HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-09-04; Arts Commission; MinutesMINUTES
Carlsbad Arts Commission
September 4, 2004
Carlsbad Council Chambers
New Business
Chairman Hill, noting that he was Chair of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce when it
inaugurated the Chamber's Business Enhancement Committee, introduced Julie Baker, who is
now representing the Chamber on that Committee.
Ms. Baker added that she is an 18-year resident of Carlsbad. She said the Chamber was
concerned about what could happen to the Carlsbad Village Area when the redevelopment
process expires, and thus established a Downtown Enhancement Committee in 2003. Peter
Calthorp was hired as a consultant and a series of community workshops were held. Ms. Baker
displayed a color-coded map of the area detailing the various suggestions derived from the
workshops and described some of the ideas the Enhancement Committee supports:
-A significant gateway or monument at 1-5 and Carlsbad Village Drive.
-A roundabout at Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard
-A roundabout at State and Maxton Brown Park
-A Transportation Plan that encourages parking and walking, not driving
-Rail overpasses to connect the Village on the east side with the hotels on the west side of the
tracks
-Facilities that would encourage progression along State Street:
North- Entertainment Complex
Mid - Performing Arts Center (complementing Carlsbad Theatre)
South - Civic/Cultural Center with museum/gallery aspect
-Office-over-Retail buildings and Housing-over-Retail buildings
-Landscaping, seating, gathering places
-A better connection of the beach with the Village
In an effort to get the involvement of area business owners, the Chamber is holding a Property
Owners Workshop at the Army & Navy Academy on September 22. Planners and architects will
be on hand. The goals are to help the Village "look like itself, not like Disneyland" and to
encourage businesses that cater as much to permanent residents as to tourists.
The Committee is seeking a grant to conduct a Design Competition as one way to get people
thinking about opportunities for the downtown area. The City Council wants citizens informed
and supportive and has directed the Redevelopment Agency to examine how the relaxation of
current development standards would affect parking, height, density and other issues. The
Chamber, the Carlsbad Village Business Association and the City Council are working together,
and opportunities exist for the arts to become an intrinsic element of the plan for downtown
Carlsbad.
Chairman Hill asked what role the Arts Commission might play. Ms. Baker said that promoting
the idea of a performing arts center would be valuable, since groups have such difficulty finding
spaces to present performances. And the public green areas would be good places to install art.
Committee comments were invited. Ron Juncal said as an artist he finds this plan encouraging; he
likes the overpass idea and pointed out that Encinitas uses murals on its trash receptacles.
Kelvin Okamoto complimented Ms. Baker on an excellent presentation. He appreciated his days
in Boston, a "walking city," and asked when the plan would become Council-approved zoning.
Ms. Baker said that Carlsbad does not use eminent domain for redevelopment, but the City could
jumpstart the process with a parking structure to help private development and could do some
bond-funded projects. But the political will must be there.
Rita Francis found the plans very exciting and asked how the community could learn more; Ms.
Baker said that the Design Competition and the Owners Workshop were part of that process.
Other ideas in response to Commission comments were to work with Carlsbad Theatre to try to
present events there, and to think about what Commissioners themselves would find valuable in a
Cultural Center. All agreed that there was some business opposition to creating more festivals in
the Village, while other businesses there welcome them.
III. Old Business
Outreach to Other Boards was tabled due to absence of presenting member Felicia Shaw.
Fy 2004/05 Management Goals for the Arts Office
Arts manager Pete Gordon described the annual Management Goals process, with Team Goals
often reaching across departments. He informed the Commission that two goals currently come
directly out of the Arts Office and staff believes they are important but will also be labor
intensive. The first is the development of a three-year Strategic Plan for the Arts Office. There
have been significant changes since the last one in 2001. The participation of the Arts
Commission is desired, and since the message from the Leadership Team is "No New Programs,"
this plan won't follow the usual path, "How do we expand?" but perhaps will address "How do
we reduce or change?"
The second goal dovetails well into the Strategic Plan and is a series of meetings called
Connecting Community, Place, and Spirit for Artists. The City Council's goal this year for
Learning and Education specifically includes the arts for the first time. The original CCPS was
very successful, and included many references to the arts. So this set of community meetings
focused specifically on arts-related issues is a natural outcome for the Arts Office. Again, the
participation of the Commission is desired.
Chairman Hill defined CCPS for the benefit of the newer members of the Commission and
referred them to the City website for its information and outcomes. He said it is extremely
important to Carlsbad that leading citizens be informed.
Mr. Gordon said that CCPS began as a discussion of where City Hall should be and expanded to
ask What Does Carlsbad Look Like in 2050? The Arts Office will use that model in a more
modest, focused process.
Commissioner Francis emphasized the need to get the word out to artists and arts supporters, to
cast a wide net and gather the community's ideas and energy. Mr. Gordon notes that the
information would be used to develop the Strategic Plan with standing and ad hoc committees
participating and a reduction of a large wish list to a manageable plan.
No further questions.
No Public Comment.
Committee Reports
Chair report:
Chairman Hill and Peter Gordon are working toward defining the Workshop agenda, looking at
the Ordinance creating the Arts Commission, traditional practices and what the Council's
expectations of the Arts Commission are. Jim Boy Ian will interview the individual
Commissioners. New members are especially asked to present their impressions and older
members may have their "brains picked" for history.
It is a larger workshop than originally conceived. It may occur sometime in October. Chairman
Hill wants full participation. Mr. Juncal asked if the workshop would redefine the Arts
Commission, and Chairman Hill noted that it must stay within the authorizing ordinance, may
define who and what it really should be and then suggest how the Commission could act in the
future.
Manager's report:
Volunteer Thank You Party changed from 11/5 to 11/19
Beast & Bones to open Sunday, Sept. 12
Carlsbad Film Festival Part 1 will be September 11 & 12; Part 2 is October 16 & 17
Kenneth Capps exhibit in the Sculpture Garden — opening reception is September 19
Hidden Canyon Park groundbreaking — September 16
Plein Air Brunch — October 3
Fire Station Six Public Art Selection Committee met, Mr. Okamoto will report.
Kelvin Okamoto said the committee met for 3 hours. Connie Beardsley, who works part-time on
public art issues for the Arts Office, brought in four artists known to the community. The
Committee interviewed the artists and selected Christopher Lee. There is about $20,000 available
on the $2 million project.
Arts Education report:
Rita Francis said the next Committee meeting is scheduled for October 13.
Arts Associates just finished the opportunity drawings at TGIF, and as of the August 6 report, had
raised almost $21,000, compared to $16,000 at the same time in 2003. As she is leaving town for
a while, she suggests inviting an Arts Associates Board member to report at the next Commission
meeting. The Arts Associates workshop is scheduled for November
The Meeting adjourned at 9:15am