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Published on 03/16/1998 All articles from this issue

Short of space, desperate CSMA officials appeal to MV council

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

The Community School of Music and Arts planned to ask the Mountain View City council last night for help finding a new site before its lease at the former Huff Elementary School in Mountain View runs out next June.

"We have strong ties and a sense of place in Mountain View," said Andrea Temkin, executive director of the music school. "We hope that the City Council will help us to keep our doors open in this community."

Administrators from the nonprofit school began looking for a new location two years ago after Mountain View School District officials told them plans were under way to reopen Huff as the district's fifth elementary school in fall 1998 to accommodate growing enrollment.

In spite of an extensive search, the music school has not been able to find a new site. Temkin said since the area's economic boom, there is only a 1 percent vacancy rate in Santa Clara County. Nonprofit groups can't afford to pay the skyrocketing rents like regular businesses can, she said.

"None of us thought we would be in this pickle," Temkin said. "We thought we would just find something, but there's really nothing out there to find. We have followed up on more than 40 leads, worked with a commercial Realtor and have considered almost everything."

Evy Schiffman, communication director, said the school district extended the lease on five of the school's music rooms until June 1999, but time is running out for the music and art school. Schiffman was packing during this interview last week, preparing for the school's temporary move to Oak School and the Los Altos Lutheran Church, where the school will temporarily hold its summer camps.

Schiffman said the school needs a site that's about 25,000 square feet.

Since opening its doors in Mountain View 30 years ago, the music and arts school has become the single largest provider of arts education in Santa Clara County, serving more than 16,000 residents annually, Schiffman said.

The school is accepting applications for its summer camp sessions at Huff, Oak School and the Los Altos Lutheran Church. The first camp starts June 15. For more information, call 961-0342.