Officials in Laguna Beach, renowned for being a creative hub, took steps this week to streamline the process for local artists to obtain a permit to reside in live-work housing.
The City Council, which for some time has been addressing the need for affordable housing and workspace for its artists, unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday that eliminates the requirement for an in-person meeting of an artist review panel for approval. The panel, a three-person subcommittee of the arts commission, has previously met within 30 days after the submission of an application. Those meetings also received public noticing in advance.
Applications will now fall under administrative review by the community development director or their designee within 14 days of receiving an artist’s completed application.
Those submitting an application must still meet three of four criteria to receive consideration for the designated housing.
Those criteria include proof of formal training, as well as evidence of a body of work that has been created within the last three years. Applicants should have work that has been presented to the public. The other qualifying factor would be the inclusion of three letters of recommendation from members of the arts community.
“There is no aesthetic judgment considered, and it’s not juried or curated,” Cultural Arts Manager Sian Poeschl said. “It’s purely submitting this information.”
Both the Arts and Planning commissions unanimously supported the municipal code amendment, which Poeschl said would expedite the process and assist artists in completing applications protecting artist live-work spaces.
“What’s happening is [the current process] slows things down for the artists,” said Mayor Sue Kempf, a liaison to the Arts Commission. “They’ve submitted their applications, and they’re ready to go. It’s just a process that’s a little clunky, and I think this will be a better process. It doesn’t change the criteria or anything. The criteria is the criteria. It doesn’t matter if three people are reviewing or one, what they submit is the same.”
Councilman Mark Orgill asked if the Arts Commission would be receiving a report of which artists had been approved or denied as applicants. Poeschl affirmed that could be done.
“I think this is streamlining government and getting rid of unnecessary commissions that just create unnecessary [use of] time and energy for everyone,” Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi said. “I think this still achieves the goal of making sure that true artists are living in artist live-work housing.”
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July 12, 2024 at 07:18AM
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Laguna Beach to streamline decisions on artist live-work applications - Los Angeles Times
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