Article 4 proposes adding an amendment to the town’s protective bylaw that would create an entertainment overlay district in the center of town. The purpose of the new district is to allow entertainment on properties that are used for “business, institutional, or cultural purposes.”
The bylaw was introduced to allow the General Store and Fivesparks to continue offering entertainment despite both being in an area currently zoned only for agricultural and residential use. The Select Board has been granting annual entertainment licenses to both, not realizing that it was running afoul of existing zoning laws. Even if the bylaw passes, the Select Board would still need to grant, and set conditions for, annual entertainment licenses in the new overlay district.
The new overlay district was originally drawn to include only the General Store and Fivesparks, but during hearings it came to light that many of the traditional events that have been held on the Common and the field between the Bromfield School and Mass. Ave. should also have had entertainment licenses. Although town-sponsored events on town-owned land do not require a license, there are a few events held in town buildings, such as Celebration, Bromfield’s after-prom party, that are not sponsored by the town. According to Town Counsel Mark Lanza, those activities, if entertainment was provided, should always have had a license, and will now require one.
Town Hall was added because Upper Town Hall is sometimes rented out for private events. Entertainment is held in the churches, including the Unitarian Universalist Church’s Fellowship Hall, so all three churches were added. The annual turkey raffle held in the fire station put that building on the map, and Hildreth House was added since it is large enough to be a possible entertainment venue.
The library has entertainment in Volunteers Hall, and it allows other town organizations to use that space, so it is in the new proposed district. Both schools were included to allow Celebration and similar events to continue to be held there. Town counsel advised making all the properties in the district contiguous; as a result, the Center Cemetery and the Bromfield parking lot were added to connect the General Store and St. Theresa Catholic Church to the high school and the library.
The current licenses for the General Store and Fivesparks expired Dec. 31, and at its Dec. 20 meeting, the Select Board granted the General Store four one-day entertainment licenses for January so it could continue having music once a week. Mark Mikitarian, president of Fivesparks’ board of directors, told the Press his organization has not needed any entertainment licenses yet this year.
The Planning Board held hearings for this bylaw amendment in November and December, and no objections or concerns were raised at any of those hearings by either board members, residents, or business owners. Both the Planning Board and the Select Board recommend passage of this article.
Proposed Town Center Entertainment District
The proposed Town Center Entertainment District is shown by the green area. Within it, the Select Board will issue licenses and can set conditions for entertainment events.
