Recording studio receives OK in Reidsville

The Reidsville City Council voted at its Tuesday night meeting to allow a recording studio to open in downtown Reidsville.

The council’s 4-2 vote in favor of the text amendment allowing music production and recording in the “central business, general business and highway business districts” came despite protests from downtown merchants during the public hearing.

“I just don’t think downtown is the best place for it,” said Jeff White, who owns Samples & More and White on White Accessories in downtown Reidsville with his wife Debbie. “We feel like there needs to be more retail downtown rather than studios and offices that don’t bring foot traffic.”

White brought to the council meeting a petition with the names of 28 people, mainly downtown merchants, who oppose bringing a recording studio to the central business district. Bill Davis, owner of Reidsville Bicycles on South Scales Street, signed the petition and spoke in opposition to bringing the recording studio to downtown Reidsville at the council meeting. He said the downtown merchants are working to make downtown a “destination” for shoppers.

“What we really need is something that’s going to drive traffic to our central shopping district,” said Davis.

Mason King, a member of the Downtown Merchants’ Association and owner of Swann Paint Co., said he is a “lover of all types of music” and would’ve supported a text amendment to allow music recording in the general business and highway districts, but he doesn’t think a recording studio fits into the business atmosphere of downtown Reidsville.

Donna Setliff, Reidsville’s assistant director of community development, told council members that the recording studio would not be the only non-retail business in the downtown area.

“We have offices and we have other types of studios that are allowed downtown, like for instance art studios and dance studios, so this is not the first type of studio that we do have,” said Setliff. She said the planning board chairman commented that the downtown needs “well-rounded uses” rather than just retail uses. The planning board recommended the text amendment, with 7 voting for the amendment and 2 voting against it.

Gary Purcell, who made the request to open the recording studio downtown, told the council that the studio will provide a service that will keep money in the community because it will bring recording artists to Reidsville and keep local artists from traveling out of town to do their professional recordings.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of artists and people seeking to do audio recording have to travel outside of our city,” said Purcell. He said some of the artists are not able to travel outside the area to do their audio recordings and they need the use of a local “professional studio” to create a “professional sound.”

One downtown merchant — Ronald Wheeler, owner of Scales Street Music, said he believes the recording studio will help his business because it would bring people in the music industry to downtown Reidsville. He said the recording artists would most likely eat at the downtown restaurants and visit the other downtown businesses while in town.

“I think it would help us all,” said Wheeler.

Mayor Pro Tem Donald Gorham also said he believes the recording studio will enhance business in downtown Reidsville.

“He (Purcell) is a good neighbor and I believe that he will direct people to the retail stores,” he said.

But Mary Nahas, owner of the Downtown Crafters Mall, and her husband John, pleaded with city council to vote against bringing more non-retail venues to downtown.

“If we don’t start thinking about what we’re putting in these buildings and bringing in the correct business that’s going to bring the shoppers with the kind of money that’s going to help keep my business afloat, we won’t be here long,” said Nahas.

Councilman Clark Turner, the city’s liaison for the Reidsville Downtown Merchants’ Association, acknowledged the merchants’ concerns and voted against the text amendment to allow music production and recording in the central business district.

“I feel that we need to promote commercialism for the downtown area rather than individual office space,” he said. Councilwoman Joan Zdanski also voted against the text amendment.

A stipulation of the text amendment allowing the operation of the recording studio is that sound associated with music recording will not be audible from any property line. White told the council that he spoke with Glenn Denny, owner of G&D Recording Studio in Eden, and Denny told him that there is no way he can keep all the sound from his musical recordings within the walls of his studio. Purcell addressed the concerns about the recording studio causing a noise disturbance.

“The nature of that business is that you couldn’t run your business without putting sound installation in. It has to be kept to a standard where you can keep sounds out. It works both ways. The sounds that you are creating inside your business can’t go outside,” said Purcell.

Gary Doss, owner of the Rockingham Theatre, raised concerns about the recording studio bringing unsavory characters to downtown Reidsville’s wholesome environment.

“A lot of these people (entertainers) want to be superstars. I look at the mess they leave me,” said Doss. “I don’t want to see people hanging around downtown waiting to see Mr. Purcell and leaving a mess on the sidewalks.”

Richard Frohock, chairman of the Reidsville Human Relations Commission, said Purcell, who is an ordained minister, has the reputation of being very “community-oriented.” He said Purcell has held the position of secretary of the Reidsville Ministerial Alliance and brought in musicians for special concerts while serving on the Human Relations Commission.

“I think that the man’s reputation and service within the community over the past several years speaks for itself,” said Frohock.

“The type of entertainers and folks that he was able to draw (for the concerts) is a testamentary to his character and his reputation amongst that profession.”

Purcell did not specify the location of the building that will house his recording studio.