FILM INTRODUCTION
In the heart of Carmel, a town shaped by nonconformists and bohemians, the Flanders Mansion stands as a beacon for our unique community. Here, where street lights and addresses give way to a legacy of family and art, we uphold a residents-first, commercial-second ethos.
While the cost of living has soared, pricing out new artists, the spirit of creativity endures.
Our mission at the Flanders Mansion is twofold: to keep the art and stories of Carmel alive through a dedicated museum and community educational events, and to provide access to this historic mansion as a conduit for connecting with our rich past and imagining a vibrant future. All under the gentle guidance of a board of directors accountable to the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, we invite you to join us in this extraordinary endeavor to restore and revitalize the Flanders Mansion.
After your signature, you will receive a confirmation email from Civist. (Check your Junk Folder) Please confirm your signature. Otherwise, it will not be counted. Your information will not be sold or traded. You do not need to be a Carmel resident to sign.
The purpose of the Flanders Restoration Committee
Restore and refurbish this city-owned asset while preserving its historic look and feel, ensuring minimal impact on the neighborhood and maximum community benefit for future generations.
WATCH MORE
- Video 1 - Mike Buffo, "The Curator can be a steward of this City's legacy."
- Video 2 - Michael Hogan, Volunteer Environmental Scientist
- Video 3 - Thomas Hood, Our 2018 Proposal and Our 2023 Revision
- Video 4 - Dale Byrne, Mike's Work for Carmel's City Support Group CARMEL CARES
- Video 5 - Tony Tollner, Restauranteur & Close Friend to Mike
- Video 6 - Melanie Billig, Protector of the Flanders Mansion for 24 years
Week of April 20th, 2023
Read the article about the petition for the 4-month feasibility study.
Week of Feb 8th, 2023
Read the article that hit the cover of the Pine Cone about the surprise revision of this proposal from 2018.
With the Carmel Outlands as the Resident Curator, Carmel will get...
OUR PROMISE
1. Permanent public access to a landmark estate in the center of the City’s largest park and open space.
2. A committed Executive Director candidate who has rallied our community behind a bold, visionary digital service acting as the steward of this City’s arts, culture, and history.
3. Many educational benefits to our residents, local non-profits, and our village’s artistic community.
Our donors want this historic property restored to provide a cultural benefit to all of us.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS
We would like Flanders to become a historic venue in the Mission Trails Nature Preserve to educate visitors about the City’s unique natural attributes and Carmel’s rich cultural history. We look forward to providing a nature interpretive center and a rotating display by local artists.
We also see Flanders as an artistic venue to showcase the arts and culture of our City through hybrid events. We can imagine producing a virtual directory of recorded lectures, courses, and learning opportunities available online for all ages in various disciplines in the arts & sciences. A very limited number of guests may be able to attend our productions in person but an unlimited number of guests will be able to attend online. In all creative productions at Flanders, our village will inspire our work.
Here is what we are asking the Mayor and the members of the Carmel City Council
OUR REQUEST
In the last four years, we have self-funded hundreds of hours to perfect our current proposal. Mike and Brittney Buffo have formed the Flanders Mansion Restoration Committee to ask the City’s permission to conduct a 120-day Feasibility Study to define the scope of work needed and the estimated cost for repairs & improvements to the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems at Flanders. We understand that our donors will not donate to a project without firm financial limits.
During our examination of the property in 2018, we concluded that any estimate for the complete restoration would be an inacurate estimate without further forensic analysis.
At the end of our proposal, in response to the City’s 2018 RFP for Residential Curatorship, we asked for more time to raise money and conduct a feasibility study. On Jan 31st, 2023, we submitted our revised proposal announcing that we’re ready to follow through on this request.
We believe this is the best function or use proposed to date that this is a natural solution to the Flanders Mansion opportunity.
This is what we will do with expanded access to the property for 4-months
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
During a 120-day “due diligence” period, we would appreciate the opportunity to raise pledges towards a capital campaign to see if there is enough public support for the benefits our Curatorship will bring to our community.
We want to work with the City to set up a “Flanders Mansion Restoration & Maintenance Special Purpose Fund” with the mission to restore & preserve the City’s valuable assets: the Flanders Mansion property for the length of the lease to the Carmel Outlands, a 501c3 nonprofit. (application with the IRS pending as of Jan. 2024)
The mission of the Carmel Outlands is to provide public access to the environs of the Flanders Mansion in harmony with the residential neighborhood for the benefit of the people of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
When we successfully raise the minimum number of pledges by the end of this due-diligence period to fulfill the defined scope of work, the board of directors will sign a long-term lease. At this juncture, we will recoup the pledges as capital contributions and submit our contractors’ cost estimates for approval to begin restorations.
If for some reason we should fall short of our fundraising goal, the City will be free to use the findings of our Feasibility Study as the updated information to support the next RFP – saving valuable staff time. Because we’re seeking pledges rather than donations, we only receive AND spend the contributions when we meet our fundraising goal.
