Proposed Changes to Parking in Somerville
I have sent the following email and thought I'd re-post it here in hopes of inspiring others to voice their concerns. Details about the proposed changes are available in this article.
_________________________________________________________
"Mayor Curtatone"
"Rebekah Gewirtz"
"Somerville Chamber of Commerce"
Good afternoon!
As the Artistic Director of Theatre@First, Somerville's largest
community theatre, I have been very distressed to hear about the
Traffic Commission's planned changes to parking in Somerville.
In the past year we have had over 100 participants and attract
audiences of more than 500 people to our shows. Many of our
participants and audience members are not Somerville residents. They
bring outside business not only to us but to other Somerville
restaurants and businesses when they come for Theatre@First. The
proposed parking changes will make it extremely difficult for us to
park for rehearsals and to attract non-Somervillians to our shows.
Without the non-residents we would be hard-pressed to continue
offering affordable, high-quality theatre in the Somerville community.
I have discussed this matter with our supporters and with many
Somerville residents and business people and all are concerned that
this decision, which will have a major impact on life in Somerville,
has been made so hastily and without any democratic process. While we
all understand that the current economic climate has made it important
for the City of Somerville to raise its revenues, the same conditions
have made it harder for all of us and discouraging visitors to the
city cannot help.
I am writing to ask you to please do whatever you can to delay this
decision until further public discussion has been held and to consider
the extraordinary impact on business and the arts in Somerville.
Surely there is a way to accommodate the needs of the city without
making Somerville a difficult place to visit.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Hunter
Artistic Director
Theatre@First
www.theatreatfirst.org
taf@theatreatfirst.org
_________________________________________________________
"Mayor Curtatone"
"Rebekah Gewirtz"
"Somerville Chamber of Commerce"
Good afternoon!
As the Artistic Director of Theatre@First, Somerville's largest
community theatre, I have been very distressed to hear about the
Traffic Commission's planned changes to parking in Somerville.
In the past year we have had over 100 participants and attract
audiences of more than 500 people to our shows. Many of our
participants and audience members are not Somerville residents. They
bring outside business not only to us but to other Somerville
restaurants and businesses when they come for Theatre@First. The
proposed parking changes will make it extremely difficult for us to
park for rehearsals and to attract non-Somervillians to our shows.
Without the non-residents we would be hard-pressed to continue
offering affordable, high-quality theatre in the Somerville community.
I have discussed this matter with our supporters and with many
Somerville residents and business people and all are concerned that
this decision, which will have a major impact on life in Somerville,
has been made so hastily and without any democratic process. While we
all understand that the current economic climate has made it important
for the City of Somerville to raise its revenues, the same conditions
have made it harder for all of us and discouraging visitors to the
city cannot help.
I am writing to ask you to please do whatever you can to delay this
decision until further public discussion has been held and to consider
the extraordinary impact on business and the arts in Somerville.
Surely there is a way to accommodate the needs of the city without
making Somerville a difficult place to visit.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Hunter
Artistic Director
Theatre@First
www.theatreatfirst.org
taf@theatreatfirst.org