Local News

PUBLISHED: Thursday, July 24, 2008
Permit process foils store’s plan for outdoor entertainment

One-man mime act moved inside; others up in the air.

By Catherine Kavanaugh
Daily Tribune Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — Noir Leather owner Keith Howarth said he has been hiring street performers to entertain outside his business since June 10, when he initiated the Take Back Tuesdays promotion to liven up the “deadest” shopping day downtown.
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However, this week’s show — a one-man mime act — almost was squelched by police. Now, the future of Howarth’s promotion is in question.
Mime Russ Taylor, who performs as Satori Circus, ended up putting on his 45-minute act inside Noir Leather, 124 W. Fourth St., after Howarth learned he could be ticketed, fined up to $500 and even go to jail for violating the city’s special event permit ordinance.

Howarth said he obtained the eight-page application Monday for the $125 permit, but the review process can take 30 days and by then his plans for offering summer entertainment will be thwarted.

“All I’m trying to do is bring a hip vibe to Royal Oak, make it a little like New York,” Howarth said. “I really wasn’t aware I needed a permit. Tuesdays are the deadest days here. Wednesdays and Thursdays we get 300 motorcycles and I can’t have one mime.”

Local officials learned about the mime act and Take Back Tuesdays promotion from an e-mail sent out by the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce. City Commissioner Michael Andrzejak asked police to investigate.

“We were pre-emptive and told the business owner ahead of time that if he was doing anything on the sidewalk he needs a permit,” Police Chief Ted Quisenberry said.

Police officers then checked out the performance Tuesday evening and filed a report.

“He did modify the event and moved it indoors,” Quisenberry said. “As far I know nothing ticket-able happened.”

City officials can be sticklers about granting special event requests and they want to have the requests at least 30 days in advance.

“The city needs to be consistent, and even-handed, in the enforcement of the special event permit process,” Andrzejak said. “Mr. Howarth is a longtime and valued Royal Oak business owner. He is well aware of what is required to hold his special event Tuesday promotions. Any business owner or special event promoter who thinks they don’t need permission or a permit to use the public right of way is just plain arrogant or ignorant, or both.”

The production staff of “Prayers for Bobby,” a movie shot for the Lifetime cable network earlier this summer, learned how strict Royal Oak is about the ordinance when they had to be squeezed on to a May budget meeting agenda. The meeting was one day before they wanted to block off downtown parking spaces for filming outside Pronto! and two weeks before they needed to close Washington Avenue to recreate a 1980s gay pride parade with 1,000 movie extras.

After complaining about the proper process being bypassed, commissioners approved the permit for PFB Productions with a 6-1 vote.

“There have been exceptions, but applicants have to make the effort to have something done on short notice,” police Lt. Corrigan O’Donohue said. “We’ve got these rules so we know what’s going on and can be ready for anything.”

Howarth, who is celebrating his 25th year in business, said time isn’t on his side. The City Commission isn’t meeting again until Aug. 4 so he can’t request an exception to the 30-day rule before his next street performers, roller derby cheerleaders called the Motor City Rah Rahs, are scheduled to appear Tuesday.

“They were supposed to cheer outside and maybe make a pyramid,” Howarth said. “I guess I’ll have them come inside, too.”

Howarth said the city should have a faster, more flexible permit process for small-scale events.

“It doesn’t let businesses have any creativity,” he said. “We need a process that isn’t so cumbersome and involved. Sometimes I’m only booking the acts two weeks in advance.”

The mime drew a crowd of about 25 people, according to Howarth. On past Tuesdays, he said he has paid $40 to $150 for various entertainers, such as Wolfman Mac, the host of a horror movie show who signed autographs outside Noir Leather; Skin and Bones, a guitarist and drummer who beats on a suitcase; and Fraulein Cornelia, who told fortunes.

“The acts weren’t getting much attention so I went to the chamber hoping to get a little publicity,” Howarth said.