HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19-14 Story Mansion Public Comment from Andy Epple Av7irew 4C_Y-,,�n
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Goo eveninga or Krauss anmem r of the Commission. My name is Andy
Epple, 1725 Hillside Lane, and I am here tonight to speak as Chairman of the
Board of the Friends of the Story Mansion. Let me begin by saying we know you
have tried long and hard, for many years, to find a suitable buyer for the Story
Mansion, to fulfill a commitment made by a City Manager well over a decade ago.
But a funny thing has happened along the way toward selling the Mansion. ►ram
Namely, the Mansion, as a result of substantial public investments made by the
City and others, has become ingrained in the culture and fabric of the city as a
vibrant community center. Friends of the Story wish to see it remain an active 11
gathering place and historic icon in public ownership. Several hard-working V
groups have made very earnest proposals to purchase the Mansion from you, but
none of the remaining proposals truly advance the value of the Mansion as a
community resource, or reflect the value of public money which has been put into
the mansion over the years. This is why the Friends strongly urge you to consider
the results of the Citizens Initiative, where over 800 individuals signed petitions
urging you to retain public ownership of the Story.
When we were in the running to purchase the Mansion, we were asked why we
couldn't go out and fundraise like the Library did? The difference was, and still is,
that no one was proposing to sell the library, which was a big hurdle we faced
when approaching possible donors. If you remove the specter of selling the
Mansion off, a robust capital campaign can begin, raising funds to renovate the
second and third floor, and the Carriage House. Our experience shows that
fundraising is virtually impossible when the potential exists to sell off the asset.
With a commitment to retaining public ownership, the City can count on the
Friends of the Story Mansion to re-activate our membership base, assist in a
capital campaign, and once again sponsor community events such as Halloween
Haunted House, Victorian Teas, and the Story Under the Stars film series. We also
stand ready to assist your staff in way you deem suitable to help market and
promote the Mansion.
Thank you for your consideration of making a commitment to keeping the Story
Mansion in public ownership.