Latest news with #Bullett
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Portland City Council hits pause on deciding whether to pause venue developments
Apr. 28—The Portland City Council voted Monday to refer a potential moratorium on new theater and live music developments larger than 2,000 seats to the Sustainability and Transportation Committee. The decision, which came in a nearly unanimous vote at the council's Monday night meeting, means an order proposing the six-month moratorium will be revisited at the May 19 meeting, at the soonest. At-large Councilor Benjamin Grant initially motioned for the moratorium to be revisited at the May 19 meeting, but he later altered the motion to instead refer the issue to the committee, which next meets on May 14. "I don't think we are ready for this question right now," Grant said. "There's been a lot of motion, a lot of activity, but not a lot of progress addressing some of the key issues." Though Grant said he agrees additional questions need to be answered before new projects can move forward, he argued that a moratorium was the wrong tool for the job. Councilor Wes Pelletier, who proposed the moratorium along with Councilor Anna Bullet, cast the sole vote against referring the moratorium. He and Bullett had originally sought a full vote Monday. Dozens who had filled the council chambers including members of the public and developers, filtered out of the room following the vote. Many who had come to offer public comment mumbled frustrations as they shuffled out. At its May meeting, the transportation committee will consider questions surrounding parking and congestion related to live events. The moratorium, as currently drafted, would stretch into the fall unless the city first implements new rules related to permitting and zoning for large event spaces and concert halls. In the meantime, "no permit applications for any new theaters or performance halls with a capacity exceeding 2000 people shall be accepted, processed, reviewed, or approved," according to the moratorium order. Pelletier, who represents District 2, and Bullett, who represents District 4, proposed the moratorium this month. It would directly impact a controversial plan to build a new venue at 244 Cumberland Ave. — tentatively called the Portland Music Hall — though it does not explicitly name the project. Pelletier has previously told the Press Herald the moratorium was not targeted at that single application. LIVE NATION PROPOSAL AT CENTER Mile Marker Investments, a Scarborough-based developer, partnered with Live Nation to propose the new venue, which would be about a block from the roughly 1,900-seat Merrill Auditorium. Despite public pushback, the companies have maintained that the music hall would fill a middle-ground niche between smaller auditoriums, like Merrill and the State Theater, and larger spaces like Thompson's Point, which can fit about 6,000 for an outdoor show. By filling that gap, the music hall could attract acts that may otherwise be simultaneously too big and too small to book Portland's existing venues, the developers have said. But frustrated neighbors, including residents and other businesses, have charged that the relatively large venue and its central placement near several existing event spaces could choke local traffic and create hazardous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists during busy nights. In written comments submitted ahead of Monday's meeting, locals expressed concern with the pace of development, the size of the proposed space and broad distaste toward Live Nation, a live music corporation that owns venues and operates ticketing services across the country, among other activities. The company is currently involved in an antitrust lawsuit for what the Justice Department last year called "unlawful conduct that thwarts competition." The order for the moratorium noted that the city's land use code does not require any spatial buffer between large theaters and performance spaces, "which should be considered to protect public safety and ensure that these venues are not clustered and do not overburden public infrastructure." It applies to all applications submitted after Dec. 1, 2024 — less than three weeks before the proposed venue's application was filed. The order also requires the council's Housing and Economic Development Committee to review the city code "and develop amendments ... to address the concerns" raised. The pause will last through Oct. 25 unless altered by the council, or until any new amendments to the city code take effect, whichever comes first. Construction on the new site was originally slated to begin this fall, with doors opening in late 2027. It's not clear how or whether the moratorium — should it eventually pass — will impact that time frame. Todd Goldenfarb, managing editor of Mile Marker Investments, referred questions about the then-upcoming vote to a Live Nation spokesperson Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for Live Nation and Mile Marker declined to speak in person about the vote after the meeting but promised to provide a written statement later Monday evening. He did not immediately provide that comment. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. 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Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huntingdon County church reflects on past during Black History Month
HUNTINGDON, Pa. (WTAJ) — A church in Huntingdon County is reflecting on its past during Black History Month. Payne Church, located on Moore Street in Huntingdon, has more than 100 years of history. 'This church has been around, I believe, since the 1850s. It was founded as part of the A.M.E denomination and was originally about a block away in an alley in the basement of what was the Oddfellows home. And then around the late 1880s, this piece of land was purchased and the building was erected,' Anthony Bullett, a member of the church, said. Bullett is also the Chairman of the Huntingdon Juneteenth Committee. He said Payne Church is the only surviving church in the area with a historically African American convention. 'This is third generation Bullett in this church. You know, my grandfather was here. My father was very instrumental. Now, me. Just in fact, we just had a conversation the other night about influences in our life,' Bullett said. The church was one of the influences. Altoona workshop teaches about tree tapping Sylvia Morris is the pastor at Payne Church. She's also the pastor of the Bethel A.M.E Church in Mount Union. 'Payne has been around. There were other predominantly black churches, African-American churches there, but they're no longer there. But Payne has stood the test of time,' Morris said. The African Methodist Episcopal Church also played a role in helping to fight for the rights of others. 'AME church has been instrumental in all the social movements from abolition to the Underground Railroad. The Selma March for voting rights started at Brown Chapel A.M.E and Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott were heavily influenced by A.M.E. members,' Renita Greene, Reverend Doctor and Pastor of Bethel A.M.E Lewistown and Holy Trinity A.M.E. Church in Wilberforce said. Huntingdon's Juneteenth celebration will be held on June 21 at Portstown Park from noon to 5 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
