Author: charles

I have finally got my head around this whole planning permit application process.  I don’t like it, and I think it is a huge waste of time, but I have my head around it.

As all planning applications are public documents, it was easy enough for me to access applications that other galleries have lodged in the past.  It took two days, but the planning officer at the City of Stonnington dug them out of the archives for me.  This has been helpful for 2 reasons –

1. I was able to see the errors and omissions on those applications and the areas where the council required additional information.  Hopefully this will ensure that my application can be ‘complete and correct’ the first time
2. I was able to see the timeframes between the initial application and the approval of the permit.  In one case it was three months and in the other, four.

I’ve stopped stressing about these timeframes as we are developing some creative ways to deal with these hurdles.  Necessity is the mother of invention, so we’re getting inventive.  Watch this space for further details…

Before I start this post, please let me apologise to all those people (artists in particular) that were expecting a late Jan / early Feb opening.  I now know that this is not going to happen.

As reported yesterday, I need to submit a planning application to the council so that I may use the property as a gallery.

In addition to the delays that this process will cause, my little 50sqm gallery space is not registering as important to the tradespeople whose help I need to get it ready.  Some tradies are even putting in unrealistic quotes because ‘…this job is too small to be worth my while’.  That is their exact wording. 

As all other jobs are dependent on it, the very first job that I need done is the floor.  I have ripped up all of the carpet and underlay to reveal the concrete slab.  The concrete needs to be ground back so that all marks are removed and so the surface is as flat s it can be.  Once that is done, two coats of clear polyurethane are put down to give it a glossy look.

Annoyingly, it has taken 9 days to get someone in to quote and the earliest that they can start the job is 26 Jan.  The job takes 3 days to do and 2 days to dry… and if you’re interested $3300 to complete.

This means that all other jobs need to be put on hold until 1 Feb.  Wall Installation, Painting, Hanging System, Lighting.  All on hold until after the floors are done.

So depending on the council, I think the earliest opening date is now the end of February.  The positive in all of this is it gives our artists (and me) an extra month to produce some more work!

I have had an action item on my ‘to do list’ for a couple of months now.  An action item which wasn’t prioritised due to the fact that I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal.  An action item which I thought was a ‘nice to do’ rather than a ‘must do’.  I couldn’t have been more wrong…

I met with the council today.  I was in the area so I moseyed on in to meet and greet my local representatives.  Actually, my intention was to set up an appointment to discuss all of the things that I needed to know about setting up a business in the City of Stonnington.

I was quickly referred to talk to the people ‘across the hall’, the people in ‘P-L-A-N-N-I-N-G’.  *gulp*

To cut what is becoming a long story into a short one, the property in which I intend to open the gallery currently has a council-issued ‘permit’ to be used as an office.  If I want to change that (which I do), then I need to apply to the council for a new permit.   The worst things about this process are

1. the application costs $502;
2. the process represents a significant amount of work; and
3. it may take months to be approved (if at all). 

I have also subsequently found out that I cannot serve any alcohol at the gallery opening nights (even though it will be handed out for free) without a ‘Limited Liquor License’.  Looks like I have some ‘applying’ to do.

Until the new permit is approved, I will still be able to use the property as an office to exhibit and sell art, however I won’t be able to have ‘opening hours’ nor ‘opening nights’ and all viewings will need to be done by appointment… not the most effective way to exhbit emerging artists!

Friends, family, artists, followers, this is just another small speed hump on our journey; we will get there!

Unfortunately, Mr eBay Bargain Hunter did not show up on Monday to remove and collect the internal glass dividing wall and the carpet.

He did however show up yesterday, an hour and a half late and on his own.  I’m not sure how he thought he was going to move over 300kg of glass and over 200kg of carpet on his own; but full credit to him for forcing me into some serious manual labour.  For a grand total of $165.00, this guy got himself over $4000 of goods and an assistant for 4 hours.  Sucker…

As the photos will show, we have turned a neat and tidy useable space into a (an ugly duckling) blank canvas construction zone.  We now have 19 days to turn this space into a swan.