DC Neighborhoods / Discuss

Photos by Chip Py    says:

I am a longtime resident of Silver Spring. Back in the mid nineties through
my involvement with the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and what
was then called the Silver Spring Urban District, I participated in many of
the activities leading up to the development of the new Downtown Silver
Spring.

I have many hobbies and one of them is Photography. One could describe the
kind of pictures that I take as ³Urban Landscape². Through the popular
photography website Flickr, I participate in a photography group known as
³DC Neighborhoods² where we pick a neighborhood, photograph its character
and ambiance, and then post it to this site to share with the group and
others.

This past Tuesday, I went to downtown Silver Spring, had lunch, and then
took out my camera and standing on Ellsworth Avenue, I began taking shots of
the buildings with the blue sky and clouds as a backdrop. Almost
immediately, a security guard approached and told me ³there was no picture
taking allowed in Downtown Silver Spring.² What do you mean² I said, ³I am
on a city street, in a public place, taking pictures is a right that I have
protected by the first amendment.² The guard told me to report to the
management office.

There, Stacy Horan informed me that Downtown Silver Spring including
Ellsworth Avenue is private property, not a public place, and subject to the
rules of the Peterson Companies. They have a no photography policy to
³Protect them from people who might want to use the photographs as part of a
story in which they could write bad things about us.² And she told me that
many of the chain stores in Downtown Silver Spring don¹t what their
³concepts² to be photographed for security reasons. There was also a concern
that I might sell my photographs and that is not allowed. I told her that I
was well aware of my rights to take pictures on public property, any
pictures that I take I have a right to sell, and questioned how they could
have a policy that limits our individual rights when Downtown Silver Spring
was built with public money.

I found out later that it is true Ellsworth Avenue was turned over to
Peterson Companies through the process of condemnation.

So now I¹m wondering: If this is a $1.2 billion public/private investment as
stated in Tuesday¹s New York Times article about the downtown renaissance,
where do the public¹s rights end and the private corporations policies
takeover?? In discussing this with fellow Silver Spring residents I have
been told that we are not allowed to campaign, petition or protest in
Downtown Silver Spring. These are basic American values, true to our
beliefs, and in the Downtown Silver Spring they are banned?? In this age of
eroding individual rights should the people of Silver Spring accept this??

It is my understanding that the county continues to spend public funds
promoting Downtown Silver Spring and I wouldn¹t discourage this, but I think
that the county should have a conversation with the Peterson Companies about
their policies in regards to these basic American values and freedoms.

I don¹t think that the people of this county are willing to trade their
rights of free speech or the right to petition assemble and protest in their
own downtown for a Starbucks or a Potbelly¹s.
Originally posted at 9:29AM, 14 June 2007 PDT (permalink)
Photos by Chip Py edited this topic 60 months ago.