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A proposed Community Performing Arts
Center located at Freshfields Village and designed to serve
Kiawah, Seabrook, and Johns Islands headlined this column in
December. A study evaluating the feasibility of that concept was
presented to the Town on February 26. [See article p 1.] The
study acknowledges there are a number of key issues which would
need to be addressed and resolved before the plan can be
considered viable. Clearly marked “DRAFT,” the report raises as
many questions as it answers.
This column presents further analysis of the proposal as
outlined in that feasibility study.
While the plan presented is only a preliminary proposal, KPOG
feels it is important that property owners understand what is
currently on the table. Here are some questions you might
consider as you review the proposed plan.
Business Model: Is this facility envisioned as a for-profit,
not-for-profit, or charity operation? At a meeting on February
26, the consultant who prepared the study said, “Performing arts
don’t make money.” While the Town has mentioned setting up a
separate organization/corporation to manage and operate the
facility, it has also been talking to SMG, described as the
premier organization among operators of this type of facility (www.smgworld.com).
No one can know for sure, but it is probably safe to assume that
regardless of the business model for the facility, any
independent operator would require its operations to be
profitable.
What are the assumptions of the business plan for this project
and why has the plan not been made public as yet? Were the
facility to be built and the proposed programming unable to
generate sufficient revenue with an outside operator, how might
this impact programming? After the capital investment at the
front end of the project, what kind of ongoing financial
commitment would be expected or required from the Town?
Would the operator of the facility, the Freshfields Village
developer, and any other concessionaires share in the risk and
any losses, or would contracts guarantee their profits and
require that any losses be underwritten by the Town and
ultimately the property owners?
Funding and Ongoing Costs: This facility was originally
envisioned as a joint Kiawah/Seabrook project. Has Seabrook
committed to support the proposed plan? If so, how will we share
expenses? If not, will Kiawah move forward alone? The Town has
stated that there are federal, state, and local monies available
to support a project such as this. What percentage of the
project might be financed with outside funds and what are the
requirements to qualify for these funds?
Pages 25-28 of the study, devoted to Conceptual Costs of the
project, were not included in the copy of the study provided to
KPOG. We have filed a formal request for this information under
the Freedom of Information Act. What will be included in the
cost study and when will this analysis be available?
ATAX Funding: The town is legally permitted to commit
Accommodations Tax (ATAX) monies not only to capital projects
outside town borders but also to continuing projects. As most
readers of this column know, ATAX funds are monies received by
the town from a tax on accommodations. These funds must be spent
on promoting tourism. Kiawah’s total ATAX revenues for the past
three years have ranged from $643,271 for the year ending June
30, 2004 to $1,104,351 for the year ending June 30, 2006.
Committing an ongoing stream of ATAX monies to this project
would require that the budget grow to offset such expenses, or
that funds be diverted from existing ATAX projects that have
become part of the fabric of this Island. These projects include
such events as the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve fireworks,
the annual Easter Egg Hunt, and the Blues by the Sea program. If
sufficient ATAX monies are not available to support the
performing arts center project, where will the Town find the
remainder of the money?
Ticket Sales/Prices/Process: With a facility like this at our
doorstep and spearheaded by our own Town officials, could Island
property owners expect any direct benefits regarding access?
While there has been some discussion regarding ATAX sponsored
free events at the facility, might property owners have some
kind of preferred status for paid events?
Ticket prices for a variety of performances scheduled at the
North Charleston Performing Arts Center during April range in
price from $26 to $69.50. Tickets purchased at the box office
for all performances at that SMG-operated facility are charged
an additional $3 box office fee. Tickets purchased through
Ticketmaster are assessed an additional “convenience” fee based
on the price of the ticket. For the Joseph and the Amazing Dream
Coat performance on April 12, for example, a $28 ticket would
incur an additional charge of $5.75 while a $58 ticket would be
charged an additional $8.75. Would Island residents be able to
purchase tickets at a local box office without a surcharge?
Would we have access to performance tickets before they became
available to the general public? Would preferred access also be
granted to residents of Seabrook and Johns Islands, whether or
not they contribute to the amphitheater financially? Would
non-resident property owners receive the same benefits as
resident owners or pay “full price,” as tourists and visitors
from the greater Chareleston area will do?
Facility Size: To help us understand the scale of the proposed
project, we considered the capacity of other local venues. The
proposed 2000 seat facility would be eight times larger than the
240 seat Footlight Theater, four times larger than the 463 seat
Dock Street Theater, only slightly smaller than the 2250 seat
North Charleston Performing Arts Center, and approximately
three-quarters the size of the 2732 seat Gaillard Municipal
Auditorium.
The study makes it clear that the success of a facility this
size would require drawing an audience from an area well beyond
the Kiawah/Seabrook/Johns Island communities. According to the
consultant, it is a facility for “Charleston and the Islands.”
If this project moves forward, is a 2000 seat facility the right
size for our community?
Noise: The proposed facility site would be located north of the
existing man-made pond adjacent to Seabrook Island Road,
extending toward the existing roundabout. According to the
report this orientation “will provide minimum acoustical impact
to adjacent properties, although it is recommended that some
acoustical abatement strategies be incorporated into the design
of the facility to further shield the adjacent properties from
sound.”
It is a fact that sound carries, especially when it travels over
water. Music at events on the Resort’s property at Mingo Point
just outside Kiawah’s Main Gate has been the subject of a number
of complaints. Current residents at Kiawah River Estates (also
known as Hope Plantation) report that they sit on their decks in
the summer and listen to jazz performances held on the Green at
Freshfields. How far will the sound from amplified performances
carry? What level of sound is acceptable for a performing arts
center in that location, who will determine what “acceptable”
is, and what will the criteria be?
Traffic: Assuming three passengers per vehicle, the study
suggests existing and planned Phase II parking spaces within
Freshfields Village are sufficient to accommodate facility
patrons. Traffic immediately before and after events will
constrain movement not only within the Village, but also on
existing access roads. How might this impact travel to/from our
Islands at these times, and how might it impact the ability of
rescue personnel and vehicles to respond to Island emergencies?
Have the Fire Department and EMS been consulted about any
concerns they might have?
The Operations Planning section of the study indicates “Proper
signage can alleviate the necessity for operations personnel in
many cases.” In addition to parking signs, the North Charleston
facility has an elevated sign adjacent to I-526 with streaming
text advertising programming. While such a sign is unlikely to
be proposed for this project, what type of additional signage
might a facility at Freshfields require to direct event traffic
or advise potential patrons of current and future programming?
What restrictions on signage regarding location, height, etc.
might be expected?
Who Benefits? Who will benefit from a performing arts center at
the crossroads to Kiawah and Seabrook Islands? Will ready access
to performances improve our quality of life? Will this new
amenity increase property values for those of us who live here
or for those of us who own property and rent it? Will the
advantages offset the inconveniences we are likely to encounter?
While it is presumed that Freshfields’ developer (Atlantic
Partners LLC is an affiliate of Kiawah Development Partners (KDP),
Kiawah’s developer) will donate the property for such a project,
such a donation is likely to qualify as a tax write-off.
Further, the corporation would no longer be responsible for
property taxes on that parcel. If the facility’s agreement with
the developer mirrors lease agreements with current Village
tenants, the facility will generate a steady and potentially
growing new revenue stream.
Private or Public? Freshfields Village is not a part of Kiawah
Island. It is located on an unincorporated portion of Seabrook
Island within Charleston County. Has the developer of
Freshfields requested county ATAX funds? If so, how much has
been approved for the amphitheater? If not, why not?
Freshfields Village is private property. Why is any governmental
body driving this project? If any government is involved,
shouldn’t all adjacent governments be involved? If this project
is a sound and lucrative investment, why isn’t it being
undertaken by private entities?
Oversight Issues: Despite the fact that Freshfields Village, the
site of the proposed facility, is located on an unincorporated
portion of Seabrook Island, the study describes the Village as
being located on Kiawah Island. It says that zoning will be
handled by the Charleston County Planning Department, the Kiawah
Island Planning Commission, and the Kiawah Island Board of
Zoning Appeals. It further states that the project will require
approval of the Kiawah Island ARB and a Kiawah Island building
permit. Has there been any legal opinion as to what government
review will be needed? If the property is not located within the
Town of Kiawah, why would the Town of Kiawah be involved in the
approval process unless there are plans to annex the property?
Schedule: What is the schedule for this project? While the
report suggests a 2008 opening, it appears that additional
studies recommended in the report could delay any opening
substantially. The 18 month schedule laid out in the study makes
no mention of time for community input and incorporation of that
input, even though those steps are mentioned elsewhere in the
report.
When the Town allocated up to $50,000 for this feasibility study
last fall, KPOG suggested it solicit public input on the concept
before those funds were spent. We were told that property owners
couldn’t react to an abstract concept, they needed something
more concrete to get their arms around. We now have a 32-page
study in our hands, yet as we go to press, KPOG is unaware of
any efforts the Town has taken to publicize its availability to
Kiawah property owners or to our neighbors on Seabrook and Johns
Islands. Instead we have learned that the Town is seeking
substantial ATAX funding for additional work on the project. As
we go to press, KPOG has not yet had the opportunity to review
audio tapes of the March 23 ATAX meeting at which these matters
were discussed. Despite the fact that these meetings are open to
the public, KPOG has had to submit a formal request for access
to this information.
At the February 15 KICA forum to discuss the proposed changes to
the Community Association covenants, Councilman Don McIver,
chief advocate for this project, spoke passionately about the
need to thoroughly vet issues which could potentially have a
major impact on the community. KPOG couldn’t agree more. We
believe initial hearings on the proposed performing arts center
should begin now, before resident property owners leave the
Island for summer destinations. The more time and funds the Town
invests in any plan before receiving input from the community,
the more difficult it becomes to accept and incorporate such
feedback.
Further, KPOG hopes any such meetings would be scheduled to
allow maximum community participation. Hearings regarding the
2005 Development Agreement with KRA were scheduled in a short
period of time around the 2005 Labor Day holiday, when many
property owners were off-Island and unable to participate.
At this point in the process, it’s all about the vision. Let’s
make sure we get the vision right before we commit additional
time, money, and energy to further develop the plan.
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