The 450 square foot space being leased to the Cayucos Historical Society inside Cayucos Landing. Photo by Neil Farrell
A slice of the renovated Cayucos Vets Hall will again be home to a historical museum, after County Supervisors approved a new lease for the Cayucos Historical Society.
Supervisors approved the rent-free lease of a 425 square foot side room at the vet’s hall, now called Cayucos Landing.
It marks a return to the newly refurbished building that sits adjacent to the Cayucos Pier and is at the heart of the community.
“The facility,” reads a staff report on the new lease, “has long served as a central gathering space for the community, hosting a wide range of public and private events that provide both cultural and economic benefits to the region.”
After being under construction for over two years — and closed for nearly 10 years — for an extensive rebuilding project, the County, which had an agreement with the Lions Club to manage the facility, took it over in order to recoup a $3.5 million loan that Supervisors made to complete the project. The County sold general obligation bonds to pay for the Vet’s Hall rebuild, plus a new dispatch center recently completed in Templeton, and a new Probation Department headquarters under construction now.
Paying for the remodel required some fancy finagling and grouping together money from a variety of sources.
The County got a total of $4.4 million in grants from the California Natural Resources Agency; some $345,000 from the State Coastal Conservancy; $705,000 from State Parks’ Locally-Operated, Prop. 68 Grant Program; $1 million from the California State Budget Veterans Affairs; $435,000 in donations from the Cayucos community; $50,000 from the Dist. 2 Community Project Funds; and $60,000 grant from the Community Business Improvement District.
Then Supervisors allocated $3.5 million from the County bond sale to finish off the funding.
JG Contracting of Nipomo won the construction bid at $8.5 million.
The plan is for the County Parks Department to rent out the main hall, kitchen and rear patio for private events and public uses, though at the rates the County is charging most community groups would find it difficult to manage.
So, the County partnered with Friends of the Cayucos Vet’s Hall” a group of local residents who will help the County run the facility in exchange for discounted fees for use by community groups.
The Friends will act as stewards for the facility and assist with “day-of” on-site supervision.
The Cayucos Landing started out in the 1870s as a shipping warehouse for the operations of Capt. James Cass, who built the hall and pier, plus the iconic Victorian house across the street, among other early facilities. The pier was a transfer point for coastal steamships to call and off load goods and to lade mostly agricultural products from area farms and dairies, for delivery up and down the California Coast.
The State Parks Department acquired the hall in 1920, and turned it over to the County in 1944, along with the pier and Cayucos Beach under an Operating Agreement.
For many years before it was shuttered for repairs in 2016, part of the building was given to the Historical Society for a little museum, with the Cayucos Art Association occupying part of the building as well for a small gallery. The Art Association is also expected to return to the building.
“With the completion of major renovations,” the report said, “County Parks seeks to reestablish the museum space for the Cayucos Historical Society, who has expressed interest in returning to the facility. These uses align with State Parks and County Parks’ mission by enriching the community, supporting local culture, and preserving historical resources.”
During the renovations, the two little side rooms, which face east towards Ocean Avenue, were specifically built with these uses in mind. Though both spaces seem pretty small, they are a bit larger than the old spaces were.
“Integrating a historical museum ensures that portions of the building remain accessible to the public for cultural and educational purposes, complementing the venue’s role as a multi-functional community asset.”
A fair market value for the space would be $3 per square foot or $1,275 a month, so why not charge even a small amount of rent?
The County said, “This recognizes the Museum’s role as a public benefit, preserving local history and providing cultural and educational opportunities for County residents and visitors.”
Putting together the funding for the $9.5 million Vet’s Hall Project took a bit of doing.
Jen Caffee, the County’s capital projects manager, said they pieced together grants from several sources, plus a healthy donation from the community, and still had to borrow money through the bond sale to pay for it.
