Syracuse Common Council revokes Westcott Theater’s special use permit
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Syracuse Common Council unanimously voted to revoke the Westcott Theater’s special use permit in its regular Monday meeting.
Councilor Jimmy Monto introduced a vote on Westcott Theater’s permit, which has allowed it to operate as an entertainment venue within a neighborhood since 2008. Without the permit, the theater must apply for a new one, but it may not comply with its after-hours parties and lack of security due to neighborhood zoning restrictions.
“This vote is not about (being) against the arts or against having a theater at this location,” Council President Rita Paniagua said. “It is about ensuring that a venue we value also lives up to the responsibility to the community and around it.”
Before voting, Councilor Donna Moore called for discussion on the item, voting to revoke the permit because of the evidence presented at the council’s Sept. 21 hearing, not the ongoing lawsuit filed by Westcott Theater owner Daniel Mastronardi and the city of Syracuse.
WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT
What to know about the opposing sides of Westcott Theater’s permit conflict
Westcott Theater owner Dan Mastronardi says the city’s attempts to revoke the entertainment venue’s operational capability are a violation.
Mastronardi sued the city and Ryan Shiel, director of code enforcement in the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, after they denied an event license and temporarily closed the venue. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Paniagua said the Westcott vote “has not been an easy decision,” and that the council made sure to hear from people from all sides of the matter.
“Nobody wants to close the theater, we just need to make sure that what’s happening inside the walls of the theater is safe for the guests, as well as the neighborhood,” Paniagua told The Daily Orange.
Monto added that the issues in the lawsuit deal with the city’s permitting process, rather than the Westcott Theater’s special use permit.
Councilor Marion Nave voiced his concerns about citizens’ safety during the discussion.
The theater has been the site of a stabbing in August as well as a shooting last year, though Mastronardi denies association with either.
“All citizens of the city of Syracuse have a right to peaceful, safe, clean neighborhoods,” Nave said.
The council also voted 8-1 to approve the opening of a “smoking establishment” on North Salina Street.
Nave spoke against the item, explaining the establishment would be the third on the street and said there are a lot of people living in poverty in this area.
“I have nothing against this establishment,” Nave said. “ I do not know the owner, I do not know the applicant, but I have to remember and think (of) those who I represent on this common council, who are those in need, who are those that are struggling with their addictions.”
Other business:
- The council unanimously passed an agreement with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services to provide $50,000 to help with costs of the Police Activity League Program.
- The council unanimously passed an agreement with Friends Forever Animal Rescue, in an amount to not exceed $35,000, to help victims of animal abuse to receive vet care and housing.
- The council unanimously approved a special permit for a new restaurant on Park Street.
Contributing Photographer Logan Weyant contributed reporting to this story.
