The question may sound ludicrous, but at least for now, that's how it's playing out in Raleigh. Monday, December 14th, our Board of Adjustment ruled that the Little Lake Hill house concert series that Bett Padgett has run for a decade or more, with upwards of nine concerts or more a year, is a "business" and, thus, prohibited in a residential area. You can read all about it here. Like Bett points out somewhere on her website, if it is a business, it's a fairly lousy one, as the owner makes no money from it and doesn't require payment. What kind of a business is that?
For now, what allows me to proceed is that I have only two concerts scheduled for next year. Apparently, under the City Code, you have to have more than three such events to be denominated a business. That doesn't make a lot of sense, but for now, we're legal! Let's hope the city's code is amended to remove this ambiguity that would prohibit not only house concerts but possibly other non-offending uses in residential areas as well.
I hope to see you on January 22nd for the Jill Paquette concert! Please make your reservation.
Remember, you can always recruit one or two of your most enthusiastic "regulars" to host a show in THEIR home. You set it up, like usual, or maybe with their input, and simply host the event in a different living room once in a while.
The change of setting could diversify/expand your future audience, and provide a refreshing change for those who've become accustomed to your usual setting.
Fran
concertsinyourhome.com
Posted by: Fran Snyder | 12/28/2009 at 12:52 PM