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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Ind. Law - More on: Pesky artists at both ends of the state
Updating Sunday's ILB entry about Evansville's new arts district zoning ordinance is this Courier & Press editorial today. Some quotes:
In the past year, the city has designated the Goosetown area around the old Alhambra Theatre as the Haynie's Corner Arts District, hoping to see the neighborhood blossom into an area where artists take up residence, create art, and attract people there to shop and enjoy the atmosphere.To accomplish that, the city not only has created incentives to encourage artists to buy and fix up the older homes in the neighborhood, but it also has shaped zoning law so that it will permit artists to open galleries in their homes there. Otherwise, operating businesses out of residences would not be permitted.
For the permits, the city requires artists/owners to pay $200 plus postage for certified letters to inform their immediate neighbors of the request for the permit and of a hearing date. * * *
The zoning law has restrictions on how much of a residence may be used for the gallery and on the size of signs. The artwork must have been produced at the residence, the art of no more than three artists can be offered for sale at any one residence, and one of the artists must live at the residence.
McBain reported that thus far, the only special use permit sought and approved was for Tom Loesch Jr., sales manager for artist Billy Hedel, to operate a gallery at their home at 916 SE Second St.
One other gallery owner quoted by McBain, William Sovern, said he doesn't like some of the restrictions, particularly the one that restricts sales to three artists at any one time. He said he could never have a group show.
If you don't like any of the restrictions, talk about it with the city and other gallery owners, but don't ignore the process. It seems to us that the city and the arts community want to make this a successful endeavor and would at least listen to concerns.
As City Council member Keith Jarboe, who has led the push for the district, said, he was surprised that artists were not seeking the permits, because the creation of the special use permit was driven by the arts community.
"They indicated this is what they needed," Jarboe told McBain. "Now that we've provided the vehicle for them to do this, they need to step up to the plate and become legal."
Indeed they do.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 22, 2008 08:41 AM
Posted to Indiana Law