Agenda - 05-08-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

3 1 The most recent economic development plan for Orange County names the arts as one of the 2 focuses for development in the County. How can Orange County in fact be an arts-friendly 3 community, specifically for the visual arts? An arts-friendly environment has to be an artist- 4 friendly environment. For visual artists to thrive they need two things: places to show and sell 5 their work; and places to make their work, or studio space. This second need is the one less 6 understood and most often overlooked. 7 8 Right now Orange County is reviewing its zoning laws. Under current rules, artists can 9 realistically only build studios on land where they occupy a primary residence, under the "home 10 business" designation. This assumes that all artists can afford their own homes: and all artists 11 can afford to build a studio for their own exclusive use. If two or more people decide to 12 collaboratively build a studio not at a primary residence, it must be done on land zoned for 13 commercial use. While there are small parcels in the County that were not grand-fathered in as 14 commercially zoned in the early 1990's, most plots designated commercial at that time were the 15 so-called economic development zones that are best for big-box stores and mixed retail/food 16 businesses that thrive in strip malls. These areas are not compatible with art studios, nor are 17 they affordable for artist use. 18 19 Artists have often favored shared studio space because of its affordability, but currently Orange 20 County makes that almost impossible. I urge you to consider some alternative to these zoning 21 rules, perhaps in rural areas, that would allow for low-impact collective studio use by artists, and 22 perhaps for other creative, non-fine art designers, architects, etc. For example, imagine a 23 group of painters deciding to buy a small piece of rural property with an old barn that can be 24 rehabilitated for shared work space. Or a small group of potters purchasing an older affordable 25 farm house to be used as a studio. Or a group of artists purchasing a plot of land and then 26 constructing a relatively low-cost building suitable for studio space but not for residential use. 27 Could the Commission staff investigate how other counties in North Carolina and throughout 28 the country may help provide affordable work space for artists? 29 30 Our area already has a strong arts community, but the County is not particularly friendly to 31 younger artists, those who don't have the resources to create a home/studio combination. We 32 will never be a dynamic arts destination unless we can attract young artists as well as nurturing 33 those who are more well-established. With the redevelopment of the large warehouse 34 structures in Durham that now serve as shared studio space, like Golden Belt and Liberty Arts 35 Sculpture Studio, our larger area is starting to attract younger artists. While Orange County 36 doesn't have much of that kind of infrastructure for redevelopment, there are things that a rural 37 county can do to make it more affordable and possible for artists to live and work in the County. 38 Reconsidering these zoning issues that relegate shared space to commercially zoned areas, 39 and making the rules friendlier to shared studio space for artists, is an initiative that could make 40 a huge difference in the economic development of the County. 41 42 Jackie Stone Huerner said she is a resident of Hillsborough, and she is following up on 43 discussion regarding the proposed bus routes. She said there is concern that one of the 44 proposed bus routes was going to go along Highway 86 North from Hillsborough. She said 45 there is a much more suburban lifestyle in that area, and most of the residents have cars and 46 are unlikely to use the bus. She said there is a great need for bus service in the mobile home 47 parks, rent subsidized apartments, and low income housing areas within Hillsborough. She 48 encouraged the Board use the scarce resources to serve those who really need and will use the 49 bus. 50