Newport†
OPTIS EVERYWHERE!
Vol. 38, No. 31
BORN FREE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010
Life Savers
What’s Inside
JAZZ F SCHED EST ULE IN SID E
Citizens Getting Steamed on Broadway
Issues concerning Broadway and 50 Washington Square draw dozens of residents and city officials
BE SEEN ONTHE MAINSHEET!
By Lynne Tungett
Table of Contents 02840 CALENDAR CLASSIFIEDS COMMUNITY BRIEFS CROSSWORD DINING OUT EDITORIAL LETTERS MAINSHEET PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REALTY TRANSACTIONS RECENT DEATHS
8 12 18 4 18 10 6 6 9 17 6 18
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Lifeguard teams from as far away as New York competed this week in the 34th Newport Invitational Lifeguard Contest at Easton’s Beach. (Photos by Tom Shevlin)
Planners, Service Providers Eye Surplus Navy Land By Tom Shevlin NEWPORT— The road to developing 225 acres of surplus Navy land on Aquidneck Island’s western shores began here last week in earnest, with a gathering of community stakeholders for a mid-day presentation at CCRI and a private trolley tour. Winding their way through Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth, leaders from Aquidneck Island’s nonprofit sectors toured each of the sites now listed on the federal register for redevelopment. In Newport, they saw firsthand the possibilities of the former Naval Hospital, the city’s last remaining undeveloped waterfront parcel located just north of the Point. In Middletown, Braga Road and Defense Highway were focal points – ideally situated, according to planners, for conversion into a network of waterfront parks and bikeways. In Portsmouth, they witnessed views that would make any developer envious at the sites known as Tank Farms 1 and 2. Tina Dolen, executive director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC) mixed her normal proclivity for patience with unencumbered excitement. “This is such a stellar opportunity – not only for Aquidneck Island, but for the state of Rhode Island,” she told the roughly 75 in attendance. However, Dolen noted that there is still a lengthy process ahead. It won’t be until the fall of 2011 that any plan for the properties is submitted, and it could be several more months before a review is complete. In all, the process
could stretch anywhere from 1824 months before any re-use plan is approved. Then, the clean-up would have to begin. According to Gregory Preston, deputy director for the Navy’s base realignment and closure (BRAC) office, each of the properties will be restored to the environmental conditions required under their respective zoning. Residential uses, he said, would likely require additional environmental remediation. And while the AIPC has been at the forefront of the redevelopment process, the actual interface with the Navy now falls to the newly created Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority, or AIRPA. Consisting of state, local, and private representatives, the AIRPA will in many ways carry on the work of the AIPC, Dolen said, serving as the point of contact for the island and using the 2005 AIPC West Side Master Plan as a roadmap for re-development. Among the first to be given consideration for the property are homeless service providers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations – representatives from which were well represented during the presentation and accompanying trolley tour. Following her own brief remarks, Dolen, who sits as one of nine exofficio members of the AIRPA, introduced the group’s new property reuse coordinator, Julie Oakley, who outlined the next steps in the process. According to Oakley, interested
See “Navy” on pg. 20
Last Dance at Astors’ By Andrea E. McHugh NEWPORT, R.I. – Marking the end of era, the last couple to celebrate their wedding at Astors’ Beechwood Mansion this past Saturday evening closed a nearly 30-year chapter in the revered property’s public history. Not long afterWilliam Backhouse Astor, Jr. (grandson of John Jacob Astor) purchased Beechwood, one of Bellevue Avenue’s most esteemed residences, in 1881, he commissioned famed architect William Morris Hunt to renovate the already splendid manse. Boasting 19,000-square feet, a gilded ballroom and rolling lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the 39-room mansion became an idyllic setting for “The Mrs. Astor’s” many social engagements. A century later, in 1981, Robert Milligan bought the property with a partnership and opened Astors’ to the public for tours, performances and private celebrations, chief among them, weddings, welcoming thousands of visitors through their grand doors year after year. Milligan married his wife, Lace, at the mansion and in 2008, Mr. Milligan’s son Chris, tied the knot there as well. This past January, however, billionaire software magnate and avid sailor Lawrence J. Ellison purchased Beechwood for $10.5 million. Milligan was able to honor contracted weddings through the agreed upon date. For countless couples world-
Astors’ Beechwood has been one of Newport’s most popular wedding destinations for years. The 19,000-square foot manse was purchased earlier this year by Silicon Valley billionaire and America’s Cup syndicate head Larry Ellison.
wide, Astors’ Beechwood will always be the treasured site where they spent their first day as man and wife. “Over the 30 years, we’ve had such incredible employees who have enriched our lives and contributed to amazing, memorable moments for thousands of people,” remarked Lace. She predicts the Ellisons will be “wonderful homeowners and great ambassadors for this beautiful community.” The Milligans also say, looking back, that they are proud of establishing the Beechwood Foundation during their tenure, which shared improvisational theater workshops and music and dancing events with the public. “We are filled with excitement about the new chapter of Beechwood,” says Lace, adding with a sentimental intonation, “We’ll always have a place in our heart for this incredible, historical home.
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NEWPORT — Over the past two months, there have been several meetings regarding “issues along Broadway” and beyond. Concerns over unlawful behavior, including panhandling, public intoxication and loitering were explored as well as heartfelt discussions about the less fortunate individuals who walk a steady a path, daily up and down Broadway. At the most recent meeting, led by Stephen Brady a commercial property owner on Broadway, he began by saying; “Our neighborhood has had its precious street overtaken. The stories I’ve heard over the past three or four weeks have opened my eyes, even wider. I don’t have all the answers, the stories are so detailed and true to heart, we have to try to make some changes.” In order to explain how some of those changes might be facilitated Municipal Judge Russell Jackson, the City Solicitor, Joe Nicholson and the City Manager, Ed Lavallee, were in attendance. Mr. Nicholson cited a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court case where anti-loitering laws were deemed unconstitutional. However, he said drinking and sleeping in public remains illegal in Newport. Judge Jackson said that, as it regards repeat offenders, the municipal court has created a “Diversion Program” which directs individuals to work with representatives from Newport County Community Mental Health , CODAC or Turning Ministries. When City Manager Edward F. Lavallee addressed the roomful of residents, he commented; “What you’re doing here is laudable. Symptoms have to be dealt with for those who are creating this difficult situation. We need to look at increasing enforcement and penalties proportional to the offenses. There are a small number of people who are compromising the majority.” Also in attendance were four city
See “Broadway” on page 15
TO GO BROADWAY MEETING WHAT: Neighborhood meeting on Broadway WHEN: TUESDAY, AUG. 9 at 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Newport Police Station All meetings are free and open to anyone who has questions or concerns regarding the Broadway corridor. To follow this story, visit us at www.Newport-Now.com.