Will Portland parks vote impact large-scale, outdoor concerts? Answer is unclear, for now
The city of Portland’s vote last week to add extra protections for 60 parks has raised questions as to how the new rules will impact large-scale, outdoor concerts in the future.
Lauren Wayne, general manager of the State Theatre, told Mainebiz that she is holding off planning for any potential outdoor concerts in summer 2015 until she gets briefed from city officials on how the amendments to the Land Bank ordinance could impact the process.
“Everything is on hold now,” she said on Monday.
While the debate over last week’s ballot question largely focused on the requirement for extra city approvals to sell or convey city-owned land, the approved ordinance amendments also contain language that requires a similar process for using parks for “non-Land Bank public purposes.”
Under the new park rules, a proposed sale or non-traditional use of a park would first require approval by the city’s Land Bank Commission. The proposal would then have to be approved by the Portland City Council in an 8-1 vote. If a smaller majority of councilors approve the proposal, it would have to then go to a citywide referendum.
For Wayne, the new rules raise questions as to what kind of events would have to go through the new process when proposed for public parks. If the new rules apply to large-scale concerts, she said, she wants to know how much extra time and work will be required in the planning process.
“I’m hoping there won’t be insurmountable obstacles because as someone who has put on a concert there, there is already a lot of work involved,” she said. “We have to make a decision on whether we’re going to do any more shows there.”
Wayne said if the new rules went in place two years ago — and were determined to apply to large-scale concerts — it could have jeopardized the Mumford & Sons music festival that was held in August 2012 at the Eastern Promenade, attracted more than 15,000 fans, netted the city $54,000 in profits and benefited surrounding businesses.
That’s because she said her company was only notified four months in advance that the popular British folk band chose Portland as a venue — which is typically not a lot of lead time for organizing a major event such as this one. Wayne said she and other organizers already had plenty of work to do between receiving proper city approvals and working with neighborhood groups to assure their concerns are being heard.
“If it’s more of a legal process or adds an extra month to planning, it will hurt efforts,” she said. “Adding a month or two will hamper the ability to do something outside.”
Anita LaChance, director of Portland’s Recreation & Facilities department, told Mainebiz that her department is meeting with legal counsel on Thursday to discuss how the new park rules could impact events proposed on city-owned land. She said the city is expected to issue a legal opinion before the ordinance amendments take effect in early July.
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