Well, we discussed this item earlier today. (Read it all here.) And tonight, Community Board 3 voted to pass the resolution that will, in part: "schedule amplified concerts only one day per weekend, and, in addition, schedule some of the loud concerts in other areas where people will not be as impacted, such as East River Park."
There wasn't any Board discussion on the item. And no one came out tonight to speak in opposition of this measure. Curious what this means for, say, The Howl! Festival, which is on consecutive weekend days. Perhaps the staged events will have to be kept to one day...
As an old EV Grieve friend once said, "whoever controls the Park controls the future."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Movement afoot to limit the number of concerts in Tompkins Square Park
[Photo via]
Really, really sorry to hear this...
ReplyDeleteMe, too. This is one step away from banning concerts/performances in the park all together.
ReplyDeleteI was there. No one else was that I recognized. I actually could barely follow the agenda. Honestly, the acoustics were awful. Lots of echoing on the mic, and a loud fan on the ceiling. I was told I was too late to speak (I probably was, came a few minutes after 6:30, but I stayed until 8:30, when I had to get back to work.) But a board member actually took me aside and listened to what I had to say, for quite awhile, and gave me their personal contact info. @ the end. When the topic came up, it went by in 5 seconds. Really. No one suggested it "be pulled," which I didn't realize was the protocol, so the meeting just breezed right along to the next topic.
ReplyDeletecb3 should vote to pass a resolution
ReplyDeleteto allow amplified woos! only one per night, from 10pm - 4am, per a five block radius
I didn't bother going because it was a foregone conclusion that the full board would rubber-stamp whatever the sub-committee passed. Why waste several hours only to be pissed off and frustrated?
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that Ms. Stetzer's complainants are non-existent and that the Community Board canNOT tell the Parks Dept what to do. This bullshit motion passed by the board only ASKS the Parks Dept to limit special events in the park, which they cannot legally do.
Even so, we would like the use of the portable band shell promised to the community when the original band shell was demolished in 1992. This would eliminate any legitimate complaints of excessive sound and force Ms. Stetzer to find another cause.
As I said before, the shows WILL go on!!
Chris, you had e-mailed me saying we should all go and possibly meet before, so I had planned it into my busy schedule.
ReplyDeleteAnd as an active part of my neighborhood, I like to check in @ CB meetings every so often, regardless. Actually found out about some great upcoming LMCC grants I can apply for.
I introduced myself and told them I had a show a coming up on Oct. 24th. If they want some of the producers to show up and have a dialogue about this, I'm down with that. I also got a list of contact info of people that I am going to write to and introduce myself. I'll then intelligently and articulately state my position. I do best in the "letter writing campaign" realm. Sometimes I get frustrated or hot-headed when speaking in public. And well-thought out letters don't include my annoying capitalizations out of anger, either. I'll send a list of contact info. out so if anyone else wants to contact our representatives, they can.
I was hoping people would show up to protest this and I was prepared to get up and speak against it, and suggest that they table it for further discussion since it impacts so many people and hasn't been fully discussed with in a public hearing. But nobody showed up and me alone wasn't going to be enough.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge change to shove down our throats without discussion. I'm disappointed that it went down so easily and without a fight.
Jill,
ReplyDeleteAccording to the East Villager: "C.B. 3 Chairperson Dominic Pisciotta said there was no reason to hold any discussion because, as he noted, 'We’ve already moved on this.' "
Knowing the process that the "community" board follows, it would have been useless to object to Stetzer's proposal at that point, but this is far from being a done deal.
Nothing is going to be shoved down our throats and we are not going to allow any self-appointed sound nazi (I hear Stetzer is offended by this term, but the shoe fits!) to curtail expression of free speech and performance art in our park.