ROCKLAND, Maine — A sharply divided City Council refused for the second straight month a request by a local restaurant to use a 12-foot strip of public land adjacent to its building.
The council voted 3-2 Monday night to reject an order to allow the Brass Compass to place 10 tables with chairs on the strip of land at the edge of Winslow-Holbrook Park.
The vote came minutes after the council voted 4-1 to approve spending up to $10,000 for benches and tables to be placed at the park for public use.
Councilor Elizabeth Dickerson sharply criticized both actions.
“We have neighbors to the north and the south who are ramping up their economic development efforts” while the City Council is spending its time on control of a park, Dickerson said.
She called the $10,000 to be spent on concrete tables and benches a boondoggle since there is no overall plan for the park. She noted the city also is talking about spending another $25,000 on the park including redoing some brick work done last year.
Dickerson said the rejection of the Brass Compass request will do nothing to benefit the city.
“We can congratulate ourselves on no one using the park,” she said.
Councilor William Clayton questioned whether the council was focusing on pro-business efforts with the rejection of the Brass Compass request. He said last month councilors who voted against the Brass Compass request said they were doing so because they did not want the Brass Compass tables and chairs to get in the way of renovations to the park. But this month it is clear that there is no overall plan for this summer.
Councilor Eric Hebert said his objection to the Brass Compass request is that it gives an unfair economic advantage to the business simply because it is located near a city park. He also said that $250 a year for the tables was not adequate.
“This doesn’t pass the straight-face test,” Hebert said.
Mayor Brian Harden said that public tables and benches are in a concept plan for the park that the council approved in 2009. He said not to do the work while other downtown sidewalk work is being done would be a step backward.
The council also voted to accept the donation of a stone for a memorial that will be placed at the park in honor of the two Rockland residents who died fighting in World War I. A dedication of the memorial is expected to be occur on Memorial Day.
In other action Monday night, the council voted unanimously to give preliminary approval to an ordinance that would ban the feeding of birds and other wildlife if it creates a nuisance.
The woman at the center of the debate, Susie Gray, appeared before the council to urge councilors not to approve the ordinance. Gray said since she was cited by the code officer last week for health violations connected to her feeding of sea gulls she has stopped her feedings.
There was little debate Monday night except for how broad the ordinance should be. No one else from the public spoke on the ordinance.
A formal public hearing and final vote on the ordinance is scheduled for June 11.
Nice Job Councilors. Will not give the Brass compass a break, but will spend $10,000.00 for four tables for the park. Plus spend another $25,000.00 to fix the mistakes that happend the last time park was fixed. That was around $15,000.00 Could this money be used for other things. Come November it time to remove people from the council. My tax dollars hard at work.
And where do they think people are going to take their food to consume? Sit on the curb?
I would like them to be sitting at Lynn Archer’s tables.
Come November, will there be any candidates to replace them?
You didn’t mention that there is still no well-thought out, fiscally conservative, community-responsible plan for the park.
It is not a good idea to comment based on the newspaper reports. Readers must attend the meeting, or view on local access tv, or view after the fact, on the live stream archives. The entire matter of substance presented by Councilor Clayton and Councilor Dickerson concerning the lack of a plan was not addressed in this article. Major points were made. And, it becomes patently clear that when Councilor Harden made his comments, they amounted to “dead air.”
Rockland City government gone amok, AGAIN!
How is it the will of the people to spend all this money on a park that will not get used? Keep in mind that Rockland is a town with the highest tax rate in Knox county; bath salts running rampant; 50% living at or below the poverty level and only 75% of our students graduating high school. Great job to the councilors that approved this. You’ve really got your priorities straight!
I don’t get it . I’m not for permission for the Brass compass to set table and chairs in a public space but themn why would the city then put tables and chairs in the same park? And for Ten thousnad dollars???? HELLO!!!
Please tell us why you are against Lynn Archer being able to rent the space for her tables.
Who is “us?”
Anyone on this public thread.
Someone needs to rock their world
Even if some would, they would never admit to having screwed up.
If I were the Brass Compass owner I would immediately remodel to upgrade my take out business so that her customers could still enjoy her great food and then head outside to the city installed tables to eat their food. now Lynn won’t have to pay for tables or clean up trash – it will all be on the city. I guess they showed her, oh wait a minute – maybe not so much! What a waste and shame on behalf of city council. They really missed the boat on this decision.
It appears that Councilor Hebert, Councilor Pritchett and Mayor Harden would like this property to return to the bums and drug addicts and all the litter they leave behind after a night of binge drinking and shooting up with needles. Before the Brass Compass and Mrs. Archer came to town, this park was never taken care of and was a real mess. Litter strewn with garbage and hypodermic needles. Not exactly a park I would want my children playing in.
Dark Park will return. And this is not a “park where people can DO anything. So what will happen is the UNUSED area will be a haven for destruction. Way to go.
And people wonder why Maine has such a lousy business rating ! A simple 12 ft variance, that’s gonn’a bring in more revenue to the restaurant, and therefore increase sales tax revenue, is a no brainer. But instead the City Council wants to wait (until when ’cause all that’s been demonstrated so far is all talk and nothing seen on paper except a concept plan that’s still ‘a concept’) and doing nothing but hurting the city by making a moose’s rearend out of it. If Rockland ever hopes to see the business community start investing in it, and bring back a decent and sustainable tax base, then either the current City Council had better get of it’s 4th point of contact and start doing some reality-based thinking or be ready, PDQ, to vacate their position’s come November.
Park and municipal renovation’s not currently underway can be coordinated with the restaurant so there is no conflict. That’s Municipal Planning and Project Management 101. And that Hebert is complaining about an ‘economic advantage’ that the restaurant has by using 12 tables that are gonna’ bring in sales tax revenue shows some SERIOUSLY DEFICIENT THINKING that demonstrates his clear anti-business bias. He’s afraid that the restaurant is gonna be in competition with the City ? What kind of nonsense is this ? It’s the City’s responsibility to create and foster a business environment for the benefit of the whole of Rockland, not just a few people who are trying to create a Norman Rockwell painting. This, among a lot of other reason’s, are why Maine has such a low business rating. While I may not be Paulie’s biggest fan, this is one time that, if ever got serious and started asking some seriously embarassing question’s, I would be right next to him in full agreement. If the variance were for a public safety issue, like a LPG easement, sure. I’d be the 1st to say no way Brass Compass since the LPG line’s need to be undisturbed for safety’s sake. But to deny a simple 12 ft variance because some one has a ‘Brass thumbtack’ stuck somewhere isisn’t just embarissing. It’s shortsighted.
Or in competition with Bob Liberty’s restaurants.
The City should return that ‘precious’ bit of property to him. And yeah – there’s just no competing with elegant dining/ establishments.
Something tells me the city “leaders” want less business and more tax-exempt museums.
This is really sad. Most people I talk with want the outside seating and think it is good for the city, so why can’t the two councilors and the mayor agree with their taxpayers and allow this? Seriously, why? I’d like to know the reasoning for voting against this.
As I suspect a lot of of Rockland resident’s are asking themselves right now. The more this gets looked at, especially if someone start’s using Maine’s Open Record’s statute, the more clear the reason’s for the vote’s are going to be seen, and more importantly, the more clear it is who’s behind the vote’s. This whole thing stink’s like a dogfish left out on the dock in mid-July. It’s not the Brass Monkey that’s out there. Now it’s someone’s ‘brass’ that’s out in the wind…….
Stink’s worse than SeaPro in July! (for all you Rockland oldtimers)
Right! Lets start feeding birds but stop the little guy’s business hopes.
They’re spending $10,000 to tie up the park with concrete benches and tables so it could never be used for other purposes. Sounds like vindictiveness to Brass Compass.
Probably time for some new councilors.
It does appear to be vindictive. Wish I could help to vote these clowns out but I’m not a Rockland resident and am grateful for that after seeing what has been going on there in the past few years.
It seems that Bob Liberty won the day last night when Harden, Hebert and Pritchett voted just the way that Bob Liberty petitioned them to. They each had different excuses, but there is absolutely no reason that Archer should not have been able to lease the space for the tables until the park work begins. She has said that she would be completely cooperative with the city.
Mr. Hebert, it is your, Harden’s and Pritchett’s vote that does not pass the smell test. This is a disgrace.
The report does not mention that Susie Gray apologized to all residents for all the trouble; that she had ceased the feeding of the gulls, and that she hoped everyone else would not have to bear the brunt of another ordinance. It took courage to do that. Real courage — putting the shenanigans of Rockland government to greater shame.
No good deed goes unpunished.I hope the BC has a huge increase in sales as a result of this.Thanks to her for honoring the vets.
It’s amazing how anti-business some communities can be. This is certainly newsworthy to report how backward local politics looks to an outsider. The citizens should vote out the anti-business duds from their council next time around.
Or maybe they are pro ‘certain’ businesses at the expense of others.
I would like to see the opportunity for the citizens of Rockland to vote on this issue. Let the voters decide. After all, it is their City and the councilors and mayor should always do the bidding of the majority. Always.
That is a great idea !
So who will get the paperwork going?
I’m not really sure. I’m not a Rockland resident but would love to see the locals stand up against the councilors and mayor with a petition to get this on the next ballot. Now that would be very news worthy and show some local backbone.
“Local backbone?” The only way that it would make sense to get this issue on the ballot is if residents could frame the objection in terms of the larger issue here, which is inequitable use of invested power. This is so far beyond what a restaurant is, or is not granted, yet look at the comments.
Very business friendly position. This is Maine anti business at work.
Always have someone against something……..Bad for business.
I still don’t get the reasoning behind not allowing the tables. Because it gives unfair advantage over other businesses? Well, isn’t that what running a competitive business is all about in this country? Finding an edge over your competitor? Make your product a little more appealing? Or cost competitive? It is not the city council’s call to say what is unfair advantage over another business in my book. Businesses need to find their own niche and be competitive or sink.
Ordinances and regulations are another thing. If BC was taking up the park for private use and prohibited others from public usage, I would agree whole-heartedly that it should not be allowed. If they were not paying or using more space than they agreed to, I also would say shut it off. But I have not read these arguments for voting no.
I remember 20 years ago crossing at the corner with my young daughter rather than walk through that “park”. It was littered and dirty and was a hangout for a certain group of people. It has come a long way thanks to the Brass Compass. How nice it was to turn the corner onto Main Street and see diners enjoying a meal in a nice, clean, outdoor setting. I think it served as a tone setter for Rockland. Tourists surely would look at the scene and be impressed with Rockland. Nice job, Rockland City Council. Now, to prevent unfair advantage, I hope the council will follow through and stop Dunkin Donuts from using a portion of Ulmer Park for commercial use. How about it, Council? Let’s be fair!
Yes, and has anyone ever seen Bob Liberty cleaning up ‘his’ park. Bob Liberty is the owner of the Trade Winds Motor Lodge next to the park and The Brass Compass. Bob Liberty is the one who began the petition against Lynn Archer’s Brass Compass.
For some reason he has a great deal of sway with our city council.
Mr Liberty can nt pay his property taxes, on his lovely dump he owns.
Aaaahhhh, now it is starting to make sense. Mr. Liberty had the opportunity to clean the park for many many years but when somebody else takes some initiative he doesn’t like it? I guess he preferred the bums and druggies over a clean park that could be used by all.
Well, when you are selling alcohol instead of lobster club sandwiches, I guess the former occupants of the park are your clientele. Cleaning the park was bad for business for the Trade Winds.
I’m sure the litter of hypodermic needles and crumpled paper bags filled with empty wine bottles will soon return. I would imagine the local lowlifes will have their outdoor bathroom returned to it’s former condition. I remember what that place used to look like and how it was used. The place was very gross.
I think that The Brass Compass outdoor seating was competition for the overpriced inferior restaurants in his Trade Winds Motor Inn. Instead of improving his restaurants, he attacks Lynn Archer with his petition. Now with the Council’s vote he has succeeded in getting rid of his competition. The question is , why did Harden, Hebert and Pritchett support this thinly veiled power play. There really was no reason to not allow Archer her seating this season until the park work begins. She has said that she would comply with anything the Council wanted.
Who elected Bob Liberty and what power does he have over the Councilmen ?
Apparently Mr. Liberty has quite a bit of influence with the two councilmen and the mayor. Apparently he has more influence than the majority of Rocklanders and Mrs. Archer, all of whom wanted the seating to remain.
FYI, it was stated in a related article that the veteran plaque is “in the square” after having been moved from the street. It is NOT there. It is embedded in the sidewalk and is walked upon daily by people and pets.
NO ONE uses that park until they sit there to eat Lynn Archer’s food. NO ONE. And did the Farnsworth get permission to have a big ole honking sculpture there? Yep. And they did it to BRING revenue to their PRIVATE business. Why are the “rules” different for one person and not all others?This nasty vendetta is just that.
If it were truly about not using public land for commercial endeavors, there would be no Lobster Festival at the Fisherman’s Memorial. Think on that, and Mr. Mayor, don’t tell me that it is”different.”
Gay Best trots her aging relative to the meeting looking pathetic and the council caves on decency toward a local businesswoman. This is a sorry excuse for the democratic process. HUNDREDS of citizen signatures totally ignored in favor of a handful of business owners who are happy to “eat their own” is what happened. I applaud councilors Dickerson and Clayton for their clearer thinking here.
A ceremony on Memorial Day? I for one will be eating my lunch there, bought “to go” from Archers. I will bring my own chair and will be “the public” using the park for my enjoyment and rest. I invite other citizens to join me.
The ballot box is where this needs to be resolved. Get this on the ballot to overturn the vote of the council just as we did with the Walgreens debacle. Then when these other councilors are up for reelection, vote them out. If we are not happy with how things go, we (for the time being) have the vote.
Look at the Park near Rite Aid the only time the flag gets changed out is was people complain about it. The only time they clean it is when the use it for the prade.