Northampton's Green Street Cafe, in legal battle with Smith College, gains 3,000 petition signers

The Springfield Republican, Oct. 23, 2009
By Nancy Gonter
ngonter@repub.com

NORTHAMPTON - The owners of the Green Street Cafe, which is engaged in a legal battle with its landlord, Smith College, have collected more than 3,000 signatures in support of their restaurant. Owner John A. Sielski said he and his co-owner and spouse, James Dozmati, started the petition drive because they wanted to know if there was support in the community and to let people know their business is still open. Green Street Cafe has been open since 1990, except for eight months in 2007. The owners lease the location at 62-68 Green St. from Smith College. The owners intend to present the petition to Mayor Mary Clare Higgins, or her opponent, Michael A. Bardsley, should he win on Nov. 3, to enlist the city’s support in their battle with the college. The business has sued Smith College in Superior Court, claiming that Smith breached the lease agreement by closing a 16-space parking lot leased by the cafe on Arnold Street. Smith filed suit in July in Northampton District Court seeking to evict the cafe because it has withheld rent. Green Street Cafe has not paid its rent since April except for $650 in August, but Sielski said the money is being placed in escrow. The five-year lease, signed in August 2007, calls for the cafe to pay between $2,409 and $2,928 a month for the 2,436-square-foot restaurant space, plus $650 for the parking lot. Smith argues the commercial lease does not allow rent to be withheld, according to court documents. Kristin A. Cole, Smith College spokeswoman, declined to comment because of the ongoing legal issues. Sielski said he and Dozmati knew that their customers were supportive, but wanted to gauge public support. “The main reason was Jim and I felt we needed some support. We were feeling quite alone out here except for our customers, who we know love us,” Sielski said. Sielski and Dozmati hired two young men to work on the petition campaign in downtown Northampton. They will continue to work up until the Nov. 3 election. They were amazed at their success. “They said it was easy. All they had to do is say ‘Green Street Cafe’ and people wanted to sign,” Sielski said. Sielski said he is scheduled to meet with Smith College students on Sunday and said more information about the cafe’s efforts can be found at greenstreetcafe.blogspot.com. Much of the drama started in 2003 when Smith College began working on plans for a $73-million science center nearby. Sielski and Dozmati believed the construction process would hurt their business. While the case in Superior Court has no dates scheduled, the district court case is scheduled for a status review on Nov. 5.
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