The future of the Chapman Estate in Pismo Beach is uncertain as the city is now looking to release the property to new ownership.
“We should be protecting it, not trying to wash our hands of it," said Erik Howell, former Pismo Beach City Councilmember and current Shell Beach resident.
On Tuesday night, the Pismo Beach City Council moved forward with a divestment from the Chapman Estate after declaring it surplus. The property was gifted to the city over a decade ago by the late owner, Clifford Chapman, who intended the property to be used and enjoyed by the public.
“We’re hopeful that we can find another entity that can continue on with the hope and the goal, which was to make it accessible to the public," City Manager Jorge Garcia said.
Garcia said that a major driver of the decision was the $6.8 million cost to upkeep the property and that the city has already put $2 million into preserving the property.
“That was ultimately one of the reasons that the City Council decided to divest from the property," Garcia stated.
However, many Shell Beach residents expressed the need to keep it open and accessible to the public.
“One day, the members of City Council will be gone. One day, the neighbors that live here will be gone. They will either have moved or they will have died," Shell Beach resident Sandra Nielsen said. "But this house can still be here. This house is history."
Nielsen remembers bringing her mother to the estate, likening it to an even greater experience than visiting Hearst Castle.
“It's attainable, it's accessible. I feel I can relate to it," she said.
For longtime resident Howell, who served on the city council when the estate was first acquired by the city in 2013, he thinks more could’ve been done.
“I'm disappointed that the city, instead of opening it up to the public and making it accessible and available, is instead choosing to just throw this gift away," he stated.
Over the past year, Garcia explained, there were attempts to raise funds for the property through the Chapman Estate Foundation, but ultimately the city council opted to begin the divestment process, which includes first offering up the land in compliance with the California Surplus Land Act. That means that for the first 60 days, the city will be proactively reaching out to park and open space entities to try and reach a deal. After that, there will be a 90-day period in which the city will be looking at all entities interested in a deal for the land.
Currently, the house is only open to the public three times a week for 2.5-3 hours, costing $5 per person in addition to private tours and private bookings.
The Chapman Estate Foundation's main fundraiser of the year is September 20.
