Reading City Council has deferred action on proposed legislation that would ban events on city properties under construction, including the Pagoda.
The proposal introduced by Council President Donna Reed at the June 23 meeting would prohibit people and vehicles from accessing city-owned property during construction.
No permits for events or gatherings, whether public or private, would be approved on city-owned property during construction activities. The proposal includes penalties for violations.
Reed, who sits on the board of the Foundation for the Reading Pagoda, has said the intent is to protect the safety of the public and contractors.
City Managing Director Jack Gombach says Mayor Eddie Moran’s administration does not support the measure and reiterated that position Monday during council’s committee of the whole meeting.
“What this bill does not do is add enforcement. It does not give us additional support,” he said. “What it does do is create complications throughout the city.”
The decision to close sites for public safety should be at the administration’s prerogative, Gombach said, and should not be legislated by council.
“We looked into the matter, even to see if the call volume (indicated) if there are legitimate issues,” he said. “It does not warrant it up at the Pagoda.”
Gombach said police presence at the Pagoda has been increased due to the construction. Police reported two trespassing incidents at the site in May and two in June, he said, noting no incidents were reported thus far in July.
Councilman Jaime Baez Jr., who represents District 2, has criticized the proposed legislation.
The proposal, he said, was introduced soon after community arts group Barrio Alegría announced a free yoga class in the Pagoda parking lot and is aimed at the primarily Latino organization.
Council members, including Reed, he said, made no objections to the annual Pagoda Hillclimb car race held June 24 and 25.
Reed said she asked Barrio to cancel the class due to the potentially hazardous conditions at the site, but the group had received a permit for the June 25 event and decided to proceed as planned.
Citing a June 22 breach of the Pagoda scaffold by trespassers, Reed said the intent of the measure is not to limit any specific group but is simply a matter of public safety.
Marcia Goodman Hinnershitz, a former city councilwoman who also sits on the Pagoda foundation board, praised groups such as Barrio for bringing innovative ideas and events to the site atop Mount Penn.
But now is not the time for events, she said Monday at council’s regular meeting.
Goodman Hinnershitz said she reached out to the organizers of the recent hill climb and yoga class with her safety concerns.
“The Pagoda is undergoing extensive renovations, and for this time, we need to put safety first and be able to really listen to the guidance of the construction company, Dolan Construction, that the city has contracted with,” she said.
Dolan brought concerns about the security of the construction site to the foundation, she said, circulating photographs of youths climbing on the scaffold.
Damage to the scaffold from trespassers could imperil the construction workers, she said, urging the city to secure the site.
The foundation, she said, wrote to Moran, outlining suggested guidelines for securing the site during construction.
Pagoda Open During Construction Guidelines 2025
Jose Miranda, president of the foundation, said the organization supports events at the Pagoda, such as the hill climbs and yoga class, but it is concerned about safety at the active construction site.
“That could be anybody’s children up and on scaffolding,” he said. “And that’s what we’re trying to eliminate.”
Miranda called on the city to temporarily prohibit access until the construction is finished.
Several city residents spoke during the meeting and urged council not to pass the measure.
Lisa Gonzalez Ocasio said she and her husband attended the yoga event and found it to be safe, peaceful and beautifully done.
“It was calm, healing and exactly the kind of community event we should be encouraging,” she said. “This bill would unfairly penalize groups for our use of space responsibly and adds unnecessary restrictions on residents who simply want to enjoy public areas safely.”
James Mara said the bill would restrict parking at any city property undergoing construction, a prospect he finds troubling.
As written, he noted, the measure would restrict parking and access throughout all of City Park should work be undertaken at the bandshell or elsewhere in the park.
Xiomara Guerrero said she finds the bill’s intent to be responsible and reflective of legitimate concerns but called for language refinements to enhance clarity, scope and fairness and minimize confusion and inconsistent enforcement.
“A blanket prohibition on all public and private gatherings may unintendedly exclude residents who rely on these spaces for casual recreation, ceremonies and community engagement,” she said.
No action was taken on the measure.
Source: Berkshire mont