NIMBYs block Kentucky drive-in

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A man who wanted to build a two-screen drive-in near Crestwood KY has withdrawn his rezoning application after strong opposition led by its prospective next-door neighbor. The story was extensively reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal, and the video above is from WHAS, Louisville’s news leader.

Stephen Sauerbeck of La Grange KY wanted to buy an 80-acre site on Old La Grange Road from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, then rezone 40 acres for the drive-in. Tom Nelson, who lives in a nearby “historic home” on 270 acres called the plan “preposterous” and successfully organized neighbors to block the application. The Courier-Journal wrote that Nelson said he “doesn’t object to the concept of a drive-in” but noted that the proposed site had too many problems.

Of course, this is classic Not-In-My-Back-Yard (NIMBY) talk. Everyone knows that something is of value to the community, but no one wants to rub elbows with it. On the other hand, when this story first surfaced a few weeks ago, I looked at the proposed site (via Google Street View), and the roads there really are pretty thin and rural.

Sauerbeck says he’s continuing to scout locations, and I hope he finds something that works. (Psst, try sites next to highways.) Meanwhile, let this be a reminder that anyone trying to start a drive-in had better make sure he’s got the neighbors on board.

Virginia’s Moonlite will be back in business

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Moonlite Drive-In Theatre facade
photo by WCYB

Who would have thought that fall would be the season to announce so many drive-in theatre reopenings? The latest great news comes from Abington VA, where the Moonlite Drive-In Theatre is rapidly renovating towards a targeted reopening later this month.

The Bristol (VA) Herald Courier published a front-page story with the details. Kyle Blevins, a UPS driver from just across the border in Bristol TN, had watched movies at the Moonlite for more than 40 years before it closed three years ago for lack of a digital projector. Now Blevins has fulfilled his dream of owning a drive-in, sort of. The Herald Courier says he’s “co-owner” along with the previous owner.

The Moonlite opened in 1949 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Blevins said he hopes to show at least one movie by the end of October, with a formal re-opening in Spring 2017.

Blevins invited the community to spend Oct. 8 helping get the Moonlite ready, and he has a GoFundMe page set up for donations.

The crew from WCYB, Bristol’s news leader, also dropped by to talk about Moonlite memories with folks who had visited the drive-in during past decades. It’s an extensive story that I couldn’t embed here, so you really should go watch it!

Town helps Skowhegan glow

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Skowhegan Maine logoThe Skowhegan Drive-In got some help from the town of Skowhegan ME to restore one of its original neon signs, and CentralMaine.com let us know all about it.

Theater owner Don Brown had already done a lot of restoration work since buying the place in 2012. He said he’s tried to stay as close as possible to the way the drive-in looked when it opened in 1954.

The Skowhegan community helped raise the money for a digital projector two years ago, but no one had fixed its sign. As you can see from this Google Street View, the sign was laying on the ground to the right of the entrance. This year, Skowhegan and the state offered facade grants to small businesses outside of downtown. Brown got a little over $8,000, and now the neon-lit Skowhegan Drive-In Theatre sign is back.

Jeffrey Hewett, Skowhegan’s director of economic and community development, said the sign reminds him of how it once looked. “In the daytime it doesn’t really grab you as much;” he said. “It’s the nighttime and that kind of reddish glow that comes off that gets you.”

For more information, including a fine photo of the restored sign, you really need to go read it at CentralMaine.com.

Update: You can also see a bit of video of the restored sign and how the Skowhegan looks this October at WABI, Bangor’s News Leader.