As many of you who have been following this project for the last couple of years know, one of the more controversial elements of the plan has been the proposed location for the new Pomona College Museum of Art.  I think everyone agrees that Pomona desperately needs a new museum complex as the current facility is just not adequate to facilitate the exhibitions and programming that Pomona is capable of bringing to the community.  

This last Tuesday evening, Pomona held a public forum to introduce the concepts and encouraged those in attendance to ask questions or make comments on what was presented.  The meeting may have been in response to the recent Planning Commission decision to not recommend a zone change to the area where the new museum is proposed to be sited (west side of College Ave. between Second Street and Bonita).  Currently the site is zoned residential and includes the west side of College Avenue from First Street to Fourth Street.  The site is on one of the most culturally important avenues in Claremont and is home to a wonderful selection of historic residential structures, now being used by the colleges for various programs and events.

BACKGROUND

The 1987 Village Design Plan defines this as Area III, which is established as a residential-scale buffer between the Village and College: "It is the City's intention to maintain the residential character and appearance of Area III."  Here in lies the dilemma.  How do we preserve an important germane element of our cultural and architectural heritage and also integrate an institutional building that has significant massing and scale.

Scott Smith, an experienced campus planner and principal of Artichoke Design, presented the over-all master plan and proposed that the new museum would be the cornerstone project that would create a significant gateway to Pomona College at Bonita and College Ave.  This may be a reasonable concept if you are looking at the plan on a piece of paper, but given the current transportation and parking issues that plague the Village, such a plan would only acerbate an already logistical nightmare.

 QUESTIONS ADDRESSED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING  (paraphrased somewhat)

1.  "Why not move the new museum to the site at the northeast corner of First Street and College Ave.?  This would be a much more natural gateway to the College and offer substantial parking while still being connected to the village and closer to public transportation". Note: The site is currently a women's softball field and also includes Wig Beach, an open grassy area.

Response: "The softball field is a Title Nine athletic field that is required."

CH Notes - This makes a lot of sense in many ways - College and First St. is already an existing Gateway to the campus. The existing softball field could be moved closer to other athletic areas - there is open space between Haldeman Pool and the tennis courts, also just to the east of the men's baseball field. The First and College site would be closer to parking and transportation (including the new Gold Line Station). A pedestrian bridge might also be considered from the new Gold Line parking structure to the museum if sited here.

2.  "In the proposed plan, the entrance to the new museum would be on Bonita. Wouldn't this cause traffic and parking issues when events are taking place, especially with the new performance stage currently being built across the street at Shelton Park?"

Response: "Pomona has more parking than it needs and people will just have to walk from the parking lots."

3.  "In the proposed final plan, the renderings show Renwick House is non-existing. What happens to this important historic resource?"

 Response: "Renwick will be moved to another site yet to be determined"

CH Notes - If the museum were moved to a different site this would enable Renwick to stay and because the cottages have not been deemed architecturally significant, they could be replaced with another historic structure (such as Pomona's own Kenyon House - a beautiful Victorian currently barely visible off First Street) that would maintain the historic residential feel of College Ave.