No More Rotary Fourth of July? No More Vette Show?
No More Rotary Fourth of July? No More Vette Show?
Parks and Recreation Committee Discusses Legality of Some Bar Harbor Traditions
BAR HARBOR—What seemed like a simple request Monday night turned out to be a bit more of a potential doomsday scenario for many organizations that hold events on the town’s athletic fields: organizations like the Bar Harbor/MDI Rotary Club, the Vettes of Coastal Maine, and potentially even the Life Flight helicopter pad.
Parks and Recreation Chair John Kelly brought up whether or not Vettes of Coastal Maine should be able to use the town space or if the town’s deed restricts it. The committee approves applications for uses on the fields and other town spaces.
The event, much like the Bar Harbor/MDI Rotary Club’s Fourth of July Seafood Festival and Pancake Breakfast, is not strictly an athletic event. Both could be considered exhibitions, but not really athletic ones.
The Vettes have been exhibiting at the ball field on one day a year, for usually four hours, for at least 25 years, member Jeff Dobbs said. Dobbs added of the Rotary celebration, which raises money for nonprofits and scholarships in the community, “One could argue that serving lobster is not an athletic event.”
Kelly said, “I know things go on for a long time but that doesn’t mean they should continue to go on.”
In 2020, the town approved a permanent pad for Life Flight at the location. The YMCA uses portions of that lower field for day camps and has often set up tents there as well.
Whether or not all these events will be affected will be up for discussion on one of the committee’s future agendas.
“It’s just one of those things that people like to do,” Dobbs said of the Vette show. He also said another automobile exhibition had been there before the Vettes. “Arguably looking at 125 corvettes could be athletic if you run around them.”
“There are a lot of things that are popular that are not appropriate,” Kelly said.
Bruce Cates, president of Vettes of Coastal Maine, represented the group, which made its own call to not be on the field this year because he was worried it was too wet. He said he’d spoken to a town representative who had given the group permission to line up the 125 cars there for viewing, but he made the call not to.
“We know the public loves to see the event,” Cates said. He added that several members live locally.
Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt said in her time working for the town, there’s never been a problem with the Vettes’ use of the field.
Kelly asked if there was a possibility to hold it anywhere else because he believes that the deeds are restricted to athletic events and activities. The neighbors’ challenges to the dog park being located on the site that were based on deed restrictions made him want to bring it to the committee.
“I have never heard one complaint,” Dobbs said of the Vettes’ exhibition, suggesting that though the deed restrictions were brought up by neighbors opposing the dog park’s potential siting there, it might be making a problem out of nothing to expand that to the Vettes and potentially to Rotary and any other historic uses.
“The dog park is the most controversial thing that’s ever been done on the athletic field.” Dobbs said that though he voted to recommend supporting the park (it failed to be recommended by the committee, its final fate is with the Town Council), he felt uncomfortable about it.
Vice Chair Greg Veilleux said he heard where Kelly was coming from and that they are now maybe “walking a little more softly” as a committee because of the dog park location discussion, but he said he didn’t think there’d be any fear of a lawsuit in relation to these temporary events. “I’m not opposed to it, but I’m getting tugged to this end by you, John.”
New member Erin Cough said she also understood what Kelly was saying. She said the town and committee allow the Rotary Club to use the area on the Fourth of July, setting up overnight, which is a much bigger production than the Vettes.
“I haven’t even heard anyone ever question whether or not the Rotary shouldn’t go down there,” she said. The Vettes’ festival is a one-day thing and she believed that it can be interpreted within the wording of the deed as allowable, particularly since it’s neither a permanent structure or event.
Kelly said Rotary was a truly local organization. It is a local club that’s part of a global network of a 1.4 million neighbors, professionals and friends that is meant to focus on service above self, solving problems via action to improve lives.
He said that he doesn’t like that the Wonderview Inn can sponsor an event for the Vettes, which is an organization not based in Bar Harbor. “There will always be a sponsor for an event,” he said, even if the organization is not local.
“If there is any possibility of doing it anywhere else, would be my preference,” Kelly said.
Member Bob Huff, the MDI YMCA representative on the committee, said, “Since it’s a one-off if we start having issues with it, it’s easier to get rid of it.”
“There’s (currently) so much contention (in the community) that very small things get brought up that people are used to doing, and they get fussed over when they should be left alone,” Dobbs said. “There are too many things to worry about.”
The motion passed 4-1. Kelly voted against. The Vettes (weather permitting) will be there again next year. However, the item is going to be on a future agenda for further discussion. Some members asked that legal counsel be given concerning the issue.
TREES AND GLEN MARY LEASE
Leavitt said that the trees are scheduled for demolition at Agamont Park and Village Green, and she’s working with the Village Improvement Association (VIA) about that.
The lease for Glen Mary’s pool and Glen Mary Woods is again being paused for a moment while new interim Town Manager Cornell Knight reviews it. Finance Director Sarah Gilbert and Leavitt said that he had concerns because it didn’t have discussion of the design of the wading pool. The town and representatives of the VIA will be meeting about that tomorrow, she said.
The lease between the town and the VIA, which owns the property, is currently based on maintenance and not what’s going to happen, Leavitt said.
“I caution about making the lease the operating plan or the maintenance plan or the design plan,” Kelly said.
Both Cough and Dobbs are on the VIA’s board of directors.
PORT-A-POTTY NEEDED
Huff asked about the port-a-potty at Town Hill Playground and if it would be installed soon.
Leavitt said they’ve talked about it with the Town Hill Village Improvement Society and it’s in discussion. Huff said it’s hard when there’s a large group there.
PARKING METERS AT THE ATHLETIC FIELDS
Kelly would like to bring back discussion about the metered parking at the field. “That confounds me” that they exist there, he said. “I have a resident permit and I can’t park in this lot.”
He added that he wasn’t appreciative of the Parking Solutions Task Force making that recommendation without the Parks and Recreation Committee’s input. The Parking Solutions Task Force is meant “to make recommendations to the Town Council to improve parking in the Bar Harbor downtown area” according to its bylaws. The Parks and Recreation Committee is in charge of town-owned public land. The parking area sits in the middle of two fields off Park Street across from the playground and the MDI YMCA.
Cough suggested meeting with the Parking Committee. Kelly wondered what the protocol was within the town to discuss a disagreement with another committee. Gilbert and Leavitt said that they’d look into it.
Veilleux said he’s also seeing parking at the entrance to the Glen Mary pool. Any open space that has a driveway is being used for long-term parking.
“People get creative after a while,” Kelly said.
Veilleux said bordering the Spring Street side with rocks might help decrease the taxi use of the area.
The next meeting is September 18.
It is good to now and then reconsider traditions especially in light of the law.
I'd guess most would like to continue the Rotary 4th of July events, but I would prohibit them from picking who gets to set up an information table on the field. That should be up to Bar Harbor government.
One year the Rotary approved a guy who'd traveled here from Down South to promote a group that does not recognize the authority of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution, but instead pushes the notion that sheriffs get to enforce their own interpretations. (We know how that has worked in the South and elsewhere.)