Hi fellow Pagosa Springs Arts Council members!

I want to inform you of news on the Town Park Gallery building. Over the summer, the Pagosa Springs Arts Council’s Board seriously considered making repairs to this building, which is owned by the Town of Pagosa Springs and rented to our organization for a nominal $10 per year. Through this summer’s building evaluation process, our Board and I realized the significant potential for scope growth in any repairs we might consider performing. My own external inspections of the building revealed extensive wood rot not only on the building’s east side, but also on the adjoining north and south sides. This rot is so significant that in two places (one which is under the window in the exhibit gallery space) the wood is nearly rotted through to the building inside. I also witnessed internal skin movement (horizontal separation of the corners and in paneling along the ceiling and vertical settling of paneling sections) within the exhibit gallery space.

This rot is so significant that in two places (one which is under the window in the exhibit gallery space) the wood is nearly rotted through to the building inside. I also witnessed internal skin movement (horizontal separation of the corners and in paneling along the ceiling and vertical settling of paneling sections) within the exhibit gallery space. This deterioration happened since mid-July. My gut feeling was that we would be placing our membership’s and organization’s money at risk, and even worse, entering into a repair plan that could not be easily or quickly solved due to unforeseen building issues. Thus, with the full support and vote of our Board, I brought the building issues to the Town’s attention to seek their input regarding potential solutions.

My discussions with the Town included asking them whether they would be willing and able to cost share in the Town Park Gallery building repairs. I also brought forth several other options, one which involves building a new PSAC building on Town-owned property and another which involves housing PSAC’s activities in Town Hall and the Community Center for an interim period. My actions spurred a thorough inspection of the building by Scott Pierce of the Town; an inspection I absolutely felt was necessary to ensure the safety of our personnel, membership, volunteers, patrons and visitors. While I won’t go into the details of his report here, Mr. Pierce’s conclusion was the same as mine --- that trying to make repairs to this building in its current deteriorated state would be a money pit, a “can of worms” if you will. In consideration of Mr. Pierce’s inspection findings, the Town Council voted on Tuesday November 3rd to demolish the Town Park Gallery building. The date for demolition has not been set, but will be sometime after the spring thaw in 2010, pending PSAC’s safe move from the premises.

I fully understand your sentimentality for the existing building; I know that many of you will be saddened by this news. However, I want you to know that our Board and I thought long and hard about the condition of the building and our potential solutions. Our resulting conclusion was that even if we made all the repairs necessary to make the building safe and additional repairs, for example, to make the space more energy efficient, we would still have a building that was too small to meet the needs of our future exhibits and comfortably accommodate our members and other patrons. Furthermore, our Board and I strongly felt, as supported by the expert opinion of one civil/structural engineer, that such repairs would only be stop-gap, and the building would require additional structural repairs in the not too distant future.

I want to reassure you that PSAC will not be left without a proper venue for our office, exhibits and workshops. Through the very supportive, kind and considerate efforts of Town Manager David Mitchum, I am actively working with the Town to display our 2010 exhibits in the first floor rotunda of Town Hall, and house our office space and 2010 workshops in the Community Center. This plan, which has the full support of the Town and Comm. Center, will provide our membership and other patrons with safe, accessible, economically sustainable and very desirable venues for our activities. It is a plan that our organization can economically sustain and that the Town and Comm. Center fully support for an interim period in which to allow our organization to raise sufficient funds to rebuild. The Board and I are in full agreement with and supportive of the Town Council’s decision. I am also very appreciative of the help and support our organization has received from Mr. Mitchum through this very tough decision. Our collaboration will continue to help build a stronger bond between the arts, our Town government and the community. A win-win for all of us!

I look forward to a new future for the Pagosa Springs Arts Council and an exciting 2010 season in our new venue, with the promise of a new building in our organization’s future.

Sincerely,
Linda Echterhoff