Residents Get Questions Answered About Williamsburg Arts District

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Williamsburg City Council and staff held an informational meeting on the proposed arts district Monday night and gave residents a chance to have their questions about the plan answered.

City Council members agreed last month to table their decision on the proposed district, which covers area along Richmond Road and Lafayette Street around the Williamsburg Shopping Center area, to give the city time to hold a meeting and better inform residents about the plan. Many questions fielded Monday had to do with misunderstandings about the district, but audience members also questioned why a district was needed, whether it would be a success, and what the unintended effects might be.

The district would designate a certain area as eligible for limited tax and fee reductions for art-related businesses, Economic Development Director Michele DeWitt explained. Perks of starting or expanding an arts business in the district will include five years worth of Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) and sales tax reductions as well as fee waivers for qualified businesses.

The intent of the district is to revitalize the designated area in the city, support the city’s economic drivers and help fill commercial vacancies, DeWitt said – though when asked how many vacancies there were, staff wasn’t able to answer, which caused some grumbling in the crowd. One woman said angrily that she didn’t think there was a vacancy problem in the area.

While the city’s focus group came up with the idea for an arts district by looking at other examples across the country (with the help of consultants ArtSpace), the city decided to add a new and unique dimension to their ordinance: Instead of just including traditional artists, they also included other “creative economy” businesses, such as architects, software designers, radio and film businesses, and culinary arts.

City resident and Board of Zoning Appeals member Stewart Goddin had many reservations about the district, especially with the idea of broadening the incentive to include other creative economy businesses.

He argued that the broader inclusiveness of the ordinance isn’t in keeping with an idea of an arts district that would draw wandering tourists and promote retail sales. Architects and software developers, for example, wouldn’t fit with that vision.

DeWitt said both sorts of businesses are good for the economy, and it was up to the private market to decide what the district would end up looking like.

Goddin also argued the businesses could crowd out existing commercial businesses, to which DeWitt responded having too many businesses in the area would be a good problem to have, and the city would work to find a place to help businesses locate should that happen.

Some audience questions showed clear confusion about the arts district’s implications. The district would not change zoning or architectural guidelines, or any other already-established ordinance that applies to homes and businesses in the area, staff explained.

Some audience members worried that businesses would be forced to leave, or that owners would be forced to change their property or have to lease space to artists. Some audience members didn’t realize that in 2008 the city adopted an ordinance in this area of the city and a few others that allowed for artists' living and work space so artists can make and sell their art at their residence. Regardless of the arts district ordinance, this activity is already allowed in certain areas.

Generally, people seemed to be content with the answers they received. After the meeting, council member Judy Knudson agreed, saying she also got the feeling watching the crowd that people had gotten good information.

“It seemed people had the feeling that things would drastically change and the city would restrict [property] uses,” she said, “but as the meeting continued I saw lots of head-nodding. I think it’s a good thing we had the meeting.”

A few residents mentioned concerns about parking, with one woman clearly irate about the idea mentioned in previous meetings that people might park in the Williamsburg Shopping Center to get to various arts businesses.

Knudson said if the arts district were so successful that people had to fight to find parking, it would be a “good problem” to have. The city would certainly address parking if it became a concern, though, she said.

Council member Doug Pons said after the meeting that he also thought people had gotten some good answers from staff. He still has a concern about the possibility that artists living in the area could crowd out students who currently rent many homes in the area, a question brought up in a previous meeting by a resident.

In response to a related question about student rentals, staff said in West Williamsburg (generally the area of the proposed district), 32 percent of homes are owner-occupied and 68 percent are renter-occupied.

Council is set to discuss the ordinance again at their next meeting on February 10.