As most of you know, Freestone is our retreat property located on a beautiful hilltop near Sebastopol, California. There are many misconceptions regarding Freestone. One is that Freestone is poorly marketed. If only Freestone were better marketed, goes the myth, we would not be facing the current shortfall. This myth is not true. In fact, the Freestone Committee has done a fine job marketing Freestone. The fact is that they are limited to marketing the facility by our conditional use permit and our insurance, which limits usage by outside groups.
Our conditional use permit does not allow us to rent Freestone to outside groups. Therefore the marketing could only be aimed at church members. Marketing to church members has been robust. Recently though, revenues have fallen. In fiscal year 2014–2015, Freestone generated $3449. Some say it is the new pricing structure, and some say it is the condition of the building. If you have stopped renting Freestone please tell me what we can do to get you to come back!
Due to health and safety concerns rentals of Freestone have ceased temporarily. A detailed inspection with recommendations for repair must be commissioned by the church, and all health and safety issues that are identified must be addressed before rentals resume.
Thank you,
Board of Trustees – Freestone Task Force chairperson
