ROCKLAND, Maine — The owner of the Brass Compass was so upset after the City Council voted Monday night to end her nearly decade-long use of a strip of city property to serve customers outside that she said she could not comment.
Her supporters, however, urged owner Lynn Archer to persevere as they gathered around her outside City Hall after the council’s 3-2 vote to refuse to allow the Brass Compass to place 10 tables along a 12-foot strip at Winslow-Holbrook Square.
The vote came after supporters and opponents of the continued use of the land spoke before the council.
Mayor Brian Harden said he felt so pressured on the divisive issue that he wanted more time to discuss use of the downtown square at the intersection of Main Street and Park Drive.
“Everyone needs to calm down and let us breathe,” Harden said.
The mayor said the city needs to balance the competing interest of honoring the two veterans for whom the park is named, allowing art in the park as was done when the Farnsworth Art Museum exhibited a sculpture there, the desire of the Brass Compass to use the space, what to do with the remainder of the park, and how to respond to 25 other business owners who have signed a petition claiming that it was unfair for the Brass Compass to use the space.
Harden claimed that many business owners refused to come and speak at this week’s meeting because someone had threatened a boycott of one of the businesses if it did not withdraw its name from the petition.
Councilors Eric Hebert and Larry Pritchett said the city needs to examine all the issues before acting on the Brass Compass request.
The Brass Compass has used land adjacent to the restaurant for eight years and paid $250 last summer for the 10 tables. The restaurant owns a small strip that is at most 4 feet wide.
Councilor Will Clayton said he was disappointed the issue had become so contentious. He urged the public not to boycott businesses because of how they stand on the matter.
“Grow up a little and act responsibly,” Clayton said before voting for allowing the Brass Compass to use the land again this summer.
Councilor Elizabeth Dickerson said the city can both respect the World War I veterans who the park is named and allow the Brass Compass to use the land.
“We can have respect and employment at the same time,” Dickerson said.
The park is named for Lt. Albert Holbrook and Pvt. Arthur Winslow, two Rockland residents who died in World War I.
Archer said the city allows commercial use of public land on many occasions. She noted the city allows the farmers’ market and festivals to use Harbor Park and downtown businesses are allowed to place tables on public sidewalks.
She noted she employs people at both the Brass Compass and her other city restaurant, Archer’s on the Pier. She also said that she has cleaned the park, which was largely unused before she began using it nearly a decade ago.
She had presented the council last week with a petition signed by 300 people supporting her continued use of the land.
It was patently clear tonight that the only matter of importance to those who own Rockland is their continued ownership of downtown and the City. When a handfull of people have total control, there is no democracy, there is no “investment” in the City as a whole; it is all, solely, self-interest and power. It is an ugly picture.
Just how ugly was personified by Warren Bodine, when he spoke of people who have spoken before City Council and were disrespectful and lied, then going on to state, “I abhor these people. I disrespect them and wish they’d leave the community.”
Rather than immediately directing Bodine to leave the room after stating his abhorrence for “these people,” the identity being thinly veiled – he was thanked by the mayor, as though he had said nothing that was completely and utterly out of order.
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I said it wrong and hopefully my edit is better.
Sorry, but no. I repeat, who was ill mannered. You reference the first speaker. I heard her and she was most certainly NOT ill mannered. She spoke respectfully and from her heart. Lynn Archer and her son also spoke respectfully. Everyone who spoke in support of Archer set a respectful tone.
I ask again, where did you see inappropriate speech and ill manners ? The confrontational ‘us vs them’ was created by the Bests and their group’s action against The Brass Compass. I am surprised by your take on this. Who are you to say that Archer will be better off from this decision ? How will she be better off ? Again, please be specific.
Chose to delete my post because what was meant to be conciliatory was seen as an attack. :(
Seriously? Mary Lou Post was the first speaker, a decades long friend of mine, and a wonderful lady. Her speech was emotional because it was heartfelt. I saw NO ill mannered people speaking on behalf of Lynn at all, and Mary Lou made me proud to call her my friend. The council made a huge error, and hopefully in May when it goes before council again, the right decision will be made.
why would it be a insult too the veterans,,, thay been dead for allmost 100 years,,,,i see no harm in it and she paids the town 250.00 for the use of the land,,, unless the town wants to be greedy and wants more money
She paid money AND cleaned the area.I went by a vet’s statue in another town as a one day visitor on business.It was filthy and you could tell it hadn’t been tended in years.
It is not an insult to our veterans. Even the man who spoke for the American Legion said it was fine with them if the zoning is changed. The only people who feel it to be disrespectful are the Bests. Who elected them ? It is a public park. They seem to think that it is their park.
Why did the Bests and Bob Liberty get to determine the use of public property ?
Rather petty decision. Maine, open for business if you have the right connections.
The Mayor and Mr Bodine live together. The council has given the Brass Compass ok to use the land for years, way the change now, did someone say something to you guys.
Mayor Harden said that local businesses were being bullied. The only person who was bullied
was Lynn Archer.
The Bests woman should be ashamed of herself. Her nerve and overreach were breathtakingly offensive.
The council did a very poor job last nite.
I think alot of it has to do with the Tradewinds, and that little lobster roll stand of theirs. Lynn was given a raw deal here, seems to me that a handful of tables in the park which gets less use than the sidewalks do, would not hamper traffic like on the sidewalks does. A blind person is apt to bump into tables on the sidewalk than in the park. I would not be surprised to find Liberity behind it all, after all he does have the two motels in down town Rockland plus at least one I know of in Camden. Didn’t our veterans fight for everyone not just the 1%?
And weren’t our council members elected to make the right decisions ? They certainly did not last nite.
Now we see who is running this city and it is not pretty.
The 1% never fight.I hope all of the 300+ who signed the petition give the BC their $$ and vote in the next CC election.
Not too business friendly in Rockland. That is for sure.
Boycotts work.Look at the recent ad drops from Limbaugh and ALEC.If that business was so concerned about blowback,don’t sign the petition.You can’t have it both ways.
Rockland shoots itself in the foot again. Unbelievable how petty some of these downtown folks are. Once the new shopping center 2 miles down the road in Thomaston is finished, many will have no need to go into Rockland again to shop. Harden says and does what Bodine tells him, no question about that.
Bodine’s comments were to say the least unhelpful. His thinly veiled attacks on former Councilwoman Faber were completely out of bounds. Why was he not stopped ?
Councilman Clayton’s uncalled for interruptions to Faber’s comments were also completely out of line and inappropriate. He should not have been allowed to continue unchallenged by the Mayor.
The more that Clayton speaks, the better we are able to see his obnoxious, megalomaniacal
personality.
Last nite’s meeting may have been good theater, but it was an embarrassment to Rockland.
Yes. Clayton should have been stopped as well. Bodine’s comments exceeded human decency and had the sound of a direct threat.
Overall, it looks like a gauntlet was thrown last night, and what surely looks like revenge exacted. Are residents ready to demand a recall.
Given the sole investment in downtown and “special areas” of Rockland, should Rockland residents investigate secession.
Thinking about the merchants who signed the original petition against Archer I am coming to think that they may have many gripes. Perhaps this was one way for them to voice their discontent. It was the wrong thing for them to do. Harming a fellow merchant who has done so much to enhance Rockland is not only mean spirited, it is stupid. They were ‘used’ by the Bests and Bob Liberty. What have these merchants gained from last nite’s denial of Archers outside tables.
It was foolish for Harden to characterize the push back to these merchants as bullying. Maybe it was easier for him to say what he did rather than to address these merchants concerns.
These merchants are the least of the problem, in my opinion. Downtown merchants don’t even know what other merchants are selling, or doing, for the most part, and how many of them are Rockland residents.
Last night was an example of tyrannical control, and, solely, about a show of the abuse of power in the hands of a few.
I agree completely. Have no problem with a recall, but isn’t the Mayor up for reelection.
You made my point (I think) about the merchants, they were used and Harden also used them with his reference to the bullying in town. This whole episode stinks.
I don’t think merchants ever are “used.” They have their own agenda.
You may be right. I wish that I had any understanding of what their agenda is. No need to belabor this.
It’s a sad day in Rockland. It is too bad the few can dictate to the many what they can and can not do on public land. For ten years this was an appropriate use of this land that many enjoyed. It added a certain charm to Rockland. It is a real shame a few others didn’t think so and ruined a good thing for many.
If this is truly about respecting the vets and the intention of the park, then get the granite/cement square with the names of the vets it was named for, out of the sidewalk and quit allowing people and their dogs to walk on it. If it’s truly about the vets, then the only artwork that should be allowed is that which honors veterans and not just anyone who the Farnsworth is fawning over at the moment like Robert Indiana and his LOVE piece. (walk on the veteran’s names but “please don’t touch the artwork”). Let the “concerned citizens” step forward and keep the park clean and kept up since it is obvious the city has no time, interest, or resources to do it.
Otherwise all of this hulabaloo was about a group of competing businesses forgetting that the 3 keys to a successful business are “location, location, location.”
The City of Rockland has a long history of shooting itself in the foot with regards to business on Main Street. This appears to be the latest attempt at it.
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