Last dance for fireworks?

So, according to this report in today's Daily News, it's not the development at the Towle Bldg. per se that is the problem with firing off fireworks at Cashman Park, it's that carriage house they're moving from the Towle property over to the park.

Oh, the power of the blog. Thanks for clearing that up, Daily News.

Saving the carriage house was part of the deal the city made with the developer, according to ... can't find the story I wrote about it for the Current last year online. But here's what it said, in part:

With Planning Board approval the developer, First Republic Corporation of America, is closer to breaking ground for the seven buildings with 15 condominium units proposed for the site next to and behind the Towle Office Building, former location of the Towle Silver Factory. Three buildings with two units each will be closer to Merrimac Street to the west of the office building at the end of Tyng Street and four buildings with a total of nine units will be closer to the river. The plans also require the displacement of a historic carriage house, which will be moved into Cashman Park at the owner’s expense [see sidebar, Youth Services and Parks Commission get a space]. A clear line of sight to the river from Tyng Street will be maintained.

Most of the proposed units close to the river face the water but this one duplex will have a side view of the river and its rear will abut the park. All along the property line and down to the boat ramp are oversized parking spaces for boat trailers.

I don't know where they plan to put the carriage house in the park, but my guess is that they're now re-considering the location. Unless, of course, it is the condos that are the problem.

Where exactly do they shoot the fireworks from (never having been there at the time)? You've got condos to the east and now condos coming in to the west - and Jason Lacroix did say, in the first story, that it was the change to the parking lot that was the problem (some of the condos will be right up against the park, where I believe there is now a parking lot).

"This is truly unique, especially in light that there may not be any fireworks next Yankee Homecoming," Lacroix said. "With the change to the Towle building parking lot, there is not enough of a safety zone and there is no other place in Newburyport we could have them."

Did Jason mis-speak? Did Katie Curley mis-hear? Who knows? It is what it is.

Tom Salemi comments briefly on the fireworks and the "last bang" implications of the development here, btw. I agree with Tom - people should not be complaining.

I usually go down to Gloucester for the annual display, and I remember one year there was heavy overcast. It was actually kind of cool.