Strike up the band

White Point Garden on the Battery is about to get a $1 million facelift from the city of Charleston. Part of that includes restoring the bandstand to its original 1907 design — lowering it, repairing brick work and painting. But there has been no word about restoring its original function as a bandstand.

The M. F. Williams Memorial Bandstand was built as a gift to the city by Mrs. Martha Williams Carrington in memory of her mother, Mrs. George W. (Martha Fort) Williams. Early on, it was the site of hugely popular holiday band concerts. The city eliminated its annual appropriation for those concerts late in the 1920s because of decreased attendance, but the bandstand continued to be used for occasional musical performances.

By 1985 when the city restored it, bands were prohibited from playing there. The neighborhood had complained of noise, congestion and litter associated with concerts.

With the 1985 restoration, the local Community Band asked to perform as a way of celebrating its re-opening. The city held fast to its no-bands policy.

After its facelift, the bandstand foundation, now six feet high, will once again be three feet — a design which allows an easy view of musicians performing as well as a view across the park. But according to the city's Department of Recreation, no bands are to be allowed.

It is a good time to reconsider the city's policy on public concerts. Citizens might like stirring patriotic music on the Fourth of July or Carolina Day.

The city could ban amplifiers or loudspeakers. It could regulate the volume as it does at Hampton Park's bandstand. It could restrict the hours for concerts and the size of the bands. It could limit the number of concerts and dictate which days of the week they occur. It could insist on transportation to the concert from off-site parking. And, importantly, it could make sure those rules are enforced so that the public can enjoy the park without imposing hardships on the neighborhood.

While the city is striving to honor the original design of the bandstand, why not honor the original purpose? It's worth the effort.