Photo by Joseph Garcia

Greg Kailian, who maintains a studio space at Art City in Ventura, works on his sculpture. Art City faces thousands of dollars in fines for illegal structures and other violations, according to a citation issued by the city of Ventura.

Photo by Joseph Garcia

Sculptor Chris Provenzano cleans her sculpture "Fellini," made of Virginia soapstone, at Art City. Provenzano said people from around the world come to Art City to relax and admire the work.

Paul Lindhard is a renowned stone carver and one of Ventura's top artists. His reputation is often invoked in promotions of the city's budding cultural scene.

Art City, his eclectic studio space for veteran and beginning carvers and those looking to buy exotic stone, has lured admirers to Ventura's west end for more than two decades. Huell Howser once profiled the 1-acre property's array of work spaces and sculptures, some head-high and hundreds of pounds, on his "California's Gold" public television program.

But behind the cameras and city leaders' high praise, the studio has been a thorn for code enforcement officers. None of the structures are permitted, and Lindhard has been illegally conducting business without "occupancy" approval, city records show.

Lindhard now is facing a $2,000 fine for the violations, which he must remedy or possibly face additional penalties of $400 a day, according to a city citation issued in September.

The problem puts Andrew Stuffler, the city's chief code enforcer, in an uncomfortable spot. It's Stuffler's job to uphold strict building and safety regulations that often collide with distinct studio spaces like Art City in a city determined to foster and capitalize on its arts identity.

"Paul is an incredible artist. We absolutely don't want Paul to leave," said Stuffler, who has been working with Lindhard to comply with the codes since 2004, with modest gains. "But we have a responsibility to ensure that Art City is a safe and legal place."

'Cooperative attitude'

For his part, Lindhard said he has tried to comply, but he's had "an extremely limited budget" since two fires scorched much of his former studio on Peking Street in 1999 and forced him to relocate a few blocks away to his current location on Dubbers Street, in a small industrial area near Olive Drive.

Stuffler would have state law on his side if he wanted to take a hard line. But he said he prefers to have a "cooperative attitude," in large part because he recognizes both the economic and cultural importance of facilities like Lindhard's.

The city has invested heavily in the downtown and now relies on tax dollars generated by cultural tourism.

Partly because of an influx of artists — including many like Lindhard who have been priced out of Santa Barbara — Ventura has begun marketing itself as California's "New Art City."

Artists must act as professionals and comply with laws, "but artists do need special assistance when it comes to sometimes-confusing code regulations," said Donna Granata, an artist, instructor and founder of the Ventura nonprofit group Focus on the Masters.

Granata said it would be beneficial to have a liaison between the arts community and code enforcement, "someone who speaks both the language of the artist and the government bureaucracy."

'I just don't get it'

Kerry Adams-Hapner, a city cultural arts manager, has been trying to fill this role. Acting as what she described as an "ambassador" between Lindhard and the city, she has worked for creative solutions, tried to keep Lindhard on track and tried to make sure he "feels he is being recognized for his considerable contributions."

According to the Sept. 4 citation, Lindhard has no permits or inspection approvals for his art center's "structural canopies and building structures," restroom, a commercial coach vehicle parked on the property, water fountains and fence replacements.

He also was cited for lacking a "paved handicapped access path" and for nuisance debris, including weeds, scrap material, unlicensed motor vehicles and trailers.

Lindhard, a former carpenter and Ventura College and Santa Barbara City College instructor, agreed that some of the structures likely will have to come down or be altered. He doesn't want them demolished.

Virtually everything at the studio, which offers work space for some 20 stone sculptors, is made from recycled building materials, he said. The illegally parked trailer, for example, was offered to him and he wanted to put it to good use rather than see it dumped in a landfill.

At one point, Lindhard hired a local engineer to survey the property and complete necessary engineering and site documents, but the papers were never submitted to the city.

"Rather than see me as a scofflaw, I wish they would realize that I just don't get it," Lindhard said of the code regulations.

'It's been four years'

Compounding the situation, his left hand is extremely swollen and wrapped in bandages after a recent incident in which a heavy piece of stone fell and crushed it. Recovery has been painful and slow, he said, but it has reminded him of the "treasure it is to live in a small town" and have people rally around him.

He said he recognizes, however, that it is time to make changes.

Supporters recently went before the City Council. "I am sorry it has to come to this," Councilman Brian Brennan said of the citation, "but it's been four years. We are taking criminal action against folks in other instances. We have to be consistent with the law."

'Measurable progress'

Stephen Schafer, a Ventura-based photographer who rents a darkroom at Art City, said there have been advances. Artists at the studio used to draw electrical power through a web of electrical cords, but Lindhard has since installed a code-compliant electrical system.

Schafer and others are now working with Lindhard to bring the center into compliance. A demolition permit has been pulled, and unpermitted roofs were removed off a cluster of buildings. Automobiles stored at the site also have been moved.

Stuffler said the needed engineering documents likely will take some time, and he remains open to an extension on the violation notice as long as there is "measurable progress."

"The last thing we want to do is wallop them with a big citation and take the wind out of their sails," Stuffler said.

There is even talk about a fundraising campaign once the major violations are resolved.

"People will be able to say, I paid for that piece of the future Art City,' instead of saying ... I paid for the Dumpster that hauled away the old Art City,'" Schafer said.