Keene Stadium Plan Strikes Out

``THIS FIELD OF DREAMS IS A MOVIE, IT'S NOT REAL LIFE, IT'S NOT REALISTIC. WE LIVE IN KEENE, WE WANT KEENE TO BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN. A BALL FIELD IS NOT GOING TO MAKE DOWNTOWN MORE VIABLE.'' (18 SECS)

KEENE RESIDENT JANET PATNODE'S PLEA TO CITY COUNCILORS WAS ECHOED MANY TIMES DURING THE HEARING. OF 68 SPEAKERS, TWO-THIRDS SPOKE AGAINST SOME PART OF THE PLAN. MOST OFTEN, THEY RAILED AGAINST BUILDING A STADIUM IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN.

KEENE RESIDENT TED PARENT:

``I'VE ALSO HEARD TALK ABOUT CONCERTS. DO WE REALLY THINK THAT STRING QUARTETS WILL BE PERFORMING THERE? OF COURSE NOT. IT'S GOING TO BE ROCK CONCERTS, COUNTRY MUSIC THOSE SORTS OF THINGS WILL BE VERY NOISY AND WON'T END AT 10 AT NIGHT.'' (16 SECS)

DEVELOPERS WANT TO BUILD A $17 MILLION SPORTS-OFFICE COMPLEX ON 10 ACRES OF ABANDONED LAND. THE PROJECT INCLUDES A 2,000-SEAT STADIUM, AN INDOOR ICE ARENA, 40 THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE (???I THINK THAT NUMBER’S RIGHT) AND A NEW YMCA.

FOR 3 HOURS THURSDAY NIGHT, A STEADY STREAM OF SPEAKERS MADE THEIR CASES FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSAL.

OPPONENTS CALLED THE STADIUM A WHITE ELEPHANT; BUT SUPPORTERS SAW IT AS A GIFT.

RESIDENT TOM COOK MOVED TO KEENE FROM CHICAGO. HE USED TO LIVE 4 BLOCKS FROM WRIGLEY FIELD.

``WRIGLEY FIELD ITSELF CENTERED RIGHT IN TOWN HAS A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY IT BUILDS AROUND IT. AND I FEEL THE STADIUM IN ITS PRESENT LOCATION WHERE T'S PROPOSED, WOULD ALSO GIVE KEENE SOME PLACE TO CONGREGATE AROUND. GRANTED, THERE MAY BE NOISE, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EITHER LEARN TO LIVE WITH OR GROW TO ACCOMMODATE.'' (21 SECS)

AFTER TAKING A VERBAL BEATING FROM OPPONENTS, THE DEVELOPERS RESPONDED. BILL O' MEARA IS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR MONADNOCK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

``IF AT THE POINT WE BEGIN THE STADIUM AND OUR NUMBERS DON'T WORK AND THE OBJECTIONS CAN'T BE MET, WE'LL DO THE INTELLIGENT THING. WE HAVE A TRACK RECORD ALSO OF DOING THE INTELLIGENT THING. OUR TRACK RECORD ALSO IS NOT TO DO A THING THAT'S CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC GOOD. THERE'S A LITTLE TRUST INVOLVED HERE. .AND WE'D LIKE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.'' (26 SECS).

CITY COUNCILORS LISTENED, BUT DIDN'T COMMENT AT THE PUBLIC HEARING. THEY'RE EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE PROPOSAL WITHIN A FEW WEEKS. IN KEENE, THIS IS CM FOR NHPR NEWS.