A Portland arts committee has given the go-ahead for a temporary memorial to the six victims of last year’s Noyes Street fire, but backers of the memorial were surprised by some of the city’s conditions.
Family members and others want the light sculpture to be hung from a Linden tree in Longfellow Park, not far from the site of the fire at 20-24 Noyes St.
The city’s Temporary Art Review Panel approved the installation of the “Stars of Light” from Nov. 1 for three months, but the committee of relatives and others who have been working to raise money for the memorial had asked for five months. The city also said that the sculpture – six diamond shapes made up of small blue lights with a white orb in the center – could be lit from dusk until 9 p.m. The committee had asked for it to be on from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The city is also passing most of the costs of extending electricity to the site on to the committee.
Ashley Summers, whose husband, Steven Summers, died from injuries suffered in the blaze, said Friday night that she’s not sure why the city adopted the restrictions.
Summers said the committee would have to meet to consider its options, although she’s pleased the permit is in place for the Nov. 1 first-year anniversary of the fire.
The light sculpture was created by a well-known Maine artist, Pandora LaCasse. Summers said it cost about $6,000 and organizers have raised another $1,000 for it to be installed, along with money to cover some of the costs of running electricity to the park.
Some neighborhood residents had opposed running electricity to Longfellow Park without any sort of public meeting.
Portland spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said she doesn’t believe there’s a process for appealing the permit, but she said the memorial committee could seek an extension of the permit. If they want the sculpture to become a permanent fixture, Grondin said, it would require a more lengthy procedure.
Summers said the memorial committee would need to decide whether to pursue that option.
“That’s something we’re looking into for the future,” Summers said, although she added that would require more fundraising for longer-range support of the sculpture.
David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
dhench@pressherald.com
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