NESNA

Arts Union Meeting
March 27, 2009

Five members of the NESNA Board (Mike Harper, Jerri Hurlbutt, Suzie Nakasian, Rich Noer and Bardwell Smith) met with Joe Hargis, Steve Richardson and Steve Spehn of Carleton and Sandra Rolph, a representative of Carleton’s consultant, Oslund and Associates.  The purpose was to discuss community responses to the six questions about the proposed Arts Union that are posted on the Carleton Arts Union Wiki web site.

As of the March 1 deadline, 76 people posted comments to the Wiki site, some anonymously (an exceptionally high response rate for a Wiki survey).  Oslund will provide a report that summarizes the categories of responses to each question, and that report will be posted to the Carleton and NESNA web sites by the end of April.

Work on the Arts Union has been put on indefinite hold, due to financial constraints. However, Carleton and Oslund agree that the community responses received through this effort will be valuable when work on the project re-commences.  Carleton would like to receive additional neighborhood input, and to that end the Wiki will remain open for further comments indefinitely.  All input on the project is still relevant and welcome, as the plans are by no means finalized.

While Carleton awaits the resuming of the project design and construction, the project planners will go to Carleton’s Trustees in May with a proposal for interim uses of the Middle School building as it now stands (with interior alterations made to bring the building’s interior up to code).  All comments about the Arts Union are most welcome and relevant. However, on account of the proposed interim use of the building, Carleton is especially interested to hear more thoughts and concerns relating to interim uses of the building, such as concerns about vehicular and pedestrian traffic, parking, noise and lighting.

Residents are encouraged to post their comments to the Wiki site, or forward comments to any NESNA Board member to be posted.  The Wiki can be found by going to northfieldeastside.org and following the link on the left side of the page to Carleton’s Arts Union Wiki. There is no deadline, but comments are encouraged in advance of the Carleton Trustees meeting at the end of May.