Received via email 2.12.24:
Dear Council,
I have been (somewhat) following the expansion details for the 4 Arts. The parking alone at the site is already a nightmare as we all know, but to add insult to injury a lot of those impossible-to- get spaces are reserved for “members “ only.
Membership, from what I can gather, is a secretive, select group. Who knows who gets admitted or why. Personally, my name, as well as MANY others I know, have been on their Waiting List for years while others are granted membership the minute they arrive on the island. Why the exclusivity?
Unlike The Norton or the Kravitz Center across the bridge, The 4 Arts membership is not open to all, nor is their parking. Perhaps the 4 Arts should become more community minded before being granted ( or even asking) for more town exemptions and/ or space.
Sincerely,
Victoria Donaldson
227 Brazilian Ave
Palm Beach
Received via email 2.12.24:
Dear Mayor and Members of the Town Council:
As long standing and active residents of the Town of Palm Beach, my wife, Miranda and I fully support the application of the Society of the Four Arts for rezoning as a Cultural Institution (together with the Flagler Museum) and the related renovation and expansion projects to the O’Keefe and Rovensky Buildings, the proposed safe and secure Children’s Library, and improvement to the outdated auditorium and art gallery facilities. These improvements are vital to the reaccreditation of the Society by the American Association of Museums. On a related matter, I also urge the termination of the lake bicycle path at the northern border of the property of the Four Arts in order to avoid the hazardous crossing across Royal Palm Way. This crossing is an accident waiting to happen.
For a long as we have been involved in Palm Beach, the Four Arts has provided the best- in- class cultural and educational offerings for free or a very nominal cost and has made Palm Beach unique among all but the largest Florida communities. It was providing service to the community at the time when I caught my first fish over the Palm Beach pier that no longer exists. During this period, the Four Arts incurred unnecessary expense and delay as a result of it needing to obtain variances in order to improve its services as a result of its R-B zoning. The rezoning is essential for the Four Arts to properly benefit from its proposed $150 million capital campaign necessary to renovate and improve its physical facilities including the Children’s Library and the Rovensky and O’Keeffe buildings. The rezoning also properly recognizes and supports the purpose of the proposed zoned area.
It should be noted that the town’s cultural institutions are a major attraction to residents and support the value of the property of all the residents and the recognition of a new cultural district zone will enhance this benefit.
Thank you for the proactive approach that the you are taking in order to rationalize the zoning code of Palm Beach to recognize the needs of its unique cultural institutions.
Regards,
Bob and Miranda Donnelley
190 Via Palma
Palm Beach, Florida 33480
Received via email 2.12.24:
Palm Beach Council Members:
My name is Bob Guthrie
I live at 140 El Mirasol year around. No second address.
I have the privilege of being the Chairman of the Board of The Society of The Four Arts. You and we have grown up together for a hundred years.
The Four Arts is a family.
We have an annual budget of $13m.
We have 2000 members.
We have 6,000 nonmember participants who regularly attend our events.
We have 800 members who contribute $8m a year, 65% of our budget, making possible friendly charges for all others.
We provide the town with:
700 programs and performances a year.
Acres of gardens.
Art Gallery.
Lake trail for pedestrians and bicycles.
School parking.
Children’s Library.
Town Library.
Town pump station and 6’ diameter pipe.
Our many supporters are proud to be the cultural center of Palm Beach.
We are proud to pay the $13m a year to keep this town resource thriving.
We are grateful that when we have come to you for help in the past, you have not failed to support us.
We are here again to ask you for help to renovate our physical plant, to improve our programs, and to benefit our town for another hundred years.
We are confident you will not fail to support us one more time.
Received via email 1.22.24 from William Strawbridge:
As the town struggles with how to simplify our zoning code two of our most entitled institutions are galloping off in a thinly veiled attempt trying to do exactly the opposite. They have no real need or justification. They’ve just special. Wrong. Nobody is special.
To the rescue Town Council. To the rescue.
Receieved via email 1.8.24:
Re: Proposed Cultural Institution Zoning District
Dear Mayor and Town Council:
My name is Dotsy Letts and I have been a resident of Palm Beach for over 85 years and living at 419 Seaview Avenue, a home I purchased with my husband, The late Hon. Gavin Letts, in 1960. As a consequence, I have been a neighbor of the Society of the Four Arts (“Four Arts”) since 1960 and am the longest standing member of the Four Arts, having joined in 1940. During this time, the Four Arts has been a wonderful and collaborative neighbor.
I am writing to you in support of the Four Arts’ proposed zoning and comprehensive plan changes to create a Cultural Institution zoning district.
The Four Arts has served the Town of Palm Beach for almost 90 years. It is perhaps the most “town-serving” organization in the Town, providing best-in-class, diverse cultural offerings for free or a very nominal cost. It is one of the Town’s greatest assets.
When the Town Zoning Code was created about 40 years ago, the Four Arts was inexplicably placed in the R-B zoning district, which is a zoning district for single-family homes. The same R-B zoning district was also imposed upon the Flagler Museum, a house that has stood in its current location for 122 years and is equally town-serving. Both cultural institutions are non-conforming with R-B zoning and are required to obtain numerous variances every time either institution has a building or renovation project. This creates both unnecessary expense and unfair risk to both.
Both institutions have endured years of unnecessary hardship being subjected to zoning provisions that clearly should not apply to them. Both institutions should be in a cultural zoning district that is appropriately tailored to the unique uses and functions of cultural institutions.
The Four Arts’ proposed $120 million+ campaign to renovate and modernize the Rovensky and O’Keefe buildings cannot be accomplished under the R-B regulations, even with significant variances. The time has come to do what should have been done 40 years ago – create a Cultural Institution zoning district and place the Four Arts and the Flagler Museum in this new and appropriate zoning district.
The creation of appropriate zoning rules for these types of uses is in line with almost all other communities in the nation.
The creation of the Cultural Institution zoning district will foreclose the opportunity for homeowners in the R-B zoning district to attempt to avail themselves of any greater development capacity that the Town might have granted to the Four Arts or the Flagler Museum through special exceptions or variances. Thus, the public benefit of this new zoning district is twofold.
The Four Arts and the Flagler Museum are both offering to voluntarily downzone themselves, giving up their right to build dozens of homes on their campuses (which they can both do by right today) to forever be cultural institutions - serving us. This is a gift to the entire Town. We should be doing anything we can to assist them in this effort and express our gratitude for their deep commitment to making Palm Beach special.
I appreciate the proactive approach that the Town is taking to making our zoning code meet our current and future needs.
Sincerely,
Dotsy Letts
Cc: Sophia Letts, who also supports the proposed Cultural Institution zoning district, as the direct beneficiary of 419 Seaview Avenue and a member of the Four Arts.
Attachment received via email 2.13.24 from Michael Kluger
Received via email 2.12.24:
Dear Council,
I have been (somewhat) following the expansion details for the 4 Arts. The parking alone at the site is already a nightmare as we all know, but to add insult to injury a lot of those impossible-to- get spaces are reserved for “members “ only.
Membership, from what I can gather, is a secretive, select group. Who knows who gets admitted or why. Personally, my name, as well as MANY others I know, have been on their Waiting List for years while others are granted membership the minute they arrive on the island. Why the exclusivity?
Unlike The Norton or the Kravitz Center across the bridge, The 4 Arts membership is not open to all, nor is their parking. Perhaps the 4 Arts should become more community minded before being granted ( or even asking) for more town exemptions and/ or space.
Sincerely,
Victoria Donaldson
227 Brazilian Ave
Palm Beach
Received via email 2.12.24:
Dear Mayor and Members of the Town Council:
As long standing and active residents of the Town of Palm Beach, my wife, Miranda and I fully support the application of the Society of the Four Arts for rezoning as a Cultural Institution (together with the Flagler Museum) and the related renovation and expansion projects to the O’Keefe and Rovensky Buildings, the proposed safe and secure Children’s Library, and improvement to the outdated auditorium and art gallery facilities. These improvements are vital to the reaccreditation of the Society by the American Association of Museums. On a related matter, I also urge the termination of the lake bicycle path at the northern border of the property of the Four Arts in order to avoid the hazardous crossing across Royal Palm Way. This crossing is an accident waiting to happen.
For a long as we have been involved in Palm Beach, the Four Arts has provided the best- in- class cultural and educational offerings for free or a very nominal cost and has made Palm Beach unique among all but the largest Florida communities. It was providing service to the community at the time when I caught my first fish over the Palm Beach pier that no longer exists. During this period, the Four Arts incurred unnecessary expense and delay as a result of it needing to obtain variances in order to improve its services as a result of its R-B zoning. The rezoning is essential for the Four Arts to properly benefit from its proposed $150 million capital campaign necessary to renovate and improve its physical facilities including the Children’s Library and the Rovensky and O’Keeffe buildings. The rezoning also properly recognizes and supports the purpose of the proposed zoned area.
It should be noted that the town’s cultural institutions are a major attraction to residents and support the value of the property of all the residents and the recognition of a new cultural district zone will enhance this benefit.
Thank you for the proactive approach that the you are taking in order to rationalize the zoning code of Palm Beach to recognize the needs of its unique cultural institutions.
Regards,
Bob and Miranda Donnelley
190 Via Palma
Palm Beach, Florida 33480
Received via email 2.12.24:
Palm Beach Council Members:
My name is Bob Guthrie
I live at 140 El Mirasol year around. No second address.
I have the privilege of being the Chairman of the Board of The Society of The Four Arts. You and we have grown up together for a hundred years.
The Four Arts is a family.
We have an annual budget of $13m.
We have 2000 members.
We have 6,000 nonmember participants who regularly attend our events.
We have 800 members who contribute $8m a year, 65% of our budget, making possible friendly charges for all others.
We provide the town with:
700 programs and performances a year.
Acres of gardens.
Art Gallery.
Lake trail for pedestrians and bicycles.
School parking.
Children’s Library.
Town Library.
Town pump station and 6’ diameter pipe.
Our many supporters are proud to be the cultural center of Palm Beach.
We are proud to pay the $13m a year to keep this town resource thriving.
We are grateful that when we have come to you for help in the past, you have not failed to support us.
We are here again to ask you for help to renovate our physical plant, to improve our programs, and to benefit our town for another hundred years.
We are confident you will not fail to support us one more time.
Received via email 1.22.24 from William Strawbridge:
As the town struggles with how to simplify our zoning code two of our most entitled institutions are galloping off in a thinly veiled attempt trying to do exactly the opposite. They have no real need or justification. They’ve just special. Wrong. Nobody is special.
To the rescue Town Council. To the rescue.
Receieved via email 1.8.24:
Re: Proposed Cultural Institution Zoning District
Dear Mayor and Town Council:
My name is Dotsy Letts and I have been a resident of Palm Beach for over 85 years and living at 419 Seaview Avenue, a home I purchased with my husband, The late Hon. Gavin Letts, in 1960. As a consequence, I have been a neighbor of the Society of the Four Arts (“Four Arts”) since 1960 and am the longest standing member of the Four Arts, having joined in 1940. During this time, the Four Arts has been a wonderful and collaborative neighbor.
I am writing to you in support of the Four Arts’ proposed zoning and comprehensive plan changes to create a Cultural Institution zoning district.
The Four Arts has served the Town of Palm Beach for almost 90 years. It is perhaps the most “town-serving” organization in the Town, providing best-in-class, diverse cultural offerings for free or a very nominal cost. It is one of the Town’s greatest assets.
When the Town Zoning Code was created about 40 years ago, the Four Arts was inexplicably placed in the R-B zoning district, which is a zoning district for single-family homes. The same R-B zoning district was also imposed upon the Flagler Museum, a house that has stood in its current location for 122 years and is equally town-serving. Both cultural institutions are non-conforming with R-B zoning and are required to obtain numerous variances every time either institution has a building or renovation project. This creates both unnecessary expense and unfair risk to both.
Both institutions have endured years of unnecessary hardship being subjected to zoning provisions that clearly should not apply to them. Both institutions should be in a cultural zoning district that is appropriately tailored to the unique uses and functions of cultural institutions.
The Four Arts’ proposed $120 million+ campaign to renovate and modernize the Rovensky and O’Keefe buildings cannot be accomplished under the R-B regulations, even with significant variances. The time has come to do what should have been done 40 years ago – create a Cultural Institution zoning district and place the Four Arts and the Flagler Museum in this new and appropriate zoning district.
The creation of appropriate zoning rules for these types of uses is in line with almost all other communities in the nation.
The creation of the Cultural Institution zoning district will foreclose the opportunity for homeowners in the R-B zoning district to attempt to avail themselves of any greater development capacity that the Town might have granted to the Four Arts or the Flagler Museum through special exceptions or variances. Thus, the public benefit of this new zoning district is twofold.
The Four Arts and the Flagler Museum are both offering to voluntarily downzone themselves, giving up their right to build dozens of homes on their campuses (which they can both do by right today) to forever be cultural institutions - serving us. This is a gift to the entire Town. We should be doing anything we can to assist them in this effort and express our gratitude for their deep commitment to making Palm Beach special.
I appreciate the proactive approach that the Town is taking to making our zoning code meet our current and future needs.
Sincerely,
Dotsy Letts
Cc: Sophia Letts, who also supports the proposed Cultural Institution zoning district, as the direct beneficiary of 419 Seaview Avenue and a member of the Four Arts.
Please see attached letter.