The following petition can be signed in person at the Green Street Cafe, or emailed directly to the Mayor's office at City Hall. Just copy and paste the petition into the email and include your name and address. Voters have power!
Email to Mayor Mary Clare Higgins:
mayor@northamptonma.gov
“We request the Mayor of the city of Northampton to help save a longstanding member of the business community and a good neighbor, the Green Street Café that is facing closure due to the actions of Smith College. The Green Street Café has contributed to the Northampton community for more than 25 years by providing vital jobs, serving as a community gathering place and also as a well regarded restaurant. The closure of the Green Street Café would signal further deterioration of the neighborhood that is in serious need of attention by the City of Northampton, thus our appeal to the Mayor for assistance in keeping the restaurant open.”
Name Address Email
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Sophian Reports Struggle with Smith
Cafe, college struggle in damaging legal battle
By: Clare Lynch
Posted: 9/24/09
In the shadow of the newly constructed Ford Hall engineering building, embattled local restaurant Green Street Cafe is struggling to stay alive. Since April, owners of the cafe have been engaged in a pitched legal battle with Smith College, culminating in the college's recent suit to evict the restaurant over unpaid rent. The business stayed open in violation of a June 8 order to vacate, and in July, Smith filed for an eviction in Northampton District Court. Court documents quoted in the Daily Hampshire Gazette state owners John Sielski and Jim Dozmati owe at least $5,566 to Smith, which owns the Green Street property. Sielski confirmed that the cafe has not paid rent since April. "We didn't have the money," Sielski said. "They took away our ability to pay. We ran on fumes all summer."The current legal squabbles are a drastic change from the close relationship Green Street Cafe and Smith used to share. Faculty meetings, concerts, poetry readings and other collaborations were once a norm in the cafe, representing a strong and mutually enriching link between the college and the surrounding community.Tensions began in 2000, when Smith began purchasing commercial property in the Green Street area. In 2004, in advance of the Ford Hall project, Smith wanted the café to relocate and offered $65,000 to move the business. Sielski estimated the cost of reestablishing the cafe at $300,000. The cafe and the college next clashed over construction of Ford Hall. The project required shutting down the Arnold Avenue parking lot behind the cafe, as well as creating noise that harmed the cafe's atmosphere, Sielski said. Sielski and Dozmati sued the college to halt construction. In April, the judge acknowledged that the cafe would be affected by construction, but ruled that halting the project would damage Smith more. Construction continued, and the college arranged to reserve spaces for patrons and employees in a parking lot across the street from the cafe. Despite conciliatory measures by the college, Sielski said the Ford Hall construction crippled his business. The café did not get back their parking lot until August, Sielski said, and they had no parking during graduation weekend. "As soon as construction stopped and school came back, our business doubled," Sielski said. "But it's still not where we want it to be."Dinner reservations have dropped off significantly since the eviction notice, Sielski said. Now 80 percent of callers to the restaurant just wonder if the café is still open.In response, the cafe is courting more drop-in business, especially from students. The cafe has closed a banquet dining room to open a less formal breakfast and lunch option, called Fast Good. Fast Good offers coffee, pastries, soup, salad and sandwiches to go, free Wi-Fi and free student charge accounts. The cafe also has a lunchtime outdoor grill."We are working through a major change for our cafe," Sielski said. "We are going to shift our customer base, and do it quickly."While the cafe struggles to reinvent itself, the acrimonious legal disputes have caused discomfort on campus.Angela Rogan 'AC, who works in the cafe, said she can see both sides of the issue. "Smith as an institution has been very generous and nurtured me," she said. "I can say the same thing about Jim and John. My natural inclination is to fight for the underdog, but I can see Smith's side, too. It's tricky."Rogan and Sielski agreed that there is not much awareness among students of the cafe's troubles. Rogan said faculty are more attuned to the dispute."I see faculty more often siding with Smith, saying the restaurant is being uncooperative," Rogan said.Sielski said that most of his support has come from alumni, including monetary donations, letters of support and free legal and public relations counseling.One alumna, Florence resident Jan Carhart, even offered to pay Smith the outstanding rent to halt the eviction process. Smith declined, saying that was not a long-term solution, according to a Gazette article from July 21. Sielski admits he has little hope for the future of the cafe. "There's no winning," he said. Still, he cannot imagine a life beyond Green Street Cafe. "This is all we do," Sielski said. "If we don't have this, we're ruined.""We would always prefer a reasonable and amicable resolution," said Laurie Fenlason, Smith's Executive Director of Public Affairs, in an e-mail response. Fenlason did not elaborate on how such a resolution might be reached. Smith has no immediate plans for the Green Street location, Fenlason said.
© Copyright 2009 The Sophian
By: Clare Lynch
Posted: 9/24/09
In the shadow of the newly constructed Ford Hall engineering building, embattled local restaurant Green Street Cafe is struggling to stay alive. Since April, owners of the cafe have been engaged in a pitched legal battle with Smith College, culminating in the college's recent suit to evict the restaurant over unpaid rent. The business stayed open in violation of a June 8 order to vacate, and in July, Smith filed for an eviction in Northampton District Court. Court documents quoted in the Daily Hampshire Gazette state owners John Sielski and Jim Dozmati owe at least $5,566 to Smith, which owns the Green Street property. Sielski confirmed that the cafe has not paid rent since April. "We didn't have the money," Sielski said. "They took away our ability to pay. We ran on fumes all summer."The current legal squabbles are a drastic change from the close relationship Green Street Cafe and Smith used to share. Faculty meetings, concerts, poetry readings and other collaborations were once a norm in the cafe, representing a strong and mutually enriching link between the college and the surrounding community.Tensions began in 2000, when Smith began purchasing commercial property in the Green Street area. In 2004, in advance of the Ford Hall project, Smith wanted the café to relocate and offered $65,000 to move the business. Sielski estimated the cost of reestablishing the cafe at $300,000. The cafe and the college next clashed over construction of Ford Hall. The project required shutting down the Arnold Avenue parking lot behind the cafe, as well as creating noise that harmed the cafe's atmosphere, Sielski said. Sielski and Dozmati sued the college to halt construction. In April, the judge acknowledged that the cafe would be affected by construction, but ruled that halting the project would damage Smith more. Construction continued, and the college arranged to reserve spaces for patrons and employees in a parking lot across the street from the cafe. Despite conciliatory measures by the college, Sielski said the Ford Hall construction crippled his business. The café did not get back their parking lot until August, Sielski said, and they had no parking during graduation weekend. "As soon as construction stopped and school came back, our business doubled," Sielski said. "But it's still not where we want it to be."Dinner reservations have dropped off significantly since the eviction notice, Sielski said. Now 80 percent of callers to the restaurant just wonder if the café is still open.In response, the cafe is courting more drop-in business, especially from students. The cafe has closed a banquet dining room to open a less formal breakfast and lunch option, called Fast Good. Fast Good offers coffee, pastries, soup, salad and sandwiches to go, free Wi-Fi and free student charge accounts. The cafe also has a lunchtime outdoor grill."We are working through a major change for our cafe," Sielski said. "We are going to shift our customer base, and do it quickly."While the cafe struggles to reinvent itself, the acrimonious legal disputes have caused discomfort on campus.Angela Rogan 'AC, who works in the cafe, said she can see both sides of the issue. "Smith as an institution has been very generous and nurtured me," she said. "I can say the same thing about Jim and John. My natural inclination is to fight for the underdog, but I can see Smith's side, too. It's tricky."Rogan and Sielski agreed that there is not much awareness among students of the cafe's troubles. Rogan said faculty are more attuned to the dispute."I see faculty more often siding with Smith, saying the restaurant is being uncooperative," Rogan said.Sielski said that most of his support has come from alumni, including monetary donations, letters of support and free legal and public relations counseling.One alumna, Florence resident Jan Carhart, even offered to pay Smith the outstanding rent to halt the eviction process. Smith declined, saying that was not a long-term solution, according to a Gazette article from July 21. Sielski admits he has little hope for the future of the cafe. "There's no winning," he said. Still, he cannot imagine a life beyond Green Street Cafe. "This is all we do," Sielski said. "If we don't have this, we're ruined.""We would always prefer a reasonable and amicable resolution," said Laurie Fenlason, Smith's Executive Director of Public Affairs, in an e-mail response. Fenlason did not elaborate on how such a resolution might be reached. Smith has no immediate plans for the Green Street location, Fenlason said.
© Copyright 2009 The Sophian
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