The site plan for the proposed amphitheater in Mary Elizabeth Park retains the open, park-like setting of the tree-lined lawn. |
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
A leading opponent of the proposed Mary Elizabeth Park site for an amphitheater in Rocky Mount says the facility would have an adverse environmental impact on nearby residential neighborhoods, hurt property values, increase vacancy rates, and create noise and trash problems.
Property owners in two historic neighborhoods contiguous to the park, Claiborne Avenue and Scott Street, "will be hard pressed to remain in their homes during these events due to noise, traffic, lighting and other issues, not to mention it will be impossible to sell or rent these homes in the future," said Rocky Mount resident Barbara Hall, who opposes the site.
Although Hall and others recently spoke against the proposed site at a town council meeting, the architects who designed the proposal say Mary Elizabeth Park is "well-suited" for such a facility. They also say their design would retain the "open, park-like setting of the tree-lined lawn."
Hill Studio of Roanoke, whose architects designed the proposal, said the amphitheater design and the site plan would enable the facility to be used as an amphitheater for concerts and a "building in the park" at other times.
However, Hall said the proposed location of the amphitheater would cause problems with parking, noise, lighting, trash and safety in the neighborhood.
She said a recent concert in the park had a decibel level of 86 in her front yard. That level of noise is classified by the American Hearing Association as "very loud" and can cause a multitude of health issues, she said.
According to Hall, lighting planned around the amphitheater would disrupt the nighttime environment for the neighborhoods adjacent to the park.
Trash and litter also would cause problems for nearby homes and churches, Hall said.
"Can you imagine coming into church on Sunday morning with beer bottles, cigarette butts, fast food wrappers floating all around the parking lot? Or coming home to this trash?" she asked.
The proposed plan shows parking along Randolph Street at Scott Street.
"Anyone who drives in this area knows it is impossible to meet a car on Randolph without feeling uncomfortable about the width of this street," Hall said.
She said it would be impossible for the town to provide a plan for adequate parking, crowd control and traffic control around the festival area.
Hall said the amphitheater could cost millions of dollars at a time when the town is cutting its budget and even cutting Christmas bonuses for town employees because of a financial crunch.
She questioned "why the town would even contemplate such an undertaking" when it is facing financial difficulties and the possibility of lawsuits by property owners opposing the proposal.
She said there is also a legal question about who actually owns Mark Elizabeth Park. Hall said it was donated to the town for upkeep, but some records indicate it is owned by the Rocky Mount Methodist Church.
"The park is an asset to the town for the enjoyment of all the citizens. It was never intended to be utilized for an amphitheater," she said.
Hill Studio, based in Roanoke, said residents who attended several workshops on the project said they want to be able to use the area as a park when no concerts are being held.
Rather than making the seating area steep as in an amphitheater-only facility, the architects said they designed the seating area rather flat "to be more like a lawn."
The lawn is not particularly deep, and sight lines to the stage will be good, the architects said.
The architects said the area in Mary Elizabeth Park has several features that make it well-suited for an amphitheater, including:
"The trees along the edge enhance the buffer and create an inviting outdoor space. In addition, these trees would visually buffer the adjacent neighborhood during events.
"The solar orientation of the site would be good for afternoon and evening venues.
"The site has sufficient space for seating up to 1,500 people, and it should bring more people and energy into the downtown area.
"The site provides an opportunity to design an acoustically functional facility that works well in the park and with adjacent neighbors, while providing a quality music venue.
The design calls for the construction of a stage building near The Franklin Center at the location of the roller hockey rink.
The architects said the placement of the structures would take advantage of the gentle slope of the lawn for audience viewing and provide easy vehicular and pedestrian access to the facility.
The structures at the west and east ends of this portion of the park define the lawn. The main entrance into the amphitheater is from the west, adjacent to The Franklin Center.
The architects said Mary Elizabeth Park is the best site for an amphitheater to provide an economic boost for the town.
Placing the amphitheater farther out of town would be counterproductive to supporting downtown business, Hill Studio said.
The amphitheater could be an economic boon for the town, especially for merchants and restaurants in downtown and uptown, said David Hill, president of Hill Studio.
The best location for the amphitheater with the greatest economic impact is in Mary Elizabeth Park, Hill said.
"This could become quite an icon for Rocky Mount," he added.
Mayor Steve Angle said the amphitheater project is in the preliminary stage, and no decisions have been made.
Angle said public hearings will be be held to get town residents' views on the proposal.
Town Manager James Ervin said Hill Studio has been asked to look into funding for the proposed project, including grants and foundation funds.
Ervin said earlier that it is anticipated that the town would seek funds for the music venue facility through the Virginia Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
"Completing the design is the first step to finding the funds to help us build this great project for Rocky Mount," Ervin said.
"By building a performance center, we can build a local economy centered on the traditional music arts, giving local musicians the opportunity to profit from the international interest in heritage music," the town manager said. |
