Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arts group urges Dobbs Ferry to revisit ineligibility of proposed performing-arts center
Summary
Morgan McEwen, artistic director of Board Dance, urged the LPC to reconsider the ineligibility ruling for the Moore Ballet/145 Palisade proposal and said the company was previously told adjacent projects could apply; McEwen described the company's audience draws and argued an arts anchor would be catalytic for downtown economic activity.
During the meeting’s public-comment period, Morgan McEwen, artistic director of Board Dance, addressed the LPC to ask that the committee reconsider the eligibility determination for the Moore Ballet proposal at 145 Palisade. McEwen said Board Dance submitted after being told near- or adjacent-to-boundary projects were welcome and described recent local performances that drew hundreds of attendees.
McEwen asked the LPC to weigh the project’s catalytic potential and local economic benefits. She said, quoting the transcript, “I just want everyone to refresh on the language around what was considered eligible to submit or not… I had also had some correspondence and asked, you know, if our application would be deemed ineligible if we submitted. And I was told, no, you're welcome to submit. So we went ahead and submitted our application.” McEwen emphasized the company’s track record and fundraising ability, urging that a performing-arts anchor could drive downtown visitation and economic activity.
Staff responded in the meeting that projects adjacent to the boundary were allowed to submit through the open call, but consultants applied the eligibility screen for the preliminary slate and determined the Moore Ballet site lies outside the drawn boundary; staff said the project will not be dropped completely but will be added to the strategic investment roadmap for future rounds. LPC members expressed sympathy for the arts group while raising concerns about equity and precedent if an out-of-boundary project were treated differently than in-boundary applicants.
Next steps: staff will include the Moore Ballet proposal in the strategic roadmap and will continue to collect sponsor materials and conduct follow-up conversations about boundary determination and alternative avenues for support.
