Fate of dance school on hold

The Sonoma Academy of Dance & Arts says it needs the revenue from evening events to survive. Neighbors of the 180 E. Napa St. business contend the gatherings that have taken place there are noisy, disruptive and snarl traffic.
A final decision, delayed once by quirky meeting protocol (see adjacent story), will be made at the Feb. 17 city council meeting.
At issue is a proposal by owners Sarah Duran Levine and Jesse Levine for the Academy to host 20 annual events, primarily weddings. The request would allow activity inside the restored house and in a rear, outside garden until midnight. Music would be allowed until 10 p.m.
Owner Sarah Duran said booking events is critical to subsidizing the dance and arts classes. Without the extra revenue, she said, the school will close. “This is necessary for economic survival. Revenue from one event is equal to 100 kids coming to class for one month.”
The academy, located two blocks from the Plaza, is zoned as mixed-use, a designation which commonly marks the boundary of a commercial area.
The immediate neighborhood also includes homes, owners of which form the primary opposition. A track record of prior events, some of which were held without a proper temporary permit, is a poor one, residents say.
“Everybody loves the dance academy,” said Suzanne Brangham, who leases out a home behind the property, “but the events are intrusive.”
The case was first made to the Sonoma’s Planning Commission in December. About two-thirds of the 15 public comments spoke to the importance of the school’s survival, and the vital role it played in the lives of children and the community.
While praising the work of the academy, chairman Michael George said the committee was encouraged not to consider the economic impact of the decision.
“It’s not about the character of the applicants,” said George. “The issue is not about the quality of the product produced by the dance academy. Were talking about a separate permit for a separate set of activities.”
The safety of the building was a concern of commissioner Gary Edwards, who said was designed to be a house and not a full-fledged event center.
Edwards was in the majority of a 4-3 vote against the application. “You can’t change the game just because the business is suffering.”
Commissioner Chip Roberson admitted to being deeply troubled by the decision. “The academy needs our support, but I can’t vote for this.”
Commissioner Ray Gallian said he was “looking for a little leeway. I’m OK with events under reasonable restraints,” he said, particularly “in an area broadly around the Plaza.”
Officially, the application was denied without prejudice. An appeal was filed by the applicants, which sent the matter to the city council. Councilmen Ken Brown and August Sebastiani also appealed the decision.
The matter was then put on the council’s Jan. 4 agenda – and at the mercy of legalities, including Sebastiani’s recusal, which ultimately delayed the ruling until Feb. 17.