Dear City Council and Planning Commission:
I have read through the proposal for the Guild’s many details, but also with a focus on community benefits to accrue from the
project. I am impressed by the proposal’s efforts to accommodate balanced arts programming in addition to live entertainment,
including film arts.
From that viewpoint, the groundwork has been conscientious as well as creative. The design of the building incorporates a
re-configurable floor space with basement storage for “theater quality” seats and graduated platforms to create a slope for
viewing film, preserving the “cinema capability…[as] an additional public benefit” as Drew Dunlevie stated in his April 17 letter
to Associate Planner Sandmeier.
In addition to the design of the interior of the facility, the rendering of the front of the building retains the flavor – and
hopefully the actual Guild marquee, or a close reproduction of it - out of respect for the long history of film at the location. I
am confident that the new Guild will bring in a new era with the marquee symbolizing movies of past eras in our city’s film
history and culture.
I’ll use two old sayings here: “the devil is in the details” and “if you build it, they will come.” The proposal has clearly been
carefully researched, but the non-profit also has worked with groups and individuals to ensure flexibility and proportion in
planning events. The CHS Consulting Group’s research also addresses scheduling issues to mitigate impact of the multi-use venue. I
find their use of the Mill Valley music venue an excellent illustration of successful accommodation. “They will come” to the new
Guild.
There is strong Menlo Park and peninsula residents interest in indie film. The print Guild petition was signed by over 2600, 82%
from Menlo Park, Palo Alto and our nearest peninsula cities, with Menlo Park accounting for 21% of comments, and Palo Alto 12%.
The online petition has over 1500 signers with peninsula residents’ comments accounting for 80% of the total, of that, 66% were
from Menlo Parkresidents, and 34% from Palo Alto. We have a mailing list of 61 residents supporting film at the new Guild, who are
interested in giving feedback, and interested in the Guild sponsoring a film club with discounts to members. We also have an
additional 31 participants in our Guild Film Discussion Group at the library, willing to provide feedback. They will come for film
and other arts programming, to this carefully planned venue.
Last, we are working with the U.N. Film Festival organizer to develop local interim venues for their UNAFF free afternoon film
series while the Guild is awaiting its transformation, and we are recommending their films as a “base” for free indie film
screenings at the new Guild, as well as their full festival (with an admission fee).
I strongly support this proposal and encourage its movement forward to meet the Peninsula Arts Guild’s “calendar” to buy and begin
construction
Judy Adams
Menlo Park resident
