SR-305-002-01
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City council Mtg. 2/9/88
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Santa Monica, California
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TO: Mayor and city Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Fund Wests ide Children's Museum for
Payment of First Year Rent of $26,940
Introduction
At the December 8, 1987 meeting, the City Council directed Staff
to review and make a recommendation on a proposal from the
Westside Children's Museum for the city to provide start-up funds
of $26,940 for its first year rent at the Madison School site.
Council directed staff to notify neighbors of this proposed use
as well as to report back on the parking and traffic impacts on
the neighborhood.
In addition, the fiscal aspects of the
proposal were a subject of debate. This report addresses these
issues and makes recommendations on the proposal.
Background
The Westside Children's Museum has operated as a IImuseum without
walls" staging events in the community over the last two years.
Examples include construction and design events with the Pico
Neighborhood Association; chalk murals on the Third street Mall;
and sand sculpting. The Museum recently successfully negotiated
with the School District for rental of the cafeteria, kitchen,
outdoor courtyard, and parking area at the Madison School site.
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On December 8, 1987, Museum representatives made a presentation
to Council requesting payment of its rent of $26,940 for the
first year as a challenge to other funding sources so they will
also contribute. staff proposed four conditions that, at a
minimum, should be considered in the granting of Ci ty funds.
First, the Children's Museum must match the city's investment by
raising $12,000 in pledges before execution of a contract and
have in place a fund-raising plan for securing the remaining
$15,000 during the first year of operation. Second, the
organization must commit to remain in the City for at least three
years. Third, the primary entrance to the facility, as well as
physical improvements, must be handicapped accessible. Fourth,
the group must coordinate with other relevant arts organizations,
through the Arts ColtU\\ission in terms of programming and fund
raising in order to avoid duplication. The Museum agreed to meet
all these conditions as well as institute aggressive outreach to
low income and minority communities. Council concern focused on
notification to the neighborhood as well as parking and traffic
issues. The fiscal aspects of the proposal were also the subject
of concern. This report addresses these issues in detail below.
Neighborhood Notification
Staff officially notified area residents through conducting a
zoning administrator hearing on the proposed use. All property
owners and tenants, totaling close to 500 residents, within a 300
foot radius were officially notified. The Museum also delivered
a "good neighbor" flier to the residents surrounding the site.
No one spoke against the project at the hearing.
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Parking and Traffic Impact
staff performed a parking and traffic analysis of the Museum IS
use of the Madison School site. staff does not anticipate any
adverse traffic or parking impact created by the Museum. Our
analysis and conclusions are primarily based on on-site
observations of a Museum event held on Saturday, December 19,
1987.
No adverse traffic impact was created by the Museum activities.
Traffic on streets and intersections flowed smoothly and
uninterruptedly. Minor congestion was observed at the parking
lot entrance on 11th Street ten minutes before the event but we
believe this was caused by motorists stopping at the entrance to
ask a Museum parking attendant where to park. This minor
congestion did not cause a problem because 11th street is striped
with a two-way left turn lane between Arizona Avenue and Santa
Monica Boulevard. For future events, we recommend locating the
attendant further inside the parking lot.
We also made a check of parking conditions in the off-street
parking lot (on the school property) during the above mentioned
event. There were approximately 70 vehicles parked. This
included both staff and visitors. About one-third of the
available parking area was utilized, and therefore we conclude
there will be adequate off-street parking for Museum activities.
A check of on-street parking showed no adverse impact due to
Museum activities. This is generally a mUlti-family residential
area and we found approximately 80-90 percent of curb spaces were
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being utilized. This is expected on-street parking for this type
of area. Checks made days before and after the Museum event
disclosed approximately the same parking usage and therefore we
do not believe parking by Museum visitors adversely impacted
adjacent streets.
For additional analysis, we attempted to compare traffic
conditions at this site when it was Madison Elementary School,
with the proposed use of a children's museum. The site when used
as an elementary school generated approximately 340 trips per
day I and the proposed Westside Children's Museum will generate
about 180 trips on special event days. It is expected that the
traffic generated will be less for routine Museum operations.
Therefore, the traffic impact to the neighborhood when the site
was an elementary school was greater than the neighborhood will
experience if the site is used as a Children's Museum.
Finally, a check was made of the other potential users of the
Madison school site. The School District informed us the only
other activity on the site will be the Neighborhood support
Center. The Center has only three employees and it is not
expected to create any adverse traffic problems.
Fiscal Analysis
Staff reviewed the Museum's revenue and expense projections for
the first year of operation. Although projected revenues seem
optimistic, staff considers the organization in a good position
to operate a scaled down program and make facility improvements
only as revenues permit.
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The Museum's proposed first year budget totals $137,781: $70,500
of which is earmarked for capital improvements to the facil i ty
and $67,281 is for operating expenses. Revenues are estimated at
$147,500. Taking a more conservative approach, staff believes
the operating budget (of which the City rent contribution is
40%), constitutes a more realistic first year budget. The Museum
raised $18,000 from membership fees, Board of Directors pledges,
and community contributions which when combined with the City's
commitment equates to securing 67% of its operating budget upon
opening. In this context, the Museum's efforts to secure earned
and donated income for the balance of its operating needs seems
achievable. The proposed program for the first year should
posi tively influence earned income from memberships, donations
and workshops/performances.
Additional Considerations
The Wests ide Arts Center has recently raised concerns to staff
about duplication and unfair competition. The Arts Center
conducts classes which are primarily aimed at teaching art and
music. The curriculum components are developmental in nature to
the extent that each succeeding lesson builds upon that which was
presented in previous sessions. Outreach to local schools is an
important component. In addition, one-time workshops are
presented around seasonal events and exploring art techniques.
The Arts Center is concerned with program duplication during the
first year between their events and some of the Museum's start-up
weekend events. Although there is duplication in the arts and
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music area, the Museum's performances and workshops in the first
year include other subject areas. Specifically, event planning
includes: understanding doctors and medical exams; an
archaeology workshop; science workshops presented in
collaboration with the Los Angeles Natural History Museum; and
sand sculpting. The Museum thereafter anticipates serving school
groups and the general public through permanent collections and
allied programming not limited to art subjects. staff recommends
that the two organizations work together on the arts events and
that the Museum craft its other events to emphasize collections
as the basis of its temporal programming so as to avoid
duplication of what the Arts Center already provides the
community. staff sees no long term conflict between the
organizations.
In the past two years, the two groups have had discussions aimed
at collaborating on events. Staff has encouraged future
collaboration because the focus and scope of both organizations
is potentially complimentary. The two groups have met recently
and agreed to collaborate on art events in the future.
Regarding the concern over unfair competition, the Arts Center
was concerned about the process of City consideration of the
Museum proposal. Staff has maintained that City consideration
of the Museum I s proposal is unique and largely a function of
space becoming available through the School District as well as a
timely opportunity to expand programming for children in Santa
Monica. Funding would be granted solely as seed money on a one
year basis.
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Budget and Fiscal Impact
Funds in the amount of $26,940 are available for the City's
contribution for rent from the General Fund Non-Departmental
contingency Account # 01-700-274-000-785. For administrative
control purposes, this appropriation authority should be
transferred from account # 01-700-274-000-785 to account #
01-200-262-000-500 in the Community and Neighborhood Services
Division of the Community and Economic Development Department.
Conclusion
staff has reviewed the fiscal, parking and traffic and
programmatic implications of funding the Wests ide Children's
Museum. On a financial basis, Staff considers the Museum's
operating expense financial plan achievable; its financial
projections are optimistic for completing its capital
improvements during the first year. As seed money, the City's
grant could then be viewed as a "challenge grant" which would
allow the Museum to operate for the first year while securing
financial commitments for planned expansion. Based on the
parking and traffic analysis, we conclude the operation of the
Westside Children's Museum at the former Madison school site will
not have an adverse traffic or parking impact on the neighboring
streets or intersections. We believe traffic conditions will not
noticeably affect the neighborhood. Also, we bel ieve there is
more than adequate off-street parking to accommodate visitors.
Although Staff has spoken with the Westside Arts Center regarding
possible duplication, we feel there is room for bath groups and
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programs in the community and will continue to encourage the
groups to work together.
staff considers one time payment of rent a reasonable investment
because the programmatic benefits of what the Museum would offer
the community and the School District merit the city being the
financial impetus to getting the Museum established. Staff,
however, recommends that only a one year funding caromi tment be
made.
staff recommends that Council authorize the expenditure of
$26,940 subject to conditions and transfer appropriate funds from
the Non-Departmental Contingency Account fOl-700-274-000-785 to
account #01-200-262-000-500 in the Community and Neighborhood
Services Division of the community and Economic Development
Department. This approval should be subject to the four
conditions stipulated previously as well as the requirement that
the Museum collaborate through the Arts Commission with the
Wests ide Arts Center to avoid duplication.
Prepared By: Kathryn K. Spellman, Sr. Management Analyst
Ron Fuchiwaki, Parking & Traffic Engineer
Henry Korn, Arts Director
( chmus em.)
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