Brookline Community Center for the Arts (BCCA) Entertainment License Update – May 3, 2004:

Last Tuesday, April 27, the BCCA was granted a temporary Entertainment license by the City of Brookline. This license that is so valuable to our continuance was granted in part because of your support letters and presence at the hearing, and we wish to thank you for the important roles you play in the BCCA arts community and the community at large. The license allows us to continue to bring fun and cultural events to Coolidge Corner. The stipulations of this license require that we maintain stricter closing hours (with regards to performances and events, as opposed to classes and workshops) for a 3-month period, and we need your help in adhering to these new guidelines. As a license requirement, BCCA had to pass all of its final building, fire, electrical, health, and safety inspections, as required by our commercial zoning classification of a school/educational institution. We are happy to say that on Friday, April 30, we passed our last inspection, and wish to thank the contributors who have helped us complete the challenging process of rendering the building into a modern arts facility. We look forward to continuing to improve our facility, and intend to purchase it by mid July 2004.

The BCCA's new closing hours are as follows:

Sunday – Wednesday: 11:00 p.m.
Thursday: 12:00 a.m.
Friday & Saturday: 1:00 a.m.

We ask that all BCCA patrons vacate the premises by these closing times, and we thank you in advance for your cooperation. Patrons should make sure to quietly arrive and departure from the BCCA, and avoid socializing outside the center’s doors. This will ensure that the extent of our evening activities shall be confined to the center’s interior with no disturbances to the nearby neighbors. Please remember that parking for the BCCA is available in nearby metered public lots and non-residential, metered spots only.

During our 1st year of operation we have held over 150 events until 2 a.m. and about 400 events in total, which have resulted in very few disturbances to neighbors. BCCA is fully committed to learn from past mistakes and improve its management of events to minimize future disturbances. We would like to thank you for your enthusiastic and considerate patronage this past year and hope that we increase our activities, the neighborhood’s participation in them, and your satisfaction.

It is important to note that until recently the town had unofficially allowed us to hold our events without an Entertainment license, but after the town and the BCCA management conducted a thorough review of the town and state laws governing the right to hold events, it was found that although we are a non-profit organization, we indeed need a license for many types of events that play a major role in BCCA’s mission and the culture it promotes. In that respect, we would like to thank the Town of Brookline for having had the privilege of holding our many past events and for its continued support of our endeavors, and hope we can increase our role in providing new/needed educational, artistic, and entertainment services to Brookline and surrounding towns. BCCA events are open to and have been attended by members of all ages and of many cultural backgrounds, and we strive to be a fun, welcoming, family oriented, educational and cultural venue.

Please E-Mail me at dan_y_marshall@bccaonline.com with any questions, suggestions, and positive/negative feedback, or call (617) 970-1444 to speak to me directly. It is important that we know of and address your wishes and concerns so we can consistently improve our services and offerings, and become a well-knit part of the community. Although last week’s hearing is over, we ask that you keep writing your support letters or get involved at a higher capacity if possible, so that we can establish a solid support structure and well-known and respected track record by the time our review hearing occurs in July. If all goes well, we should receive a more permanent and accommodating Entertainment license. To learn more about BCCA, you may log onto www.BCCAonline.com, call (617) 738-2800, or visit us at 14 Green Street, Coolidge Corner, Brookline.

Best regards and wishes,

Dan Yonah Marshall, Artistic Director & Co-Founder.