Pawtucket City Hall

I just got back, the Pawtucket zoning board was deliberating well past 10:30. Nothing will take the starch out of your sails like a four hour zoning board meeting. I’ll try to write about it– condensed version–tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I’d like to re-run an earlier post on the Center, and the innuendos via email that put their planned opening in Pawtucket in limbo. So here’s Citizens Against Pleasure and Health. I got to meet Megan, and discovered that I know her mother-in-law from church. Only in Rhode Island, huh?

Tara Hurley has details of the hearing on her blog, Happy Endings.

THE MORNING AFTER: Since reporting for our blog is a labor of love I have to go to my real job today. But I woke up with some impressions of the deliberations. First of all, don’t think Pawtucket has any problems with sex. They’re fine with that. It’s education they’re worried about. The zoning office is vigilant in protecting the public from any threat that education might be performed in a commercial space. Unless it’s a stand-alone building. It’s easy to see why they need to ensure that a business such as Flying Shuttles never advertises a knitting class, because a dozen or so people walking into the office for an hour or so every week might cause…well it’s technical. Ask the zoning board.

Megan Andelloux admitted in writing her intent to practice education. That ended up being focused on with laser-like intensity, for what seemed like hours. Unless they re-write the code, or allow a variance, the board will stand by the principle that any number of empty store fronts in the downtown is preferable to–education.