Council Listens to Unhappy Residents, Delays Art District Vote

Saturday, January 15, 2011

After a number of upset citizens spent nearly two hours expressing their doubts about the proposed arts district, Williamsburg City Council members agreed to table their vote until another public meeting is scheduled.

Property owners argued that they didn’t know the specifics about the arts district ordinance and that the city should have included them in the discussion and didn’t do a good job notifying owners about it. Property owners also expressed several other fears, some of which showed confusion about the ordinance, including the concern that property would be taken by the city through eminent domain, student housing would be affected, and that parking problems would get worse.

Several owners said they didn’t know about the ordinance vote set for Thursday. Mike Beacham told council that “it’s not right to expect us to be informed” by checking newspapers and the city website. “There’s just a lot of confusion,” he said, and he asked council to delay their decision and hold a meeting for district residents.

Greg Granger, who also spoke at the meeting, sent Mayor Clyde Haulman two emails prior to Thursday’s meeting stressing his feeling that the vote should wait until property owners weighed in on the ordinance. “I would think delaying the vote by a month after having [a public] meeting, followed by a Council work session would show Williamsburg for a local government that fosters citizen participation and a government of open doors,” Granger wrote.

“Perhaps it is it better to have the vote before all the property owners have read and discussed the ordinance, but I do not think so.”

Michele DeWitt, economic development director and head of the project, gave a presentation at the beginning of the meeting and explained the history of the district, why it is being considered and what the benefits are expected to be.

In 2008, the city added artist live and work space to the zoning ordinance, she pointed out. The proposed arts district ordinance outlines the boundaries of the area which runs along Lafayette Street and Richmond Road, and offers five years’ worth of Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) and sales tax reductions as well as fee waivers for qualified businesses.

New businesses receiving the incentives won’t be limited to traditional creative and performing arts, but will include other “creative economy” businesses such as advertising, architecture, software development, culinary arts, design and media. Existing businesses in the district that fall under these categories will need to expand in order to receive the incentives. (Download the meeting packet on the city’s website for the full text and explanation of the ordinance).

In response to questions from various council members, DeWitt stressed that there would be no impact on a landlord’s ability to rent out their property, and that any business was free to move to the district, not just art-related businesses (these other businesses just wouldn’t get the incentives).

As for questions about the district’s effect on property values, DeWitt said based on the city’s research on other arts districts, values would increase.

When asked how the city reached out to the public, she pointed out that the city had held a number of public meetings, sent emails to more than 200 people who had expressed interest, and last week staff held a meeting with the Neighborhood Council and the council had sent emails to all its neighborhoods. DeWitt said she also had several conversations with residents who had contacted her about the project. The city also had a website and special email address set aside for the arts district plan.

Bob Casey, owner of Casey’s Field, had requested one of his two properties in the district be removed. DeWitt said the property was not zoned in a manner that would allow for artist live/work space and suggested it would make sense to remove it. She clarified after the meeting that it was up to council whether Casey Field will be removed from the district. No one else had asked that their property be removed, DeWitt told council.

Many people came to speak out in favor of the plan as well, including members of the committee which began the arts district process. One William and Mary student, Katherine Ballard, said she felt that “I am responsible as a resident to stay informed… all the information is available” on the city’s website for the public. She said students would likely use and enjoy an artistic area in the city. “I think this [district] is a great idea… and I don’t think it would risk student housing.”

City resident and potter Kyra Cook pointed out that an artist needs not only a place to live but also a place to do his craft, sell it, and often teach, too. “If I can get this in one place, for one fee, that’s affordable for me,” Cook said. She also pointed out that the city’s farmer’s market also had its critics, but the market has become a huge success.

Council members all agreed they wanted to make sure to communicate with as many people as possible regarding the issue. Member Paul Freiling said that the process was not as efficient as it could have been, but that staff had done everything legally required of them. “Did we do everything we could have done? No,” he said.

Several council members, including Freiling, expressed their concerns that some property owners had held a meeting on the arts district ordinance recently and hadn’t allowed DeWitt to attend though she had requested to come and explain the plan. Freiling said he felt that communication goes two ways, a sentiment echoed by Haulman.

Freiling also said there was no set date for the arts district to be complete, and he thought it was a good idea to have another meeting to talk with district residents.

All council members agreed it was worthwhile to have the extra public meeting.

“To make this happen, everybody needs to be on board and we need to work together,” Haulman said.

Council voted unanimously to table the vote, and asked staff to send information on the meeting via mail to all landowners in the district and announce the public meeting once a date has been set.