AUSTIN (KXAN) — An east Austin backyard theater has been given a new life.
Step inside the “Sekrit Theater� and you’re transported to a wonderland. It’s described as a destination for photographers, private events and movie screenings, and has welcomed visitors from around the world.
That said, part of the tug-of-war between the old and new Austin, “The Sekrit Theater� has been on the battleground for years.
“I don’t know how my backyard became like the last of old Austin,� owner Beau Reichert said of the property he purchased in 2008.
New development has grown up around the property that used to be on the outskirts. His art, really serving as therapy.
“This was a therapy project. So my counselor said buy this property and then you can have some parties and make friends,� Reichert, who has Asperger’s syndrome, said. “I had no social skills. I did that. I made too many friends.�
His home at 1145 Perry Rd., near Bolm Road and Airport Boulevard, is no stranger to complaints, but that’s only within the last few years.
“When I bought the place, I went and knocked on every neighbor’s door in the area to ask about the neighborhood and told them I’m an artist and I want to build something weird and I was invited here,� Reichert said. “It was all artists and creative people.�
In the past year, the theater has received 10 complaints on Austin’s 311. Six of those were handled by Austin police, including multiple noise complaints, a criminal trespass and a theft.
The last noise complaint of the informal backyard theater-turned event space was just last month. Reichert says he’s never been written a citation because the noise levels don’t meet that threshold.
“The city’s like — it just takes one. And I don’t think losing Austin because one person doesn’t like a neighborhood they moved into because they bought something off the internet — you know, people really need to do their homework,� Reichert said. “My life of creating art and providing an amazing community space for people has mainly turned into learning everything there is to know about city policy, code [and] logistics.�
Once up for sale, Reichert says he has the code issues, like land use and structure condition violations, squared away, but fears for the future of Austin where “weird� spaces are disappearing.
“Code doesn’t allow for creativity anymore,� he said, adding without city policy, “Eventually, the city won’t have the draw of all the people wanting to come here because there will be nothing for those people to do.�
Reichert says he recently secured an Urban Farm permit and Certificate of Occupancy for the property, which will allow for small events going forward.
The story brings up the ongoing conversation of Austin’s proposed “agent of change� principle. After renewed efforts, the item last appeared on the city council agenda in June. The proposed policy would have meant that the person responsible for the change, would deal with the consequences. So if a new condo or hotel wanted to build within 600 feet of an outdoor music venue, they would have to deal with the noise since the venue was there first.
The agent of change policy will be discussed at Monday’s Arts Commission meeting.
Economic Development Department Music & Entertainment Division Manager Erica Shamaly sent the following statement to KXAN:
As the new head for the Music & Entertainment Division with the City of Austin, Agent of Change is a priority for me in 2018. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be re-connecting with stakeholders to best inform an Agent of Change policy for Austin that is both practical and impactful for all stakeholders. Previous efforts have laid a solid foundation of knowledge built from critical information gathering, including community feedback from our venue, neighborhood, hotel and development communities. After this reconnect, the Music & Entertainment Division will offer next steps leading to an Agent of Change policy that ultimately works for Austin, as well as visitors to our city.�
