Residents of Charlottesville soon will have a monument on which they can comment on politics, write poetry and draw for the community to see, thanks to a City Council vote Monday that approved construction of a chalkboard promoting free speech.
Three council members voted for the proposal, Council Member David J. Toscono voted against it, and Kevin Lynch abstained.
The 65-foot-long chalkboard will be nestled at the end of the Downtown Mall, across from City Hall. Pete O'Shea and Robert Winstead, both selected by the Thomas Jefferson Center for Protection of Free Expression, designed the board. Construction is scheduled to begin in two years.
"We're thrilled with the decision," said J. Joshua Wheeler, associate director of the Thomas Jefferson Center, the Charlottesville organization that proposed the monument. "I hope people realize what a courageous and unprecedented step this was for these elected officials. City Hall has said not only do we accept the criticism that often comes with exercise of the First Amendment, but we invite such criticism."
The chalkboard will cost about $200,000, and will be founded solely from private donations. Anyone who wants to express an opinion on it will be able to, Wheeler said.
Charlottesville Mayor Blake Caravati said he is an "enthusiastic supporter" of the monument and he hopes the chalkboard will allow people to share their opinions in a community setting and encourage them to participate in the civic process.
Caravati said that because the chalkboard will be across the street from City Hall elected officials will see the writings on it and get a feeling for how people think on civic matters.
"Anyway I can get input, the better off I am," Caravati said.
Wheeler said, however, that various community members surfaced with concerns in discussions with City Council. Many were worried that people might display offensive, obscene or lewd messages.
To deal with the problem, the city will clean the board on a regular basis, most likely weekly. In addition, community members will have the option to respond to offensive remarks or simply erase them.
Wheeler added that erasing contributions will not be a First Amendment violation because citizens, not government officials, will do the removing.
Offenses, such as posting lewd drawings and obscenities, will "be viewed as an occasional annoyance and not the defining characteristic" of the wall, he added.
Wheeler said the Thomas Jefferson Center has addressed concerns that the monument may interfere with plans to develop the area around the Downtown Mall and intends to remain flexible in its design.
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