Since 1958, a community center in Sacramento has been the creative home for many artists and gardeners, but a rent increase has sparked protests.
The Shepard Garden and Arts Center, located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., hosts more than 25 clubs with around 3,000 members. The center attracts hundreds of people to its bi-annual plant sales and clubs have collaborated with the city on various projects.
However, due to the city’s budget crisis, the center’s operations have been affected, impacting the clubs that utilize it. Prices have increased exponentially to 200% over the past couple of years.
According to the president of the Shepard Garden and Arts Center, Jan Goehring, rental fees have gone up $30 to $90 per hour and that has resulted in three clubs not being able to afford to meet at the center.
“The city offers their 501C3 organizations a 50% discount. However, at the price increase, the clubs can’t afford to meet there,” Goehring said. “We did ask them about leasing the center, and so we’ve been in negotiation with them to do that; however, they want us to take full control of the center, including paying all of the electric and gas fees. That’s what they consider to be $2,700 a month, and they’ve given us no data or paperwork that shows that it’s that much.”
Goehring said that the clubs are trying to put together a lease option, but at this rate, with the rent increase, they’re losing more clubs.
“Which means our incoming benefits are not enough to pay for the lease at $78,000 minimum,” Goehring said. “So we would like the city to come back to the negotiating table with us and reduce our rental fees.”
President of the Shepard Garden and Arts Center, Jan Goehring holds an orchid. There are many unique garden and art clubs that utilize the center.Photo courtesy of Jan Goehring
Gabby Miller, communications specialist for the city of Sacramento, wrote in an email that the rate adjustments are not specific to the center and have happened for two reasons.
“First, the City resumed operations of the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in Dec. 2022 after the previous operator ended their lease. Second, fees for many City services and programs were revised as a strategy to address the structural budget deficit starting with the FY24/25 budget year,” Miller wrote.
“When [Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment] resumed operations, room rental rates were aligned with all City community centers to ensure consistency citywide.
To assist with managing the new rates, the Sacramento Garden and Arts Center nonprofit was approved for a 50% rental fee reduction under the Council-approved Resolution No. 2018-0371. That discount remains in place moving forward into 2026.
Throughout this process, YPCE has continued to offer solutions including the 50% reduction and options to enter into a lease agreement for the facility. To date, the nonprofit has declined the lease option.”
The city’s given the clubs until January 1 to come up with either the rental fees for the clubs at their increased rate or to stop, according to Goehring.
The American Bonsai Association of Sacramento is one of the center’s biggest clubs with over 200 members. The club has been using the Shepard Center since it was first constructed seven decades ago.
The back of the Shepard Center with Chrysanthemums plants on display for an upcoming plant show.Keyshawn Davis/CapRadio
Gage Marchini, vice president of the Sacramento Garden and Arts Center board and director at large of the American Bonsai Association, said the rent spike over the past couple of years is affecting the club’s ability to host events and bring in international speakers.
“It has been a drastic increase for our club because there are a number of components to it,” Marchini said. “One is just the flat increase, which has been significant, and the hourly rate was increased, and then they’ve also increased the requirements for things like security.”
Marchini mentioned the club has had an ongoing conversation about exploring new locations for his club.
“We want to stay with the group of organizations, if possible, because at least it used to be, there was a huge benefit to the collaboration,” he said. “Now, in recent years, since the city has kind of taken back management of the Shepard Center, they’ve implemented some policies that have really detracted from that, and because of the city’s policies, there’s been much less opportunity for collaboration between the organizations.”
Another club that has been affected by the price increase is the Delta Gesneriad and African Plant Society. According to one of its members, Pam Bliss, the club charges $12 a year membership fee and those funds go toward a show that they have every year.
“We’ve had to slim back our show tremendously because of the cost of the venue,” Bliss said. “We just cannot support the rent, so we’ve slimmed back to a one day show instead of a three day judged show, and those funds that we receive are for the purpose of paying our rent.”
African Violets or Gesneriaceae on display for a garden show.Photo courtesy of Pam Bliss
Bliss said the club is also having to increase prices of their plants that they sell to the public.
“We are kind of trying to find alternatives. Honestly, we don’t want to, we all want to stay at the center, because it’s just a good place for us in so many ways,” she said. “But I think that we, like many other clubs, are keeping our eyes open for alternatives that are more affordable.”
Goehring said she would like to continue renting the Shepard Garden and Arts Center, but at a reduced price.
“We want them to go back to the 2024 price. Also if it’s possible for us to get a lease where it’s manageable for us to make the monthly payments we could go on from there,” Goehring said.
Most of the members of the clubs that utilize the center are older individuals, according to Goehring.
“We’re talking about basically the senior citizen population,” she said. “I think that for us, even though our Social Security is going up in January, we really can’t afford to pay the kind of dues to our clubs that will sustain this increase.”
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