I am writing in regards to the pending fines set to be imposed on the Greenfield Garden Cinema as of July 19 for non-compliance in electric wheelchair access.
I’m, of course, not privy to all the details, but from the article I read in the Greenfield Recorder, it seems that the owners, George Gohl and Bill Gobeille, have made more than a good-faith effort to comply with the codes of the ADA. I’m not acquainted with these men, but I know that a small-town movie house is a tough business in 2019.
The cinema serves as one of the anchor businesses in a western Massachusetts downtown that is, frankly, struggling, with many shuttered storefronts. A closed movie theater, unlikely to open again while accruing $1,000 per day in fines, would be a major blow to a town that is struggling to put its best face forward.
No one is disputing the efficacy of the ADA in providing justice in access for millions of people across our country. But its requirements can create great challenges for small businesses like this one. I’m sure no one, whether fully abled or not, wants to see someone lose their livelihood, nor a community one of its centers when some concessions could be made in terms of compliance dates.
While I don’t live in Greenfield any more, I have resided there for long periods over the course of my life and it’s the county seat for my current home in Sunderland. I look at it as ‘my hometown’ as much as anywhere I’ve lived. Based on the information available to me, I’m asking on behalf of myself and I’m sure, many residents of the county that the board grant further extension to the Garden’s owners.
Christopher Devine
Sunderland