Author: Paula

Letters re: Aquinnah Circle Concert Venue Proposal

with permission, MV Times, Letters to the Editor

Published: May 7, 2009

Let the voters say

To the Editor:

The events of this past week affecting our proposal for a place for the performing arts at the Aquinnah Circle leave the effort diverted but not derailed, delayed but not destroyed. There was a successful effort by several residents, some of whom are voters, to co-opt the process via raw political power rationalized by some spurious semantic feints. The pity is, in a turn of events sometimes acrimonious, occasionally hysterical, the will of the voters remains unknown. In that fact, these opponents may have mis-served their own cause.

My purpose here is not to advocate our concept as much as to highlight the failures of process we all experienced. Indeed, our proposal seeks only to benefit the larger group of townspeople: if it is not the will of the voters to embrace our offer, so be it. With that will unknowable, given the lack of good faith displayed in the manner this was handled, the question remains open, serving no one. This minority group has fallen into the trap of allowing their zealotry to overshadow all reason and due process. It is an ethical truism that ends do not justify the means. Perhaps they took the path they did out of desperation, out of fear of the truth. The only fact left knowable is that such truth remains unknown, begging for the light of day.

The argument against the effort revolves mostly about the desire for stasis. Admittedly, it threatens the status quo. But it does so to achieve an arguably larger good for the arts, for the economy of the poorest town in the Commonwealth, for the sharing of the cultures we all embrace. This is the choice we still believe only the voters are empowered to make. At times, we all have felt the desire to be the last person off the boat. But this is a cynical expression of negativity that defies logic, courtesy or propriety. Why not let the voters speak their mind?

Most of all, my partner, Ted Cammann, and myself want to thank all those who take heed of the merits that all but a very few will admit may accrue to our idea and assume a positive perspective – positive not necessarily in favor our proposal, but positive for our future in their persistent attempts to find common ground to bring the most benefit to the greater part of our community. Those indeed are the ones our children should look up to and seek to emulate.

Jim Glavin
Circle Productions LLC
Aquinnah

It’s not Aquinnah

To the Editor:

This is a copy of a letter to the Aquinnah selectmen.

This letter is in vigorous opposition to the proposal of Circle Productions to create a seasonal venue for the holding of concerts and other events in the circle at the cliffs. We, 31 undersigned residents of Aquinnah, request that this letter be read into the public record at the public hearing to be held on this matter, April 30, or whenever held.

As we all know, Aquinnah is an unusual place. Indeed, even Wikipedia, the world wide web’s encyclopedia, states that Aquinnah “is known for its beautiful clay cliffs and its quiet natural serenity, which has become less common in the heavily populated northeastern United States.” Thus, we agree with the opening statement of the group seeking to promote such concerts.

In their proposal, they state that the townspeople of Aquinnah, are “blessed with a very special and unique place.” That statement is right on the money (so to speak). It is, in fact, the essence of why we all want to be here.

We also agree with the promoters that the uniqueness of Aquinnah and of the cliffs makes it a particularly attractive venue for concerts or for other public gatherings. But the issue here is not whether Aquinnah is a good place for concerts. The issue is whether concerts are good for Aquinnah.

The congestion, the traffic, the pollution, the litter and, above all, the loud amplified sound emanating from the proposed stage and echoing into the landscape and into our homes are not in keeping with the nature and identity of this community. No amount of fine tuning of the proposal, no amount of tinkering with the terms and conditions of the proposed lease, no amount of negotiation with the promoters is going to solve this fundamental inconsistency. No matter how well run and organized, an ongoing series of concerts at the circle is in direct conflict with the uniqueness of our town and with our “quiet natural serenity.”

On a personal level, we wish to say that all of us reside in Aquinnah because we love the openness and texture of the landscape, the sound of the surf hitting the beach, the crickets at night, the wind in the trees, the solitude and privacy, and the friendship of our neighbors. For us, there is no place else on earth like this.

We do not reside in Aquinnah to fight with, to listen to, or to watch traffic and to breathe its exhaust, or to admire the many cars parking up and down Moshup Trail, or to have electronically amplified sound keep our children awake at night while blotting out the sounds of nature. We can get that in other places. We come here, to the far end of an Island in the middle of the ocean, for a different reason.

As for congestion, the promoters admit as much in their proposal. They say, “these events will attract visitors who may not otherwise have ventured into the woolly westernmost wilds of our Island….” But, as a town, haven’t we tried very hard to keep things “woolly and wild?” Why would bringing hundreds or thousands of people to Aquinnah on a regular basis be attractive to the town?

To the promoters, the reason is to increase commerce. Their proposal states that bringing visitors would “create an opportunity for the more established businesses to increase their exposure, not only on the day of the event; but by instilling their offerings in the minds of these sometime visitors….” In this way, the proposal continues, these visitors would be “likely to return at another time.” In plain English, bringing more visitors now means even more visitors later, and not just on weekends.

And where does bringing more and more visitors to Aquinnah all end? What is the ultimate effect on the town? To what degree will this change the nature of this place? The promoters address this issue as well. They state: “It is impossible for us to conjure a certain vision of where this proposal will lead after a number of years.” Yes, indeed.

Is increasing the circle’s commercial use in the Aquinnah residents’ best interests? Is such commercial expansion part of our town’s long-term plan? To be absurd, we could conceivably put a strip mall at the top of the circle and have a mini-Woodstock every weekend. But how less absurd is it – no matter the degree of commercialization – to act contrary to and to defeat the very reason we all reside here?

The promoters, it appears, seek to establish a kind of outdoor Hot Tin Roof in the heart of our community, one where we can hear the music from our houses without having to pay for admission.

How many of our fellow townspeople are delighted that they don’t live down-island – with all its traffic – during the summer?  How many of us seek a decrease in the value of our homes, because Aquinnah’s identity as a safe, quiet and unique haven is threatened and up for sale? Is the dignity of the Vanderhoop homestead for sale? How much are the spectacular and commanding views of Philbin Beach and Nomans Land worth?

The promoters state that Aquinnah “offers us all an opportunity and a responsibility in the privilege to designate its use.” We submit that their proposal is an inappropriate use and, given our town’s uniqueness, it is irresponsible as well.

The promoters state that their “proposal has no merit if it fails to bring us together as neighbors in pursuit of the greater good….” We agree. By bringing an activity to Aquinnah that is alien to its identity, to its nature, and to our reasons for being here, this proposal will surely fail to bring the people of Aquinnah together as neighbors. Nor does the proposal promote the greater good; it will, instead, tend toward destroying it. Judged, then, even by the promoters’ own terms, the proposal has no merit.

Respectfully submitted.

Rob Schiller, Sue Jensen, Tom Murphy, Christine Murphy, Tim Murphy, Kate Murphy, Jim Vercruysee, Layne Vercruysee, Steven Kaufman, Barrie Keller, Joseph Corbo, Faith Corbo, Ron Lowe, Cindy Lowe, John Patton, Lisa Donahue, Kristin Mannion, H.P. Goldfield, Catherine Vickery, David Vickery, Barbara Okun, Cheryl Batzer, Gary Foster, Lisa Foster, Clyde Phillips, Jane Lancelotti, Sarah Thulin, Dennis Thulin, Jay Theise, Beth Green, Jerry Green
Aquinnah

Aquinnah Takes Up Budget $100,000 Short

with permission, MV Times

by Nelson Sigelman

Aquinnah voters will be asked to dig deep next week. Town leaders need taxpayers to hand over an additional $100,000 to cover operating expenses for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

On Tuesday, voters gather at 7 pm in the Aquinnah old town hall to take up a bare-bones, 16-article annual warrant (available at mvtimes.com) that includes a $2.9 million operating budget.

On Wednesday voters go to the polls to elect town officers in an election with no races and to decide on a Proposition 2.5 request for an additional $100,000 in taxes.

The Aquinnah operating budget will rise by approximately 3 percent to $2,899,621 in fiscal year (FY) 2010. Much of that increase is attributable to school expenses, regional assessments and insurance costs.

At the same time, the town has seen revenue drop, said Jeff Burgoyne, town administrator. Parking lot revenue and interest payments are off.

In years past so-called free cash has provided a last-minute life ring. Town accountant Marjorie Spitz said the town has not received a certified figure from the state Department of Revenue, but in any case it would be a minimal amount and not enough to cover cash needs.

The rise in fixed costs and Aquinnah’s traditional reluctance over the years to approve Proposition 2.5 requests has left the town with little breathing room.

The warrant includes an opportunity for voters to decide to maintain the current up-Island Regional School District agreement, already agreed to by Chilmark and West Tisbury, or opt for the state’s so-called statutory assessment method.

In a telephone conversation Tuesday, selectman Camille Rose said selectmen and department heads cut the budget “right to the bone.” The salaries reflect only step increases and no cost of living adjustments (COLAs), she said. In many cases, departments are level-funded or below this year’s budget.

Ms. Rose said that despite efforts to restrain costs and look at every line item in the budget the town still needs an additional $100,000. “Which is a little scary,” she said. “If it gets turned down by the voters I don’t know where we are going to go for the money. I know it is a cliché but we are literally going to be looking at cutting services which are kind of minimal as it is.”

With hindsight, Ms. Rose said the town might have been wise in the past to approve Prop 2.5 requests. She said one alternative may be to look at some regional costs, and that includes the Shellfish Group assessment. “But that’s only $30,000, and if voters decide to accept the statutory assessment for the up-Island school district we could save another $40,000 there,” she said, “but traditionally they have honored the agreement.”

The FY 2010 budget that will be presented to voters includes numerous department cuts. For example, the town saved $7,000 on the line item identified as consultant fees in the selectmen’s department. In all, the cost of general government will decline by $50, from $461,952 in FY 2009 to $467,970 in FY 2010.

Under the heading, Land Use, which includes the Martha’s Vineyard Commission assessment of $39,313 and the planning board budget, the town will spend $39,313, a drop of $1,706.

The police department budget will decline from $402,317 to $398,752. In total, public safety, which includes the fire department, ambulance service, and harbormaster’s office, will cost the town $617,113, an increase of $5,439, mostly attributable to an increase in the Tri-town ambulance assessment of $103,681.

As it traditionally does, education will lay claim to the largest share of tax dollars. The elementary school assessment will rise from $563,244 to $607,863. The regional high school assessment will rise from $318,020 to $324,068. The total cost of education would rise from $881,264 to $931,931.

The cost of employee benefits continues to rise. Insurance will jump from $192,747 to $230,136. The total cost of employee benefits will rise from $318,003 to $357,749.

Voters will take up a warrant with a number of requests to appropriate existing money but only two requests to raise new money, both tied to county services.

Articles six and seven pertain to community preservation committee (CPC) requests to allot community preservation act funds.

The CPC will ask voters to approve expenditures for various projects, including $10,000 to repair the Gay Head Lighthouse; $11,520 for mortgage costs related to the restoration of the town library; and $10,000 for the extension of the brick walkway at the Gay Head cliffs.

Last year, the town cleared a long overgrown public right of way to Squibnocket Pond. But there was a problem. The town cleared a path on private property. The warrant includes a request to appropriate $5,000 from the waterways fund for surveying and clearing the town’s right of way.

The only money requests would help cover the costs of operating two county departments, previously included in the Dukes County budget.

The county’s draft 2010 budget calls for spending $69,542 on pest control and $90,469 on health care access. Aquinnah taxpayers will be asked to contribute $1,972 to health care access and $1,152 to pest control.

In the next fiscal year, the county commissioners want to reduce the county’s contribution to 40 percent of the budgets for these items and increase the towns’ contributions to 60 percent of the overall costs. The eventual aim is that the towns will fully fund both programs. That money taxpayers contribute would be in addition to the county’s annual assessment, $27,364 in FY 2010.

Concert at the Cliffs Plan Riles Aquinnah Residents

with permission from MV Gazette

By Julia Wells

A budding plan to allow two Aquinnah concert promoters to build a summer outdoor performance center at the Gay Head Cliffs has begun to draw more darts than the P.A. Club on a Friday night.

A public hearing was set for last evening and Aquinnah selectmen moved the location to the old town hall because they were expecting a crowd.

The architects of the plan are Ted Cammann and Jim Glavin, both Aquinnah residents. Mr. Cammann has a long background in producing musical events; Mr. Glavin is the owner of Deca Construction. Both were involved in putting on a music festival in Aquinnah last summer and are now partners in a company called Circle Productions LLC. The company was the sole responder to a request for proposals put out by the town for the project.

But townspeople have begun to react negatively. A letter signed by 31 Aquinnah residents circulated this week denouncing the plan, which is tentatively slated to come before voters at a special town meeting on May 19. And the selectmen’s office has been flooded with feedback, virtually all opposed.

“We . . . agree with the promoters that the uniqueness of Aquinnah and of the cliffs makes it a particularly attractive venue for concerts or for other public gatherings. But the issue here is not whether Aquinnah is a good place for concerts. The issue is whether concerts are good for Aquinnah,” the letter says in part. The signers asked to have the letter read into the record of last night’s public hearing.

The e-mails are piling up too; at press time yesterday the town office had received e-mails signed by nearly 50 people, about half of them from voters, half from seasonal residents and taxpayers.

“The summer program of having concerts at the Cliffs is a terrible idea. Parking on Moshup trail will destroy that very precious area . . . Please vote against this happening,” wrote Dr. Allen M. Goorin, a seasonal resident.

Similar sentiment was reflected in the other e-mails.

Not atypically for Aquinnah, there has been confusion around the plan and the sequence of events that led to it.

Its first public airing was at a special town meeting in March, where voters agreed to allow the selectmen to put out an RFP for the project.

The deadline for the RFP was April 17.

In the proposal formally submitted in April, Circle Productions would lease the natural amphitheatre at the Cliffs from the town for $1 a year. The company would give the town $1 per ticket for all profit-making concerts. Concerts would be limited to 2,500 people and would operate from June to September. The proposal envisions building a stage and backstage, although no permanent seating, to allow a wide range of concerts and arts events, some for profit, some nonprofit, including educational events and events for children.

Under the terms of the proposal the town would be responsible for maintenance of the area and would be asked to help provide storage for equipment associated with the concerts. Public safety responsibility is framed in the broadest terms: “Safety and traffic management plans have already been and will continue to be developed with the town chief of police for all events. Health, ambulance and first aid issues will be coordinated with the Tri-Town ambulance group,” the proposal states in part. The proposal also states: “Uniformed police personnel shall not patrol or display a presence inside the event grounds unless requested by the organizers.”

The proposal also states that the backers hope to work with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on cultural events.

But in a letter sent to the selectmen in February the tribal historic preservation officer spoke out strongly against the plan for the Cliffs, which are considered sacred. “This location is of paramount historical, traditional and cultural significance to the Aquinnah Wampanoag people. This is our ancient homeland and this site is an extraordinary piece of cultural history for our people, from ancient times until present,” wrote Bettina M. Washington.

The Circle Productions proposal is available for public inspection in the selectmen’s office in the town hall.

The Aquinnah annual town meeting is May 12, but town administrator Jeffrey Burgoyne said this week that the performance proposal was moved to a special town meeting at the request of town moderator Walter E. Delaney, who thought the issue would require a large amount of time for discussion.

“In the interest of keeping things timely at the annual town meeting, he asked that the matter be moved to another day,” Mr. Burgoyne said.

Mr. Burgoyne said the hearing last night would give people an opportunity to state their opinions, and would allow the proponents to speak on their own behalf.

“It really is a determination as to what the political will is going to be,” he said.

Aquinnah selectman Jim Newman said yesterday that he does not support the plan and intends to move at the regular board meeting on Tuesday afternoon to cancel the special town meeting.

“I think it’s premature and it would have to go to the commission and we haven’t even talked about that,” Mr. Newman said. “I don’t see how we could even vote on this [at a special town meeting]. It’s not ready for that. My feeling is that this meeting should be canceled.”

Assessor Maps for Aquinnah Now Online

with permission from MV Times

Aquinnah assessor maps on-line
The Aquinnah assessors have announced that town assessors’ maps are now available online. Interactive features allow users to search for specific parcels, find all lots on a particular road, and find all abutters to a specific lot.

Attached to the maps are the “field cards,” for each parcel, which include detailed information about the assessed value of land and buildings, as well as construction detail, floor plans, and photographs of the property.

Town officials encourage residents to try out the map web site at www.smsgis.com and let them know what you think.

The mapping service is provided by Sustainable Map Solutions. “They’ve given us a six month subscription,” said principal assessor Angela Cywinski. “If they really like this, the town would consider paying the monthly fee. We’ve gone full digital on our maps. This is the first time we’ve been on line. Little Aquinnah was so behind the times, now we’re ahead of everybody.” Feedback should be e-mailed to aqassess@comcast.net.

Absentee Ballots Available

Absentee Ballots for the Annual Town Election scheduled for May 13, 2009 are available in the Clerk’s office.

If you would like an Absentee Ballot please call Carolyn Feltz at 508 645-2304 for information. If you leave a message, be sure to leave your name and the number where you can be reached for information.

For the Annual Election the polls will be open from 12-7 pm.  Feel free to call with any questions.

Carolyn Feltz, Town Clerk

DAS Hearing Is Postponed

with permission from the MV Times

By Jack Shea

Published: April 30, 2009

The up-Island Distributed Antennae System (DAS) committee on Friday postponed its scheduled public meeting on May 4, in order to provide more time to address recent objections and questions regarding a proposed system designed to improve wireless communications.

The postponement will provide time for American Tower Corp. (ATC) of Boston to revise its earlier proposal for the cell system in Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury. The delay is also intended to give West Tisbury’s zoning board of appeals (ZBA) time to sort out the permitting process.

The next meeting is now scheduled for 6 pm on Monday, June 22, at the Chilmark Community Center.

DAS relies on a series of radio access nodes connected to small antennas set on telephone poles, or poles erected for the specific purpose, to distribute cellular telephone signals. Although the range is considerably less than in conventional, tall-tower systems, DAS appeals to communities where a tall conventional tower is unwelcome and wireless telephone service is poor.

American Tower is expected to file an application to the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals before the June meeting, according to DAS committee members.

The decision to delay the meeting comes in the wake of a contentious five-hour public meeting on April 6, during which some Chilmark and West Tisbury residents objected variously to the need for a system at all and to the aesthetics and location of poles in the plan presented by ATC. Several residents also voiced health and safety concerns.

Amercian Tower’s new plan, reviewed in part by the DAS committee last week, substitutes 47 antennae nodes with eight foot whip antennas mounted on 12-inch-diameter poles in place of 25 nodes mounted on 18-inch poles throughout the three towns. The new plan also includes emergency backup generators on the nodes. ATC also plans an onsite review of the location of its proposed pole locations during the week of May 4, the committee said.

After the April 6 public meeting, some West Tisbury officials questioned whether their town ought to continue in the DAS effort. West Tisbury enjoys the best cell phone service currently among the three towns.

One cell tower is located on private property, one is on the fire tower and another is located at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

At its meeting last Friday, DAS up-Island committee chairman J.B. Riggs Parker, a Chilmark selectmen, asked West Tisbury selectman and committee member Richard Knabel about West Tisbury’s continued participation in the project.

“The local newspapers are reporting chinks in the armor of unity on this project. Regionalization is difficult, but I think we ought to repair [chinks] and move forward and see what we can do,” he said.

“One problem West Tisbury faces is a process problem,” Mr. Knabel responded. “We simply don’t know whether the ZBA has jurisdiction or not over placement of the poles.” West Tisbury, unlike Chilmark and Aquinnah, does not have a zoning bylaw applicable to cell phone towers, although it does have a permitting bylaw that covers them.

Asked whether a majority of West Tisbury residents favor the DAS plan, Mr. Knabel told the committee, “That’s certainly a component. We simply don’t know.”

He said that while there were negative comments at the public hearing, it is uncertain whether the views expressed reflect the majority view.

In a telephone interview this week, Mr. Knabel said “If we are persuaded by voter sentiment to withdraw, we will do it. That doesn’t mean we don’t think it’s a good idea, it means we would not participate in this particular agreement. That’s all we would be saying.”

The federal Telecommunication Act of 1996 (TCA) limits the obstacles towns may place in the way of wireless communication companies seeking to provide service where there is a lack of coverage. The act also forbids permitting bodies to use health and safety concerns as a reason for not permitting systems that meet the FCC safety standards.

“This is a very complex issue,” said Mr. Knabel. “For example, if we say no, it doesn’t mean another operator such as ATC can’t apply to build a system or that individual carriers won’t be able to exercise their right to build their own DAS system to support service they already have. Legal precedents and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 are clear on carriers’ right to build, and that local zoning ordinances may not prohibit systems.”

The examination of the DAS alternative began in Aquinnah more than two years ago when voters mounted a multi-pronged effort to take control of the town’s wireless future and prevent the erection of a tower by creating a wireless overlay district that would allow for the placement of DAS equipment at the town landfill.

Aquinnah then sought to cooperate with Chilmark and West Tisbury. Although the towns could potentially earn some income from a DAS, the selectmen said their goal is to provide better wireless service for residents and visitors, which has a public safety component, and buttress efforts to guard against unsightly tall cell towers.