A Roof Over Prescott Park? Council Says Let's Talk

Prescott Park might finally get a roof over its stage.

City Council voted unanimously last week to have staff work with the Prescott Park Arts Festival on a plan for a permanent roof-covered stage — privately funded, not a dime from the tax levy. The pitch: fewer rainouts, more shows, safer performances, and getting rid of the trailers parked behind the stage, which the mayor called a blight on the area.

There's one wrinkle, and it's a very Portsmouth wrinkle. The park exists under the terms of Josie F. Prescott's will, so the state Attorney General's charitable trusts unit has to sign off on how a private build on that land actually works. History, money, and lawyers — the holy trinity of Seacoast civic debate.

The Arts Festival is one of the city's two cultural crown jewels, alongside The Music Hall. A covered stage would change what summers in the park can be.

Stay tuned. This one's going to be argued about for a while.