ZBA Approves Giant Tent Sound Stage for Grown Ups 2

The Zoning Board of Appeals approved Tuesday night the state's first temporary movie sound stage in Swampscott.

But it empowered the town administrator and staff to ensure that the set for at does not make flooding worse for the neighbors and maybe the film company will leave the park in better shape than it found it.

The tented sound stage will be 45,000 square feet and 80 feet tall. It will allow the movie crew to film a night "wild party" scene during the day. The alternative was to rent a large home with a pool and film 15 to 16 nights with the J. Geils Band performing, said location manager Charlie Harrington.

Sony Columbia decided to go to the expense and seek the ZBA's approval for the sound stage to avoid having to film at night.

"Certain of our movie stars do not like to work at night," he said.

All of the cast are in the party scene that takes place at the rear of the home belonging to the Adam Sandler character, Harrington said. 

The tent will have black drapes to block out the sun and will include a pool and a facade of the house inside the tent, Harrington said. 

The town and the movie company have already signed an agreement that promises the film company will leave the park site at least as good as it was originally "or better."

Selectman Jill Sullivan told the ZBA that Town Administrator Thomas Younger and several department heads are discussing what improvements the town would like to see the movie company make to the site.

The film crew has already agreed to remove the telephone poles near the parking area and expand the parking area with gravel.

Harrington said, "there have been many meetings and phone calls with town officials." He called the cooperation the town has given to be "unprecedented."

Town to Receive $248,000.

Sony Columbia has agreed to pay the town $248,000, including $193,000 to the town, $40,000 to the school district, $5,000 to the historical commission and $10,000 to the graduating class of 2012, said Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman David Van Dam.

Sullivan also said Younger has assembled a committee of town officials and residents to decide how the town will spend the $193,000 payment. 

The recent Town Meeting fight over the defeated $2.6 million artificial turf field cast a shadow over the discussion as ZBA member Peter Spellios lamented the poor condition of the field and expressed his hope that the film company would make improvements to it. 

"This is a great opportunity for the town," Spellios said. "Through the generosity of your (the movie company's) spirit, you will be able to do what the Town Meeting chose not to."

Most of the neighbors who attended the meeting were concerned about flooding and parking. Harrison, who was praised as "a gentlemen" by several neighbors, said the crew is working to minimize the parking issues by renting another lot for the crew and extras to park and busing them to the site.

"The neighbors have been great," Harrison said. Every neighbor has his cell phone number, and only a few have used it, he said.

He said the crew got the town's drainage plan on Tuesday, but assured the ZBA that it is working closely with Public Works Director Gino Cresta to make sure the water from the site does not end up in the basement of neighbors' homes.

ZBA Board member Harry Pass, who did not vote because his house is adjacent to the park, urged the ZBA to require that the movie company install a storm drain or catch basin to create "a permanent solution" to the water runoff from the park.

Harrison said that proposal would cost "six figures" and be too expensive for the movie company.

He said the crew is working with the police and fire departments to make sure there are no safety issues. He said they are also designing an air conditioning plan. He conceded that even though the air conditioning units will be baffled, "you will hear them," he told the neighbors.

Asked when the tent will be constructed, Harrison said the crew is already behind schedule. He expects the tent to be completed by July 1 and shooting of the party scene to commence on July 2.

The shooting is expected to be finished by August 20, he said.

Lisa Strout, the director the state film office, attended the ZBA meeting to praise Swampscott and Sony Columbia for working well together.

"Film companies are a square peg in a round hole" in working within municipal law, she said.

She said Massachusetts is getting more films shooting in the state because Hollywood is decentralizing.

That means millions of dollars will be coming to the state, she said.