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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD Marin History Museum Building Permit Fee Waiverc�,�r oF�� Agenda Item No: 14 Meeting Date: February 4, 2002 1 UL—W SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Community Development Department Prepared G2 by: u City Manager Approval: �� Ro ert Brown, Comm. Development Director (RB) SUBJECT: Request for fee waiver for building permit application — Marin History Museum RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council approve a partial fee waiver by adopting the attached Resolution. BACKGROUND: At its meeting of May 7, 2001, the City Council granted a fee waiver to the Marin History Museum for processing planning applications associated with approval of the museum in Boyd Park. It is estimated that the fee waiver for the General Plan Amendment, zone change and design review permit will amount to approximately $2,400. The Council did not waive fees associated with preparation of an environmental document, since the City had prepared such a document in 1995, which had since lapsed due to inactivity on the project. In an attached letter (Exhibit A), directors of the Museum now request waiver of building permit fees for the project. Staff estimates that the cost of the building permit applications will amount to approximately $17,000. The letter suggests the following rationale for the requested fee waiver: • The Marin History Museum is a non-profit organization; • The Museum will benefit the local economy as a tourist draw; • The facilities will be available for rent by community organizations; and • There will be a program of free admission days for County residents. ANALYSIS: On March 5, 2001, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 10789, establishing policy for consideration of fee waiver requests. This policy identifies that the City Council will consider fee waiver requests for Planning and Building permit fees for "non-profit organizations or other community organizations which provide social services or community improvements which benefit the general public of the City of San Rafael," and based on the "impact of such waivers on the General Fund." The Marin History Museum does qualify as a non-profit and, based on the previous fee waiver approved, the Council determined that the museum will benefit the general public of San Rafael. However, staff has concerns about the impact of the latest fee waiver request on City revenues. The proposed waiver would constitute approximately 2% of annual building permit revenues. Building permit revenues fell 18% below budget projections during the past year, a shortfall of $140,000, due to FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: 236 x 1-10-,Z X /"- Council D ' - Council Meeting: a( t Disposition: �E (" o8. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 the economic recession. Given that the City has previously provided a $2,400 fee waiver and will be providing the land area for the museum without cost, staff recommends that the Council not grant the $17,000 fee waiver request due to its impact on the City's declining revenues. As an alternative, staff would recommend granting a partial fee waiver. Over the past ten years, the largest fee waiver granted was for $7,400. The Council could choose to waive $5,000 of the estimated $17,000 building permit fee to bring the City's total fee waiver to the level of the highest previous waiver approved. FISCAL IMPACT: The requested waiver would constitute a loss of $17,000 in building permit revenue — approximately 2% of annual building permit revenue. A $5,000 fee waiver would have substantially less impact on revenues. OPTIONS: The City Council may: • Approve a reduced fee waiver by adopting the attached resolution. • Deny the fee waiver request. • Approve the full fee waiver request. Exhibits A - December 17, 2001 letter from Richard P. Murray and Merry Alberigi of the Marin History Musuem B - City Council Resolution No. 10789 — Policy for Consideration of Fee Waivers C - Resolution of Approval of Partial Fee Waiver RESOLUTION NO. 11008 A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL WAIVING PAYMENT OF FEES FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM IN BOYD PARK. WHEREAS, on May 7, 2001 the San Rafael City Council approved a fee waiver for the processing of certain planning application for the Marin History Museum in Boyd Park, finding that such waiver met the criteria of Resolution 10789 for consideration of fee waivers; and WHEREAS, on December 17, 2001, Richard P. Murray and Merry Alberigi of the Marin History Museum submitted a request to waive fees associated with applications for building permits, estimated to be in the amount of $17,000; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of San Rafael that the payment of building permit application fees for the Marin History Museum in Boyd Park is hereby reduced by $5,000, finding that the proposed waiver is consistent with the requirements of Resolution 10789 establishing policies for consideration of fee waivers in that: • The Marin History Museum is a non-profit organization providing services of benefit to the general public of San Rafael including benefits to the local economy through increased tourism, availability of its facilities to community organizations for meetings and other gatherings, and free admission to the museum by County residents on specified dates; and • The waiver of $17,000 would have a significant impact on General Fund revenues at a time when permit revenues are 20% less than budget projections, and would set a precedent as the highest fee waiver granted during the past ten years. However, a partial fee waiver of $5,000 would have a lesser impact on anticipated permit revenues and would equal the highest fee waiver granted during the past ten year period. I, JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of said City on Monday, the fourth day of February, 2002, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None �P�Qitlr.�.e. ltr d.QC+�-t�sv� JEAV4M7 1. LEONC , City Clerk a — _r- MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM December 17, 2001 The Honorable Albert J. Boro City of San Rafael P.O. Box 151560 San Rafael, CA 94915 Re: Marin History Museum — Request for Fee Waiver Dear Mayor Boro, The Marin History Museum is continuing to develop plans for the new facility in San Rafael's Boyd Park. Shortly following the anticipated planning and lease approval in early March 2002, the Museum intends to submit plans to the Building Department for review and eventually pull the Building Permit. At these times fees will be due for the plan check and building permit. We are therefore submitting this request for a fee waiver on the plan check and building permit fees that the City of San Rafael may be able waive for the non-profit Museum. The building value is anticipated to be in the range of $2,500,000 to $3,000,000. Waiver of the fees will permit the Museum to apply our donations directly to the new facility. We expect that the new 13,400 square foot complex will help to further the City's efforts to revitalize downtown San Rafael, for museums throughout our country have demonstrated that they offer economic benefits to the communities in which they are located. Museums are valuable public resources that reflect what communities can achieve when they come together. People from all walks of life appreciate museums as educational resources for children, as places for families to enjoy together, and as keepers of a community's heritage. A solid majority of Americans say they have been to a museum in the past year, and three- quarters have visited one in the last five years. 1125 B Street San Rafael, CA 94901 415.454.8538 415.454.6137 fax www.marinhistory.org infomhm@pacbell.net EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Merry Alberigi, M.A. 415.883.9076 direct 415.883.2964 fax merrymel23@aol.com DIRECTORS Richard P. Murray President Carney Campion Vice President Steve Borden Secretary John Morre Treasurer Ann Laurence Catherine Munson Victoria Tarantino Richard G. Torney Maynard Willms ADVISORY BOARD Etta Allen Lee Battat Mary Jane Burke loan Capurro Charles Daniels Rafael G. Dufficy, Jr., M.D. Fred Enemark Edward Fox John Govi Shirley Graves Frank J. Keaton Catherine Knopf Heidi Kuhn William P. Murray, Jr. Dolly Nave John Newman James Placak Michael Smith Mona Verzi Exhibit A The Hon. Albert J. Boro December 17, 2001 Re: Marin History Museum Page 2 The following visitor statistics indicate that museums are important destinations for tourists and residents of the communities in which they are located: There has been a 50% increase in the number of museum visits per day over the last ten years. Today, American museums average approximately 865 million visits per year or 2.3 million visits per day. Thirty-six percent of all travelers will visit a museum and museums rank in the top three family vacation destinations. Studies show that museums are important to tourism, attract new business and enhance the quality of life. The following economic statistics indicate that museums are good business and that they have a positive impact on economies of the communities in which they are located: • Tourists who visit museums spend nearly twice as much on their travel as those who do not. • In 4 1/2 months in 1996, the exhibit "Imperial Tombs of China" at the Portland, Oregon, Art Museum injected $92.3 million into the state economy. • In 1992-1997, tourists spent $320 million directly related to the six historic house museums of the Historic Hudson Valley in New York. • In 1994 alone, Utah museums generated an additional $5.7 million in household earnings and nearly $500,000 in state tax revenue. With Marin County already a tourist destination we believe that Marin's first major history museum devoted to telling the story of our county in a creative and imaginative way, will be an additional draw to visitors who come to see the county's breathtaking natural wonders and other attractions. Surveys have shown that tourists who visit museums generally spend more time in a community than they would otherwise and the longer tourists stay, the more they contribute to the local economy. In fact, museums rank in the top three family vacation destinations. When two new museums were built in Santa Ana, California, new restaurants, shops and galleries sprung up to create a dynamic business district in what had been an economically depressed area. Finally, through expenditures on staff, construction, programming, etc., the new Marin Ilistory Museum will favorably impact the economies of both the city of San Rafael and the County. The Hon. Albert J. Boro December 17, 2001 Re: Marin History Museum Page 3 The new Marin History Museum will contribute to the effort to revitalize downtown San Rafael by drawing both tourists and residents to Boyd Park. Once they are in the downtown area, like many visitors to other museums throughout the United States, they will contribute to the local economy by eating in local restaurants, shopping in the retail stores, attending movies and plays, and visiting galleries. The new Marin History Museum plans to expand its connections with other community institutions by partnering with public schools, serving as a community meeting center, and promoting adult education. Once the new building is open to the public it will be available for other organizations and groups to use for meetings, receptions, public educational programs and other kinds of events. These kinds of gatherings also will draw people to Boyd Park and, like the visitors who come to the museum to see the exhibits, those who attend special meetings, receptions and other events will contribute to the San Rafael economy by eating in local restaurants and shopping in local stores. Museums broaden our children's horizons, enrich their lives and introduce them to new opportunities and experiences. Museums are a wonderful place where children can learn and they help children grow for the future. San Rafael school children will enjoy educational programs both in their classrooms and at the Marin History Museum. The new Museum will also positively impact the local economy by providing jobs both during the construction of the facility and once it is built and open to the public. Furthermore, the Museum will contribute positively to the local economy through its purchases of supplies, food, and other goods and �Y_)1kV#(WL1 Plans for the new complex call for 15,500 square feet of public gardens. The new building, which will be nestled into the hillside, will have rooftop gardens that will join with Boyd Park. This increased square footage will complement the current park very nicely. In addition, once the new building is completed there are plans to restore the Boyd Gate House as a period home, which would result in renovations work that will require hiring local contractors and purchasing other goods and services in the community. The Museum will implement a regular program of free admission days for San Rafael residents and other residents of the County. San Rafael will undoubtedly benefit from being home to a state-of-the-art first class museum devoted to celebrating traditions of innovation and creativity of the people of The Hon. Albert J. Boro December 17, 2001 Re: Marin History Museum Page 4 Marin County. With its stunning new building, the new Museum will be a very positive addition to the City's "Cultural Row"—the Mission and B Street neighborhood, which is currently home to the Elks Club, Falkirk Cultural Center, City Hall, and the San Rafael Library and which will be the future home of the Marin Community Foundation. As you know, we are a California nonprofit corporation with 501(c) (3) tax- exempt status under the Internal Revenue Service code. Our budget comes almost entirely from private foundation grants and individual donations. Because fundraising is always a challenge and many donors and grantmakers specifically request that their grants or gifts be spent on program related work, it is very difficult to raise discretionary dollars. We hereby formally request that the City Council of San Rafael consider waiving the City fees typically associated with plan checking and building permits. If we are granted this waiver, we will use the monies that we would otherwise have paid to the City to further develop and ensure the success of the project, which we believe will benefit the visitors to and residents of the City of San Rafael, as well as the entire County. We are very appreciative of the City of San Rafaers efforts over the years to support our organization whenever possible. Very sincerely, AichardP. Murray President, Board of Directors Merry �A�Iberi Executive D ec r RESOLUTION NO. 10789 A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHING A POLICY FOR CONSIDERATION OF FEE WAIVER REQUESTS. WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael assesses fees for the processing of applications for new development and construction projects to recover administrative costs; and WHEREAS, such fees are set by resolution of the City Council, and WHEREAS, the City's General Plan addresses fee waivers for the establishment of affordable day care services and for projects containing a higher proportion of affordable housing units, both of which are identified community needs; and WHEREAS, the Council wishes to establish a policy governing requests for fee waivers; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael establishes policies for the review of fee waiver requests as follows: 1. The City Council will consider requests for waiver of applicable fees for Planning and Building permits only, not including mitigation fees such as traffic impact and parkland dedication in -lieu fees. 2. The City Council will consider waiver of such fees for child care facilities where it can be demonstrated that the waiver contributes to making such services more affordable to the general public. 3. The City Council will consider waiver of such fees for affordable housing units included in the City's Below Market Rate (BMR) housing program or where units are similarly restricted for long term affordability, based on the proportion of BMR to market -rate units within the application. 4. The City Council will consider waiver of such fees for governmental agencies, non-profit organizations or other community organizations which provide social services or community improvements which benefit the general public of the City of San Rafael. 5. City Council consideration of fee waivers shall also be based upon the impact of such waivers on the General Fund. I, JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of said City on Monday, the fifth day of March, 2001, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None JEWNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk Exhibit B ROUTING SLIP FOR APPROVAL OF CONTRACT/AGREEMENTS/ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONS INSTRUCTIONS: USE THIS FORM WITH EACH SUBMITTAL OF ORIGINAL CONTRACT/AGREEMENT/ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION BEFORE APPROVAL BY COUNCIL/ AGENCY S SRCC GENDA ITEM NO. 2/4/02 meeting �I FROM: Robert Brown I -1 Date: January 8, 2002 Originating Department: Communitv Development TITLE OF DOCUMENT: RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL WAIVING PAYMENT OF FEES FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM IN BOYD PARK (No : T staff recopmen=ion fo enia .a€ the regtede �v-acer_ _This reso. a pr va Iter a6r the ouncil,iithey so choose.) RECEIVED JAN 0 9 2002 Department Head (Signature) CITY ATTORNEY (LOWER HALF OF FORM FOR APPROVALS ONLY) REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER/ EXECUTIVE TO: DIRECTOR APPROVED AS TO FOR: APPROVED AS COUNCIL/AGENCY AGENDA ITEM ,L City NOT APPROVED REMARKS: RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL WAIVING PAYMENT OF FEES FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM IN BOYD PARK WHEREAS`.on May 7 2001 the San Rafael Ci Council approved a fee waiver for the Y City pp processing of certain planning applications for the Marin History Museum in Boyd Park, finding that such waiver met the criteria of Resolution 10789 for consideration of fee waivers; and WHEREAS, on December 17, 2001, Richard P. Murray and Merry Alberigi of the Marin History Museum submitted a request for waive fees associated with applications for building permits, estimated to be in the amount of $17,000. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of San Rafael that the payment of building permit application fees for the Marin History Museum in Boyd Park is hereby reduced by $5,000, finding that the�proposed waiver is consistent with the requirements of Resolution 10789 establishing policies for consideration of fee waivers in that: • The Marin History Museum is a non-profit organization providing services of benefit to the general public of San Rafael includingtnefits to the local economy through increased tourism, available of its facilities to community organizations for meetings and other gatherings, and free admission to the museum by County residents on specified dates; and • The waiver of $17,000 would have a significant impact on General Fund revenues at a time when permit revenues are 20% less than budgetprojections, and would set a precedent as the highest fee waiver granted during the past ten years. However, a partial fee waiver of $5,000 would have a lesser impact on anticipated permit revenues and would equal the highest fee waiver granted during the past ten year period. I, JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of said City on Monday, the fourth day of February, 2002, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: JEANNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk Exhibit C