ROCKPORT — Town officials have approved many of Rockport Music's requests regarding the design and construction of its new downtown performance center without much resistance — that is, until now.
But Rockport Music Building Committee member John Sparks said he left last week's Board of Selectmen meeting somewhat bewildered by selectmen's refusal to approve the nonprofit's revised signage proposal, which had called for the installation of eight directional signs on town-owned property that would steer visitors to the Shalin Liu Performance Center.
The measure failed to gain approval on a 2-2 deadlock, with Selectmen Chairman Sandy Jacques and Selectman Ellen Canavan casting the dissenting votes; Selectman Andrew Heinze was absent.
However, Selectman Charles Clark suggested further discussion of the issue. Jacques and Canavan agreed to negotiate further and eventually voted along with Clark and Selectman Sarah Wilkinson in support of allowing Rockport Music to post three signs around town for a period of one year.
Signs will be allowed at Five Corners, the intersection of Broadway and Mount Pleasant Street, and at the MBTA Commuter Rail Station off Railroad Avenue.
The largest sign, at Five Corners, measures 20-by-34 inches — slightly smaller than an average speed limit sign.
"You can't always get what you want," Sparks said, channeling the 1969 Rolling Stones hit. "It may just be enough; though I feel bad for the people who'll be coming from Granite Street."
Rockport Music, formerly known as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, had initially requested permission to install 24 signs along major roadways and pedestrian routes around town — a number that concerned the Traffic Committee, which includes Police Chief Tom McCarthy and Public Works Director Joe Parisi.
McCarthy said that allowing one private business to post signs throughout the town — and especially on town-owned land — would set a precedent that could lead to dozens of such requests and ultimately severe sign pollution throughout this scenic, coastal town.
"(Parisi) and I were opposed to the eight signs,'" McCarthy said. "The one sign we thought was important was the pedestrian sign at the train station."
Sparks indicated that Rockport Music will pay for the signs, which are light blue and white and feature the name of the music hall — Shalin Liu Performance Center — and an encircled arrow pointing visitors toward the Main Street facility.
Sparks has the signed permits, and is making arrangements with the Department of Public Works and police to install the signs.
"I expect to be meeting with the DPW and the police to spray-paint the exact locations sometime in early April, after winter cleanup," Sparks said.
Rockport Music had intended to ask Public Works to install the signs, but McCarthy said Rockport Music would have to cover the labor costs if Parisi could, in fact, provide the necessary manpower.
The other option, Sparks said, is to have Rockport Music's own contractor complete the installations.
Sparks presented the revised proposal together with his wife, Barbara Sparks, a Planning Board member.
While Wilkinson thanked the couple for their "more manageable" proposal, Jacques said it was still just too much.
"You're still way over in terms of signs. I don't think you need eight or 24, it's a small town and people are going to find where they need to go," Jacques said. "It's overdoing it, not attractive, and would appear as if one organization is getting (special treatment)."
John Sparks argued that the new center would attract a lot of first-time visitors to town, and that the signs would prevent people from getting lost, creating vehicle- and foot-traffic snarls.
"I think we're going in the wrong direction," Jacques refuted.
High Street resident Terry Schwenk spoke in support of Rockport Music's eight sign proposal,
"Other (tourism-based) communities have wayfinding signs," he said, adding "why don't we?"
But civic activist and Granite Street resident Toby Arsenian said allowing so many signs would equate to "visual clutter of the very worst sort."
"(Rockport Music) has been given preferential treatment by the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and others," Arsenian said. "Everyone around town is saying money talks.
"The Rockport Art Association has been there a lot longer and has no signage," he noted. "If this is given to Rockport Music, any other nonprofit could ask for the same thing."
The signs were approved for a period of one year as a sort of "test," Wilkinson said. Hopefully, by then, she added, the town will have a better idea of what it wants with regard to wayfinding signs.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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