The Lighthouse Keeper
BY DANIEL W. DRAKE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
As the Fourth of July comes at us like a fast-moving truck, so too are we faced with a Special Town Meeting that is suddenly looming ahead on July 26. At their session last week, the selectmen approved the warrant for the meeting, which was forced by the presentation of a citizens' petition for the town's acquisition by eminent domain of the Dreamland Theater property.

I signed that petition, which was put together in great haste upon the news that the Dreamland might be once again for sale; the developer who purchased it having apparently lost confidence in his ability to carry through on his promises. I care about the Dreamland and want to see it remain a summer downtown movie theater. I also have no objection to the building's use being optimized to try to assure its commercial viability.

Having said that, I regret putting my name to the petition, because the eminent domain threat has been and will continue to be used as leverage by the proponents of a downtown cultural arts center to bully the property owner. Even taking at face value the proposition advanced by the proponents that the eminent domain taking will only occur should the owner of the property not follow through on revitalizing the movie theater, if voters give the town the authority to proceed with any such taking, it will hang like the sword of Damocles over the owner of the building. It is a negative approach and patently unfair.

Further, the town's acquisition of the property would be fiscally unwise. The upfront cost represents money that badly needs to be spent on infrastructure improvements. Just as one example, many of the storm water drains into the harbor are still unfiltered and carry all sorts of toxins into the harbor as part of the rainwater runoff. In addition, the building will forever be off the tax rolls, so, there will be no contribution by the user to this particular civic improvement.

Further, the nature of the plan to lease the building, should the town acquire it, to a notfor profit to run it as a cultural center has not been revealed, so we have no idea of the viability of the proposal. What if that proposal, or those proposals, doesn't make any sense? What then? At the risk of seeming overly dramatic, the landfill management contract with Waste Options comes to mind.

The fact that someone is willing to step forward to try to acquire the property and rededicate it, at least in part, to its past, is noteworthy and commendable. Wouldn't it be sounder both fiscally and as a matter of public policy to provide incentives for this individual or another purchaser? Financial incentives can be finite, thus potentially diminishing the fiscal impact on the town. Incentives which have no cost to the town, but also may help to insure the economic soundness of the project, may also be in order.

There is one other aspect of Rick Ulmer's proposal for the Dreamland which bears serious consideration, since it would likely not be part of any plan by a not-for-profit for its use of the building. He calls it a "ballroom"; a facility that would be available for proms and meetings or even banquets, as well as providing a stage for the performing arts. There currently is no such large commercial space downtown. Having such a facility would be a great boon.

Taking by eminent domain was proposed for the Great Harbor Yacht Club property. Now it is being proposed for the Dreamland Theater. Let's hope the voters at this special town meeting, as they did a few years ago, realize that the town should use its planning process to contemplate future land use changes rather than come in at the last minute with what amounts to a form of extortion. The majority of the Board of Selectmen realized this when they refused to initiate the eminent domain taking. Now, the citizens' petition has forced their hand.

On the other hand, another article on the docket for the STM, the plan to take the Island Spirits property to use as a "transit station" for NRTA has, on its face, a very legitimate public purpose. It would alleviate congestion along Washington Street, return the use of some on-street parking and make somewhat more orderly the bus dispatch process. It would also provide the opportunity to erect a modest shelter facility, which is not now available for bus patrons waiting in inclement weather

The funding proposal for this acquisition is also creative. The purchase would be financed from the proceeds of the already-authorized sale of several small town-owned parcels, as well as the sale to the Land Bank of park land and harbor access at Warren's Landing which is now under the "management" of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

This proposal represents the kind of creative thinking that it would be nice to have more of from town officials. A serious problem has been identified and some good thinking has gone into the recommended solution. Some additional work is required to actually lay out the station and to look at and deal with traffic flow issues.

While this proposal makes great sense, one cannot help but think, however, how this potential acquisition impacts the thought process for the future use of the National Grid property which is across the street. Does it mean that some sort of transit depot will not have to be included in the plans for that property? If the bus station remains on the Island Spirits property and a parking garage is built on the National Grid property, what will be the impact on traffic flows if there are two busy facilities across the street from each other?

While on the subject of the National Grid property, that greensward sits unused these days. A formal proposal for its use will not be considered until the 2008 Annual Town Meeting. In the meantime, why not use it for parking now, even in its unimproved state? It would be nice to know that this, too, has been thought about and that a temporary solution is being worked out by the town with National Grid, pending a more permanent plan.

Returning to the Land Bank, as a neighbor and user, having the Land Bank take over the oversight of the Warren's Landing "Wood" property, should insure, that, with little effort, it might be become a bit more user friendly than it is currently. However, let's hope that the Land Bank doesn't go to the same lengths as it has at the 40th Pole beach. My wife reports that on her early morning walks over there these days, she and the dog share the beach with three Port-a- Potties. Recognizing that with its weekend usage, such facilities are probably a necessity, couldn't they have been put in the parking lot, away from the beauty of the beach upon which they now intrude? Is that too much to ask…or

too far to walk? I

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The "Lighthouse Keeper" reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Nantucket Independent. Please send any ideas or comments to drake@nantucketindependent.com.