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Parks commission backs preliminary approval for theater expansion at 1614 West Harvard
Summary
The Roseburg Parks & Recreation Commission voted unanimously to recommend that city council grant preliminary approval for a conceptual expansion and renovation of the theater at 1614 West Harvard Avenue, allowing the theater group (referred to in the transcript as UAC) to begin fundraising and design work.
The Roseburg Parks & Recreation Commission unanimously voted Oct. 2 to forward preliminary approval to city council for a conceptual expansion and renovation of the theater at 1614 West Harvard Avenue.
City staff told commissioners the theater group referred to in the transcript as UAC has received a $2,000,000 donation toward the project and expects to raise additional funds to complete the work. Staff said preliminary approval would allow the group to begin fundraising and continue refining plans while formal lease amendments and construction approvals would come later.
Melody, identified in the meeting as the theater director, walked commissioners through design highlights: "It would completely change the interior of how we lay out the auditorium, and it would allow for 5 more restrooms." She said the plan would remove a south-end wall to add roughly 100 seats, increasing capacity from about 94–100 fixed seats to as many as 216, improve wheelchair access by rerouting the entry, shift the main entrance to the west near the art center, and raise the roof about two feet to improve interior clearance and backstage flexibility.
A commissioner raised traffic and parking concerns given nearby uses, noting overlap with a school, a farmers' market and weekend soccer; staff said those issues will be reviewed in later phases, including site review and council consideration. The commissioner also noted the building's listing on the National Register of Historic Places and said that listing affects review requirements.
Staff recommended preliminary approval specifically as a concept-phase endorsement that would let the project proceed with fundraising and design. After discussion, a commissioner moved to forward the recommendation to city council; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
What happens next: the commission's recommendation goes to the city council, which would consider preliminary approval and, if supportive, allow the theater group to continue fundraising and advance design and permit work. Final construction or lease amendments would be subject to later council action and any required historic- or land-use review.
Reporting note: the transcript uses several variant acronyms for the theater group ("UAC," "UACT," "UX"). The article uses the form shown most often in the meeting but notes the inconsistency; the group's full legal name was not specified in the transcript.
