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Less music, more shops By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings An Ashland entertainment producer is pulling out of the A Street Marketplace Pavilion, which will now likely sprout more stores rather than serve as a theater and music venue. The Ashland Planning Commission Tuesday approved extending the hours of operation for the venue on the corner of Oak and A streets from 10 p.m. every day to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and to midnight on Friday and Saturday. But that was not enough for pavilion event promoter Chris Dekker. "They gave us small-town hours for an international-flavored town," Dekker said after the commission's decision. "It's not going to be a venue for performance." Dekker and marketplace owner Allan Sandler had requested unrestricted hours of operation for the venue, but there was consensus among commissioners that some limits were needed because of the nearby residential neighborhood. "I'm totally opposed to having anything at all with the word 'unrestricted' in it," Commissioner Marilyn Briggs said. In August 2002, the Planning Commission Hearings Board denied a Conditional Use Permit for the use of the pavilion and interior public spaces as a theater, nightclub and bar. In October, the Planning Commission reversed part of the earlier decision, granting a permit to allow the pavilion space to be used in a way similar to a nightclub and allowing performances there. A number of conditions were linked to the approval, including the banning of theater-related uses after 10 p.m., with no drumming or amplified music permitted after 7 p.m. A second proposal to enclose the open-air pavilion with solid walls was also approved at the October 2002 meeting, and the latest request for later allowed performance times was contingent upon the construction of the walls. While the application was a request for unrestricted hours, Dekker and Sandler indicated they would be pleased with a 2 a.m. curfew. If forced to shut down much earlier than that, the pavilion would be unable to attract the kinds of revenue-producing acts which travel up and down Interstate 5 between San Francisco and Portland. Those acts are needed to support the less profitable local shows. "This would be a fantastic space, but he's going to have to have some flexibility to make it happen," Ashland performer Joannie McGowan said. Sandler has repeatedly said if the time limit is not lifted, he will turn the space into shops similar to the rest of the marketplace. More money is to be had renting to retailers, but he wanted to offer the performance venue to the community. "I made a lot of money in this town and before I moved here," Sandler said. "I thought it was time to give something back." Despite his altruistic explanation, some counselors continued to ask why Sandler didn't go the more profitable route from the beginning. "I don't understand why you don't just make it into retail," Commissioner Cameron Hanson said. Briggs recalled the many times Sandler brought up the retail option as an argument in favor of them granting him approvals related to the pavilion. "So vote it down," Sandler challenged. "I think I will," Briggs said. "I hope you do," Sandler answered, visibly fed up with the proceedings. While the commission approved the extended time limits, at least two members - Ray Kistler and David Dotterer - said they believe 10:30 p.m. to be too early a time to force such a venue to shut down. After the decision, Sandler said he was fairly certain the pavilion is dead as a performance venue. "We're defeated," Sandler said. "I'll probably close it up and make retail out of it." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -