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Council approves lease with Celadon to restore Harley Clark mansion; neighbors and garden groups pledge support
Summary
The City Council approved an ordinance authorizing a lease with Celadon Construction Corporation for the Harley Clark mansion (Harley Clark Lakehouse and grounds). The lease includes public‑use provisions, a revised fire‑pit rental limit and a three‑year review clause; council adoption followed robust public comment and passed 7–1.
The City Council on March 10 adopted Ordinance 20‑O‑25 authorizing the city manager to execute a lease with Celadon Construction Corporation for the Harley Clark mansion and adjacent grounds (2603 Sheridan Road). Council Member Nussbaum moved the ordinance and Council Member Wynne seconded; the ordinance passed 7–1.
The lease commits Celadon to rehabilitate Harley Clark’s coach house, greenhouse and mansion and to operate public programming in coordination with local partners, including Jens Jensen Gardens groups who addressed the council. Dozens of public commenters — including representatives of Jens Jensen Gardens, neighborhood associations, and nearby residents — urged approval, saying Celadon’s plan would restore the deteriorating property, expand public program space and support garden stewardship. “Celadon’s investment will benefit the community as a whole,” a Jens Jensen Gardens representative told council.
Parks and Recreation staff explained public‑access limits the lease establishes for the site and noted the lease was revised since the last packet to add specific restrictions on concentrated weekend reservations for the site’s fire pit (the lease sets a cap: no more than 25% of prime‑time weekend reservations per party, and total allocations that reserve 25% of prime time for the city and 50% for community reservations). Parks Director Audrey Thompson said prime time is the weekend (Friday–Sunday) across the season and that staff and Celadon will revisit the reservation policy three years after operations begin to adjust for equity and access concerns.
Corporation Counsel Alex Ruggie confirmed earlier redactions in a proposal packet were not material to the lease decisions; the redacted pages were released under FOIA earlier the same day, Ruggie said. Several speakers raised transparency concerns and asked for specific, enforceable covenants guaranteeing public use of first‑floor space and ongoing public programming; others urged the council to approve the lease to halt further deterioration of the mansion and allow restoration work to proceed.
The lease contains a default provision allowing the city to terminate the agreement if substantial construction does not begin and the site is left idle for a defined period (the tenant may have a cure period before termination). Council members stressed that the public’s access to the grounds and the preservation of the Jens Jensen landscape were priorities; multiple Jens Jensen volunteers said they would partner with Celadon on stewardship and programming.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance 20‑O‑25 (Harley Clark lease with Celadon) — mover: Council Member Nussbaum; seconder: Council Member Wynne; vote: 7 ayes, 1 nay; outcome: adopted.
Why it matters: The lease moves a long‑stalled rehabilitation forward for a landmark property and creates a public‑private stewardship arrangement for historic structures and designed landscape; the public‑access terms and a three‑year review clause for fire‑pit reservations were added to respond directly to community concerns recorded during public comment.
