Broker may lease Town Hall's East Wing - Ramona Sentinel ...

By Maureen Robertson

When the ?For Rent? sign went up at Ramona Town Hall?s East Wing, real estate broker Paul Tarr responded.

Ramona real estate broker Paul Tarr discusses leasing the East Wing of Ramona Town Hall with Town Hall trustees. Listening is Angel Hall, whose high school daughter attended the meeting for a civics class. Sentinel photo/Maureen Robertson

?I?ve watched Town Hall for a long time and thought about it for some time,? said Tarr of Ramona Real Estate Brokerage.

Tarr told Town Hall trustees at their meeting last Wednesday that he?s been working from his home the past few years and some real estate agents have said they?d join him once he had commercial space.

He?s built a financial reserve and may be willing to prepay rent for one or two years, he said. That would help trustees pay for the heating and air-conditioning system for the 848-square-foot East Wing.

Comparable commercial rents in the area are about $1 per square foot, said Trustee Sandee Salvatore, who serves as Town Hall Board?s secretary/treasurer.

Trustees initially talked with Ramona Chamber of Commerce directors about the chamber returning to Town Hall, but those talks stalled after some chamber directors expressed interest in purchasing the building the business organization leases at 960 Main St., trustees said at previous meetings.

The chamber left Town Hall in October 1986, when the trustees of the historic building closed it so major renovation work could start.

Parking is the only problem Tarr said he has, adding that he has talked with Tim Monetta of GMBC Real Estate property management about using some parking space behind an adjacent building that is now vacant. Since a brewery may be interested in that building, that may not be an option, he said.

Salvatore said the public parking in the 700 block of Main Street rotates and she believes the parking issue could be resolved.

Tarr and the trustees discussed the possibility of a five-year lease and planned to continue negotiations once Tarr prepares a letter of intent.

?I hope to have a proposal within a week,? said Tarr.

Also during the May 16 meeting, Honorary Mayor Sharon Davis presented her idea for ?a wine tasting extravaganza? at La Finquita Winery from 6 to 10 p.m. on July 21 as a Town Hall fundraiser for ages 21 and older. Advance tickets would be $45, with tickets at the door $50.

Attendance would be limited to 150, and the benefit, billed as ?An Evening of Red, White, & Blue Under the Stars,? would feature Ramona wines paired with hors d?oeuvres, a silent auction, and live entertainment.

Trustees set a special meeting for May 23 to discuss details of the benefit.

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