New Site Controversy

[isaacfawlkes]

I just came across this on Renaissance Magazines news feed.

http://queue.typepad.com/renaissance_faires/2009/02/golf-course-community-opposes-renaissance-fair-in-its-backyard-nc.html

Seems the residents of Wake Forest aren't happy that the Fair is coming to town.

Has anyone heard anything more about this.

[Ice Mage]

I know how this makes me feel personally, and I am practicing great restraint as a result.  Good info to know though.  I will ask that since this could be a potentially heated topic, that we all remain calm and collected in our responses to it.

-Ice Mage

[Carl Heinz]

This is, unfortunately, not uncommon.

When RPFN moved from Novato, CA, several new sites were explored.  IIRC, two were explored only to be followed by negative reactions from the local residents.  The faire eventually relocated to Vacaville, but that only lasted a few years.  It eventually moved to the Casa de Fruta site and has been reincarnated as the Northern California Renaissance Faire when REP decided not to continue it.

I think that most of the prejudice comes from the view that faire participants are just a bunch of hippies and drug problems will follow.  Not true.  It's a problem of educating the public.  RPFS participants are heavily weighted toward school teachers and computer professionals with a large number of history buffs.  There's a zero drug tolerance policy.

The event also has the responsibility of policing itself.  It only takes one negative event to damage and even destroy faire access to a site.  This is demonstrated by RPFS having to move from Devore to the current Santa Fe Dam site.

You either love faire or don't want it around and it doesn't take much for the folks who don't want a faire to win.

[Lady Mikayla of Phoenicia]

They don't want a Renaissance Faire due to fire concerns but they would welcome a fireworks display???  Los Alamitos Race Track in Southern California did firework displays until they burnt down a neighbors house!!!  I've never heard of a house burning down from a Renaissance Festival being held nearby, please somebody correct me if I am wrong!  OMG!!  *shakes head* *repeatedly*

[Dirtfarmer]

Everybody always wants their back yard to be an open nature area for their own personal use and when people rightfuly use it, they get all up in a tizzy.  The empty cans rattle the most and are normally the minority.  Frankly, they can suck it up for 2 weekends a year if this will give the faire management the area to develop a "real" site.  I will miss the old faire ground, it was very easy to work with a warm dry dorm to dress in and a building to retreat to if it rained, but this will be better for this faire in the long run... at least in my opinion.

[FireFaerie]

Sooo... according to all the comments posted after the article, no permits have actually been issued yet and no set-up has started other than a "clean-up"(?) last Saturday?

Is the faire on or off? Have the vendors been informed? Some come from as far as Maryland, and it would be pretty crappy for them to come all the way down here for nothing... There is nothing about this on the official site.

[Dirtfarmer]

I've read several different write ups in various Wake Forest area papers and it sounds like, from quotes of town permit officials, that getting the permit is pretty much a go.  It sounded like there were just a few i's to dot and t's to cross and it would be a done deal.  Mind you, this is just from what I have been able to read. I only have second hand word from people who have spoken to the managment.... and second hand word is almost worthless.

[Dirtfarmer]

something I just found...


http://www.wakeforestgazette.com/bm/news/faire-permit-still-not-issued.shtml

[Nailin]

There have been two articles published in the raleigh news and observer - also as of right now i have not heard any news on whether or not we have a permit to be there -

Renaissance Faire goes north
Unhappy Wake Forest neighbors protest: Surely you joust
David Bracken - Staff Writer
Published: Wed, Mar. 04, 2009

WAKE FOREST -- After 13 years at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in west Raleigh, the North Carolina Renaissance Faire is moving to the Wake Forest Golf Club off Capital Boulevard.

The fair's temporary arrival next month is the latest controversy to befall the now shuttered golf course, which was built in 1967 by four prominent Wake Forest families but has fallen on hard times in recent years. An organization representing six surrounding neighborhoods said it does not want a medieval festival with jousting, jesters and puppet shows in its backyard.  "To have something like this without any warning or discussion with the neighborhoods is sort of a slap in the face," said Bill Matzkevich, who lives in a Fairway Villas townhouse on the 18th green. "We want an open space or a golf course."

Joe Young, who owns the golf course, said the fair approached him about leasing the property.

"I think it will be good for the community," Young said. "I don't think it will be a hindrance to the property."

Wake Forest officials have told the fair it needs a temporary development permit from the town to conduct the event. The fair applied for the permit last week, and town planners have requested more details on parking and security before they approve it.

"I would say there's a good likelihood they're going to receive that permit," said Bill Summers, a town planner.

The fair is scheduled for the weekends of March 28 and 29 and April 4 and 5.

The Wake Forest Golf Club has been closed since November 2007. Young, who bought the course in 1984, has been trying to sell it for more than three years.

Neighbors have opposed several of Young's efforts to convert the property into a high-end residential development. They sued Young in 2007 to force him to reopen and maintain the 147-acre course until a buyer could be found. But they dropped the suit after Young abandoned plans to redevelop the property.

Last year, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners voted not to accept Young's offer to sell the town the golf course for $2.9 million.

Young said no one has shown any interest in buying the property and reopening it as a golf course.

"There's just not a market for that," he said.

Since closing, the course has been plagued by trespassing and vandalism. Young lets the Wake Forest Police train its canine units on the course.

Donna Varner-Sheaves, the Renaissance Faire's general manager, said the bucolic golf course is a better venue for the event than the more modern fairgrounds.

The fair, which operates as a nonprofit organization, had been in a dispute with the State Fairgrounds over how much it owed for last year's event. Varner-Sheaves said the dispute has been settled and that the bill should be paid soon. As of late last week, the Renaissance Faire owed $32,885.32.

Varner-Sheaves expects this year's fair to attract about 5,000 people a day from across North Carolina and neighboring states. The fair plans to use between seven and 10 acres of the course near its clubhouse for seven entertainment stages, sword play, and jousting atop horses.

The first and 18th holes will be used for parking, she said.

Matzkevich said his group is concerned about traffic, security and the possibility that fair attendees will end up roaming around in people's backyards.

Varner-Sheaves, who lives in Wake Forest, said she doesn't know what else she can do to appease surrounding property owners.

"We've tried to make as little impact on the community as possible," she said. "But they are not interested in any kind of compromise."

The fair eventually hopes to find a permanent home where it can fulfill its long-term goal: constructing a stone castle.

"We have pretty extensive plans for it," Varner-Sheaves said. "And we're super excited about it."

Summers, the town planner, said buying the golf course and building a castle on it is unlikely. The conditions of the planned unit development that includes the property requires that it remain either open space or a golf course, he said.

Varner-Sheaves said the fair hopes to find a permanent home in the Wake Forest area.

"I think it would be premature at this point to say that we're buying the golf course," she said. "But we are looking for property."

david.bracken@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4548



Residents to town: no faire
David Bracken - Staff Writer
Published: Wed, Mar. 11, 2009 12:30AM Modified Wed, Mar. 11, 2009 01:46AM

Residents who live near the Wake Forest Golf Club are circulating a petition that asks the town's leaders to toughen the application process for a temporary development permit. The move comes in response to the North Carolina Renaissance Faire's decision to hold its annual event at the closed Wake Forest Golf Club over the weekends of March 28 and 29 and April 4 and 5.The fair applied for a temporary development permit last month, and town planners say they are waiting for more details on parking and security before they can approve it. Fairness, not a handout Concerned Citizens for the Protection of Wake Forest Golf Course, an organization representing the six neighborhoods around the Wake Forest Golf Club, is circulating a petition that calls for the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners to approve all permits for events that exceed 500 people, are held more than one day, sell admission to the public and serve or sell alcohol.The renaissance fair's organizer expects this year's fair to attract upwards of 5,000 people a day.
As of Monday, 96 people had signed the online version of the petition. The group plans to present the petition to the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners at its March 17 meeting.

[Nailin]

wow i hadn't read that one dirtfarmer thanks for posting the link

[Master James]

Man it sounds like those people want their cake and eat it too.  I mean the faire only runs for TWO count them TWO weekends and then its gone for a WHOLE YEAR!  What is the darn problem here?  This is just insane!  I hope you guys can work this out and find a home.  Sadly I can't make it this year so have a good show.

[jdclos]

Folks,

Let me be the first to reassure you all that the permit HAS been issued by the town of Wake Forest and is in the hands of festival management.  The ONLY reason the permit had not been issued, up until now, is they were waiting on the insurance company who underwrites the faire to fax over all of the paperwork.  Once that was sent over, the permit was immediately issued.

There has been ongoing clean-up on the site since late January.  The saber-rattling of the residents is somewhat understandable given their disappointment in the closure of the Golf Course, but the Renaissance Faire is a legal use of property zoned as open space under the laws of Wake Forest and the permit was not in jeopardy.

Obviously, the town wanted reassurances as to parking plans, safety and security, and traffic flow, as well as layout, handicap access and so forth.  All of these issues were addressed and were to the satisfaction of the town several weeks ago.  Again, the delay in the permit was a papework issue and has been resolved.

See you all at the faire!

Kind Regards,
Jeremy Clos
Historical Director
North Carolina Renaissance Faire
www.ncrenfaire.com

[isaacfawlkes]

That is great news to hear. We need to get the word out to as many people as possible.

[Lady Mikayla of Phoenicia]

That is great news indeed!  Now let's hope we have great weather for both weekends of NCRF this year! 

[Master James]

Fantastic news indeed.  I only wish I could get there this year but alas I cannot.     Hope you all have a GREAT faire at the new site!

[Dirtfarmer]

Jim, just get in the car, turn the keys and hit the gas.... it is only a few hours after that.  VARF can live without you for a day.

Jeremy, thanks for the update!!!!

[Master James]

LOL if ONLY it were that easy my friend!  Wife works opening weekend and then I have new cast rehearsal the following weekend.  I'll be missing you guys!

[Benedict Browne]

Its been a couple of weeks since we closed the Faire for 2009.  I was wondering if any of the locals know of any further fallout from our two weeks of fun in Wake Forest?