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Council asks staff to review Chautauqua Hall deeds, uses and historic ordinances
Summary
Council directed staff to investigate ownership history, deed covenants, and allowable uses for Chautauqua Hall and to return with recommended updates to ordinances and fees; staff noted some historic ordinances in the record contain discriminatory language that must be cleaned up.
Councilmembers asked staff to clean up the legal and policy record for Chautauqua Hall after project planning staff and the recreation board raised inconsistencies in century‑old documents and modern permit language.
Staff reported work to coordinate groups that use the hall during an upcoming demolition/renovation phase and noted some old provisions in the code (including language dating to the 1920s) that are no longer appropriate. Chair of the Recreation Board, who brought the recommendation forward, said the board seeks clear, objective metrics for the recreation program and also recommended codifying Chautauqua Hall’s intended uses (education, lectures, performances) in a way that reflects current practice and community needs.
Councilmembers directed staff to investigate property ownership records, deed restrictions, historic covenants and the fee schedule; to confirm whether prior provisions survived later revisions; and to return with recommended ordinance language and policy changes. The motion to direct staff passed with the affirmative votes recorded on the Feb. 4 agenda.
What happens next: Staff will research property documentation and present findings and recommended ordinance updates to council for approval prior to construction and reopening plans.
