers, dues, formal memberships, or any official power to do anything. But the city will always advise any private developer to present at a Task Force meeting before formally applying for a permit.

[ron_newman]

Does anyone here have Mr. Crepe's real name, phone, or e-mail address? I'd love to point him at these comments.

Fraiman wanted Someday Out

[spettacolo.livejournal.com]

This whole thing is just very ugly. Fraiman clearly wanted the Someday Cafe out of his buliding and followed the "letter of the law" to make it happen. He claims he was "waiting for Gus to call him to renew the lease" and after 4 months of waiting he "had no choice but to find another tenant" ... what about picking up the phone and ASKING Gus if he wanted to stay? Listening to Mr. Fraiman speak last night was so infuriating. Sure, this is "business" but he lied to everyone last night when he said he "wished the Someday could stay, but they did not renew their lease." He did a backdoor deal and found a new tenant that was more to his liking. Plain and simple.

I used to patronize Mr. Crepe when they were on Holland St. I'm happy to see them returning to Davis Square... but I will have a very hard time patronizing them if they move into the Someday space. Mr Crepe came off as the innocent "man in the middle" last night, but he HAD to know what kind of an uproar it was going to cause to oust the Someday Cafe. If I were a businessman, I wouldn't want to have any part of this type of deal. He is just as much a part of this scenario as Mr. Fraiman. My advice to Mr. Crepe is: Watch your back! Who's to say that Fraiman won't pull something like this on Mr. Crepe in a few years?

I found an interesting post on another message board about the Fraimans... Check it out here: http://cinematreasures.org/theater/325/
Scroll down to the second to last comment.

Davis Square is changing and it's a shame. The "Times Square" message board, the loss of the Someday, and a new CVS megaplex are all going to make Davis Square a worse place. It's the beginning of the slippery slope... We all watched it happen to Harvard Square and now it's on our doorstep.

My brain is still spinning after last night's meeting. I have so many more thoughts but I'm going to stop and take a breath.

(P.S. This is my first post. I had to register on livejournal to add to this discussion. I've lived in 02144 since 1991 and I've been a Someday regular since it opened. I've been to Davis Square almost every day for the last 14 years.)

[spettacolo.livejournal.com]

Peter Creyf

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I think they're forgetting that Mr. Crepe is a beloved and welcome business. If we have to lose Someday, it's the perfect business to bring back. I would hate to see Someday's supporters discourage him enough to withdraw, and the landlord forced to take a chain just to get the needed rent money.

Hey Ron, if this issue is going to be on the table at the next meeting, can you tell us? Maybe more of us should show up and share our thoughts.

Re: Fraiman wanted Someday Out

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the group. Feel free to post your thought as this process moves forward. We talk about Davis basically every day here.

Mod #4 (Mare)

[ron_newman]

The next DSTF meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 25. I'll try to prod Rebekah Gewirtz and Chris Daveta into sending out an agenda a week in advance, so I can advertise it here.

[nmi.livejournal.com]

At risk of being unpopular as well... I agree. I have always found Someday to not be very inviting, especially when I first came to Davis. I am happy to see Mr. Crepe back. I loved the crepes there and always hoped that it was in a larger space. I am sorry for the Someday patrons to lose their home... I know I would feel the same way if Diesel was going.