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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-06-2011 Public Comment Alexander1�,JL,1I1 b)-5- /1-( -/t'�G/ ��/ dA /07 � I ILI I %a ARTS OBISPO San Luis Obispo County Arts Council P.O. sox 1710 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 805 - 544 -9251 Q &A: San Luis Obispo County A ie - ,Q. -Zd. a-/- 4/--c Arts Council @ 1123 Mill Street Q: What allows the SLO County Arts Council to qualify for the `PF" (Public Facility) zoning in order to lease City-owned property at 1123 Mill Street? A: The County of SLO has designated the SLO County Arts Council as the County's Local Arts Planning Agency and Designated Partner in the California Arts Council's State -Local Partnership Program (SLPP) for the purpose of acting as a comprehensive community arts organization. The City's Community Development Department says the Arts Council may be allowed in the PF zone without any zoning language changes "upon approval of an administrative use permit." The agency is in the process of applying for the permit. Q. Other local organizations may fall into the "PF "zoning - why aren't they being given the opportunity to lease the space? A: According to City staff the property has been advertised as available for lease since early September 2011; if other qualified organizations are interested, the Arts Council assumes they would have come forward. According to Parks and Recreation Department Director Shelly Stanwyck, City staff has shown the space to several agencies over the past few months but no one has made a formal offer to lease. Q: Is the Arts Council willing to contribute some of the costs to lease the facility? A: Absolutely. The Arts Council understands that there are utility and maintenance costs associated with this property that don't apply to City agreements with other cultural partners because they occupy stand -alone facilities. The Arts Council would agree to pay utility and maintenance costs associated with the property - i.e., that portion of the advertised lease amount which has been determined by the Parks and Recreation Department to be $1,294 per year (based on the prorated share for maintenance and utilities at the Ludwick Center of $1.96 per sq. ft.). This would put the agreement with the Arts Council in line with the City's other current agreements with its cultural partners. Q: How long of a lease is the Arts Council seeking? A: Because the agency is in urgent need of space beginning January 1, 2012, it has been looking at both short and long term options. However, this space and its location seem ideally suited to the Arts Council's purposes, so the agency is interested in a long term agreement. Q: What is the urgency of the request from the Arts Council? A: It was determined in early November that the Arts Council must leave its current office /gallery space in the Creamery in downtown San Luis Obispo no later than December 31, 2011 (its lease is up, and the cost of the current space is much more than the agency can afford). To avoid additional moving and /or storage expenses the agency began to actively seek a new location. Putting the word out to its extensive network, the agency indicated it was in need of approximately 600 sq. ft. of office space (donated if possible); the availability of 1123 Mill Street was subsequently brought to its attention. The agency is not seeking gallery space - only general office space to house administrative and program staff. This property seems ideal in terms of size, facilities, and location in the downtown area of the County seat. Page 1 of 2 Q: Why is the Arts Council interested in this particular property? A: The Arts Council has long partnered with the City of San Luis Obispo to advance the arts, including the very popular Art After Dark and Open Studios Art Tour programs, as well as the collaborative Art in Public Places program in which agency staff and volunteers regularly meet and work with City staff. In addition the agency contributes to the richness of the City's cultural activities through its collaborations with the Downtown Business Association and other downtown businesses and cultural organizations, helping to bring tourist dollars into the community. This property provides an ongoing presence for the agency in the downtown area of the County seat, within easy reach of City and County government offices. As the Arts Council begins 30 years of service to the community in 2012, the Board of Directors is re- visiting its vision and mission statements. With an emphasis on collaboration and partnership, the Board is looking to create a sustainable operating model in 2012 and develop a long -term strategic plan to better serve the needs of the local visual, literary and performing arts community. Q: What are the advantages of the City leasing this property to the Arts Council? A: The Arts Council is a cultural benefit to all City and County residents. The City has supported other county -wide cultural partners (Children's Museum, Historical Museum, Little Theatre, SLO Museum of Art) because the City benefits from having these partners located in its active, thriving downtown area where residents and tourists alike can participate in and appreciate the arts. The Arts Council acts as an "umbrella" organization to all other local arts organization, and seeks to remain accessible and available to all of them, from Nipomo to San Miguel. The agency acts as a "hub" for bringing administrators and volunteers of these organizations together in the County Seat to exchange information, strategize, collaborate and advocate for the arts - which is exactly the purpose of the agency's monthly SLOCATS (SLO County Arts Talk Sessions) meeting. The City recognizes the arts community as central to its attractiveness to residents and visitors and to its sustainable prosperity; providing space to the County's comprehensive community arts agency demonstrates that commitment in a very concrete and very visible way to residents and visitors alike. In addition, space that is currently vacant will be put to good and attractive use, with the City's utility and maintenance costs for the property covered. Page 2 of 2