Occupation site

[rwparkinson]

During the first or second OMF meeting there was some interest in establishing a Melbourne site of permanent occupation. Some in attendance appeared ready to go. But, we’ve been so busy the last few weeks the topic has not been mentioned again.

So, I guess the first question to answer is regarding participants: is there anyone interested and able to occupy Melbourne permanently?

If so, then perhaps we should propose a Permanent Occupation Working Group to look into legal issues, location, logistics, etc.

[evanne]

Direct Action could work on that. We have mostly been talking about marches bc lately that seems what people have been focusing on but a 24/7 occupation seems awesome! What was the potential site suggested?

[Solus Hospes]

If we choose to occupy, I would highly suggest finding a private owner of a lot or property/park who is willing to work with us. (Exchange maintenance of the property for the ability to occupy, etc) This will prevent the PD and Mayor from being able to contest our right to be there for any reason.

I say this because of the issues Occupy Orlando and other sites have been having including sabotage, semantic and unlawful arrests. If we can avoid this entirely it would be in our best interest for the more time we have to spend contending what ever situation, law, or what-have-you that is thrown at us, the less time we'll be spending trying to get our messages out there.

Just my personal suggestions/observations.

[James]

So, who owns where? I really like the park nestled between the Melbourne auditorium, Melbourne Library, and Holmes Regional, but that is probably owned by the city. It is also covered in birds and their feces. Either way it is a good place that gets lots of traffic and attention.

[Solus Hospes]

I will try to get that information through public records. Maybe look up local parks and then public records of deeds and what not. This weekend is going to be a bit smashed for me so maybe by the GA meeting? No promises.

[rwparkinson]

I think we should discuss this at the next GA. It would be great if there is already a WG (Direct Action?) who can take this on. Seems there are already many great ideas on how to make this happen. I guess this would be new business, so one of us should bring it up next Monday.

[James]

Should this thread be moved to the direct action board, at least for symbolic purposes? It might be less visible there, but I feel like this should be handled by the Direct Action WG.

[Solus Hospes]

I think that's a good idea, James. May I also inappropriately(here) ask if the "sign-up" threads in legal and Materials can be pinned, please? I tried to find a button or option myself but I'm either blind or don't have the ability.

[James]

Done! One in every WG board!?

[Solus Hospes]

You're awesome, thank you.

As for my part... I'm going to include my references just in case someone else would like to take a gander and add to the list. The more places we have to choose from, the greater the odds we will find someone willing to work with us.

I have not yet made calls, I was just gathering information. Before we ask any of these owners to use their property I'd like to know (estimate) how many people we have to start occupying and what sort of shelter-from-the-elements we might use. I'd like to paint an accurate picture for them so they can make an educated decision.

Possible Sites found through: www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/record.asp
Mapped on: Google Earth

Camp Options: Not in any actual order...

#1: 255 PALM BAY RD , WEST MELBOURNE 32904
Owned by: WEST MELBOURNE TOWN CENTER LLC
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2866043&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner


#2: 2 UNNUMBERED LOTS N & E OF LOTS 8 TO 16, SOUTH OF NEW HAVEN AVE & WEST OF BABCOCK ST EX RD R/W
Owned by: MELBOURNE, CITY OF
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2819382&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner

#3: 2029 S BABCOCK ST , MELBOURNE 32901
Owned by: FLORIDA, STATE OF (DOT)
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2818034&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner


#4: E E RODES SUBD OF LOTS 1,2 BLK 11
Owned by: FLORIDA, STATE OF (DOT)
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2817897&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner

#5: 305 E STRAWBRIDGE AVE , MELBOURNE 32901
Owned by: MELBOURNE, CITY OF
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2817775&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner


#6: 635 E HIBISCUS BLVD , MELBOURNE 32901
Owned by:MELBOURNE, CITY OF
www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/asp/Show_parcel.asp?acct=2817406&gen=T&tax=T&bld=T&oth=T&sal=T&lnd=T&leg=T&GoWhere=real_search.asp&SearchBy=Owner


If anyone has any other sites in mind but you're confused how to use the property site, provide me a satellite map with roads and some kind of marker to indicate the property you mean even if it's just a red dot you put on in paint. I'll look up the info and post it as soon as I can.

[sanahelwa]

WHY is this NOT being discussed at the GA's? People want to hear this group is doing something besides dancing around, taking stack, and doing the sparkle fingers with one hand. This is Mr. Rogers neighborhood gone terribly wrong! You children need to grow up!

[mrliberty]

I suggest we Occupy BCC Campus in Melbourne for the following reasons.

1. I think we would find a friendly reception from College age students.
2. Available facilities like restrooms, food/drink, parking.
3. High visibility
4. Colleges and Universities are some of the most culpable in our current woes. The price of tuition has FAR OUTPACED inflation over the last few decades. I know people want to blame the banks for their student loans... but if the colleges weren't charging so much, the loan repayments wouldn't be so high.

For all these reasons, I think BCC Melbourne is perfect

[Solus Hospes]

Good suggestion, I'll add it to my call and research list.

[sanahelwa]

BCC is private property. I highly doubt they will welcome and occupation.

[mrliberty]

It's a publicly funded school; We have rights there.

[Solus Hospes]

In either case, I was thinking we could test the waters with the November 17th "occupy a school or bridge" for "We are the 99% day" Please jump over to that thread if you have alternate suggestions.

occupymelbournefl.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=directaction&action=display&thread=47

[evanne]

I believe #1 has been built on. Other lots available would be small. There are a bunch of big box banks here, along with strip mall type stuff. Bathrooms would be available from nearby businesses during normal business hours if we bought stuff. We'd need generators. The only parking is in private lots. I doubt they would be friendly to us.

I think #2 might be owned in cooperation with that church or with the city. It seems too small to me, but shares all the same advantages with #3.

#3 Seems like a good option. I am sure there are some businesses downtown that we could garner support from esp with a local buying for the holidays campaign. There is a CVS very close with 24/7 restrooms with purchase. Anything near downtown is within feasible marching distance to peace corner and would help get involved with Friday Fest, which could be loads of fun. We'd need generators. This property has been empty awhile, so who knows.

I'm almost certain #4 is a city thing. Too small to be sustainable, I think. In conjunction with #5 it could be cool to use during the days or at strategic times. Both have many advantages to #3, tho the CVS is a few blocks from here.

#6 shares a block with all city or county owned things. I am not certain about visibility...also, will people think that we are protesting the library? Libraries are actually a pretty good and efficient use of tax dollars. No night time bathrooms. I think there is a homeless population around the library and park areas that we might be displacing. This has many advantages to downtown but is much less visible. I think this might be a good 'fall back' and staging area if we end up in the downtown Melb area.

BCC Melbourne is worth putting on the list (it'll be #7), though I am not sure how receptive they will be to the idea. We would need to do a lot of outreach ot the students and teachers to make it work and not come across as total a$$hats.


Just some of my thoughts on the list so far, if that helps you to decide who to call first. I have had some other sites suggested to me, I have also had some of my own. I'm gonna look them up and see what I can find out.

Thanks for all this great infos, Mandy!

I want to get people thinking in terms of logistics:
Parking
Power
Visibility (Pedestrian and Vehicle Traffic)
Space
Restrooms
Message=Within Walking Distance of Something Worth Protesting For or Against
(Am I missing something important? Add to my list!)

Based on group interest that I have seen I think we are talking between 5-15 people 'around the clock' which would really be more like waves of volunteers. I don't know if there is anyone looking to spend the night, or get arrested. We need a definite temp check at the next GA to see how people are feeling about this. We are going to go on researching 24/7 Occupation regardless, so that if there is future interest we have this stuff all figured out.

Edit, bc I also wanted to add: I very much like the idea of testing the waters. Perhaps we can suggest we expand on the alternate sign wave day and turn it into a series of extra sign waves that we use to check out various sites.

[evanne]

#8 1109 E New Haven Ave, Melb FL 32901
It's downtown, so all of those things. It has been empty for awhile, owners might let us stay if we take care of it. Would put us actually in downtown. It literally has it's own parking lot.

Owner: Crane Creek Partners LLC
Address: 1109 E New Haven Ave Melbourne 32901
Parcel ID 28-37-02-FC-21-1
Tax ID: 2816799

#9 402 N Babcock St Melbourne, FL 32935
Next to what is often a pond and most certainly city. There are businesses around but after business hours there'd be no restroom facilities. Probably has good visibility, but I don't get the message connection. This is too far from downtown to have those advantages.
Worth editing to note that it is near Nature's Market which might donate food to us.

Owner: Palms Pointe Office Park LLC
Address: Multiple Addresses
Parcel ID 27-37-28-00-1
Tax ID: 2728390

[rwparkinson]

I am encouraged by the contents of this thread and the progress being made as one can tell cuz the discussion is becoming more specific! Great job everyone and especially those working on a practical location on which to squat. In addition to ownership, seems important to discuss legal issues and I believe a lawyer has volunteered to assist OMF. We'll need to bring him or her into the mix at some point.

Seems one question of import is with regards to how many might actually participate in the occupation as a 'resident'. Surely the GA can facilitate folks coming and going, but is there anyone who would actually occupy the site? The answer could effect whether or not we move forward and perhaps the location.

[evanne]

In full honesty we need a head count of people:
-Willing to camp overnight.
-Willing to come and spend part of their day occupying in shifts.
-Willing to get arrested for trespassing/occupying.

Knowing those things we can develop an occupation strategy and start figuring out how to talk to any private property owners.

Edit: We need a google map with the contact infos and we can keep thoughts and notes about investigations. NOT A PUBLIC MAP. It should be set to invitations needed, if someone gets a chance to make that happen before I do, more power, just invite [e-mail] so I can add other Direct Action Team members as needed.

[evanne]

I set up a map. It lists all the occupation sites with white flags. I will add other potential sites so we can all see where things are. If DA Team members PM their email addys I can get you guys set up to make changes to the map.

maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
216134080825264819227.0004b17b1782c47e40081

[rwparkinson]

I'm working on a press release, which I hope to distribute before 11-17 in case the GA passes a proposal to support an action on that day. But otherwise, I don't have much to include because most of the actionable items proposed during the last GA meeting were tabled.

What is the status of the 'occupation site'? From reading these posts, it appears progress is being made on a location; but there are so many other issues as you all have noted.

Do you think this topic will be discussed at the next GA mtg?

[evanne]

It will be brought up as part of the report from Direct Action Team. I'm gonna say that we are working on it and getting info together so the group can decide what it wants to do.

There are a ton of little sub issues to 24/7 occupation, you are quite right. If you wanna start a different thread on other aspects, please do. I am going to be making a sticky to index all 24/7 occupation threads.

[Solus Hospes]

Thank you Evanne for all your work in this! Thank you for the refinement. I'd like to contact these companies which own these properties and inquire about using it for our occupation because their cooperation will determine which site we actually can use and once we find a willing site owner we can choose a location. I'm wondering if we should make the contact and inquiry before posting it here and remove those which say no that are already posted. That way we have a more accurate list of possible sites.

I set up a poll to try to help answer those questions: occupymelbournefl.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=omflgeneral&thread=83&page=1

[Solus Hospes]

Samuel brought up concerns of violence and criminality in other occupy sites like OWS and I think we need to add that to our list of things to think about. In some sites the police weren't called after some incidents and we should make sure in the best ways we can that there's no violence or criminality but that if individuals make those choices that we involve the authorities to handle it. No vigilantism. Maybe get the peacekeeper team started on that.

[rwparkinson]

You are all doing great work trying to figure out the who, what, and where's of a long-term site. Someone mentioned locating a property owned by an individual instead of the City, etc., but of course that might be difficult given liability issues....

Perhaps we need to pick a 'test' site and then meet with the City to see how they respond. Bring the lawyer too. Who knows, they might just tell us where we should set up - stranger things have happened.

Regardless, keep up the good work.

[gm0ney]

I like the Crane Creek Site, and it could be a good site to do GAs (or maybe right on the river).
Another good location might be the empty lot on Frank St and Hollywood or the one on Donna Ln -both are less than a quarter mile from the Peace Corner.


The Front Street Park site that has been discussed in the past by a few people is a little remote even though it is in the downtown area.