Proposed Cayucos Vet's Hall.
Proposed Cayucos Vet's Hall.

Provide Input on Cayucos Vet’s Hall Design

Author: Public Works
Date: 1/25/2018 12:00:00 AM

The public is invited to comment on the proposed design for the Cayucos Vet’s Hall at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 28th at 6:30 PM at the Cayucos Elementary School.


The County Department of Public Works has scheduled this public outreach meeting to give the community a chance to comment on the project.

The tentative floor plan, elevations of the rehabilitated building design, and other information regarding the project are available on the Cayucos Vets Hall Project website.

With the new year there are a couple of exciting developments at the Cayucos Veteran’s Memorial Hall building. Here's a recap of the project so far:

  • The building is a State-owned property, operated by the County and managed by the local Lion’s Club;
  • The building was closed to the public on May 4, 2016 due to unsafe conditions. The kitchen and front restroom areas were allowed access during events at the adjacent tent event center;
  • In December 2016, an Architectural Resource Evaluation Report was issued which indicates that the James Cass & Company Warehouse, aka Cayucos Veteran’s Memorial Hall, meets the criteria for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources;
  • To ensure that facility rehabilitation meets the required Department of Interior Standards as well as the California Historic Building Code, a Historic Working Group Committee and a Cayucos Vet’s Hall Restoration Steering Committee have been established, and
  • The Cayucos Community Advisory Council is updated monthly on the progress.

As soon as the building was closed, Public Works began receiving requests to re-open a portion of the building so the Arts Association could again operate out of the building.  We are happy to announce that after additional bracing and securing of the building took place in November 2017, the Arts Association space and the conference room re-opened in December 2017 and are available for use.

Rehabilitation of the main part of the warehouse will take quite a bit longer.  After receiving feedback from the community, County staff met with State Parks and California Coastal Commission staff and developed a preliminary floor plan that maintains the original character of the Cass Warehouse.  While this plan is getting positive feedback from the regulatory agencies, Public Works Environmental staff is working with State Parks staff to get clearance from the State Historic Preservation Office; no approvals are currently in place.

Please note, the project does not have funding beyond this initial design phase.  For the project to move forward after the community meeting, the County Department of Public Works will need to bring an update to the Board of Supervisors and determine the level of support and funding necessary to advance the project beyond the schematic design phase.

With respect to budget, the Cayucos Vet’s Hall is one of many worthwhile projects that may be discussed as part of the County’s budgeting process in June.  In addition to local funding, County staff continues to research possible grant options to offset project costs.  Additionally, a $4 billion bond measure entitled the “California Parks, Environment, and Water Bond” will be on the June 5, 2018 ballot that could provide construction funding since the structure is owned by State Parks.