A contributor writes:
I have heard from reliable sources that the donation given to Esalen to pay for the construction of Garden View was specifically given for the purpose of providing staff housing. Now there are only a few rooms left. Staff housing has trickled away. I invite anyone who has the name of that donor to release it… [I]t is important to protect the integrity of our donors’ wishes so that the generous supporters of Esalen will be confident in giving their gifts in the future.
Another reader answers:
The donor was Dr. John Heider, who sadly passed away in 2010. The donation was earmarked for staff housing, and the resulting project was Garden View. The Esalen board waited until John’s death to fully dishonor his wishes.
Another reader answers:
Your report about the Staff Housing is in attitude correct. The facts: I was at Esalen in the sixties, when my dear friend and companion John Heider spoke to Lany Stephens, a wealthy fan of Esalen about the horrid living conditions of the staff. We were mostly living in our autos. She donated the money to build the lower units along the hillside. This donation was understood to be for Staff Housing in perpetuity. David Price knows of this arrangement. Begining about 15 yrs ago, weaseling managers have wiggled the staff housing into the hotel system quietly. The present Staff units of Garden View were built later and probably belong to the Institute.
Full contribution follows:
The last time the staff housing at Garden View was threatened to be taken, the people who lived there forced meetings on the issue. In those meetings, the head of the gate and the person in charge of safety pointed out to the administration that it was important to have people close to the gate to help respond in the case of an emergency. People who live here are invested in the safety of our community, we know where resources are and are familiar with the geography of the property should emergency needs arise. This argument resulted in the administration backing down and deciding not to convert staff housing into guest rooms, apparently only for the time being.
Has that argument lost its power? Do we no longer care about maintaining our community and our safety? What if the fire at South Coast happened at Garden View, at night, in the dark, filled with guests who are more likely to litigate with Esalen because they don’t have ties to the community, with no understanding of how or where to find resources to help, and the only staff member nearby is the one person at the gate? Wouldn’t that be a legal and financial nightmare? Some lives might be lost, but we don’t have room on a spreadsheet to calculate that.
I have heard from reliable sources that the donation given to Esalen to pay for the construction of Garden View was specifically given for the purpose of providing staff housing. Now there are only a few rooms left. Staff housing has trickled away. I invite anyone who has the name of that donor to release it so that we can ask him if he has been informed that Esalen’s administration is contravening his request. I would like to be able to petition him for his help in convincing the administration that we should be able to keep Garden View as a staff housing location. In fact, I would like to see some guest rooms retroverted into staff housing in light of the loss of so much housing at South Coast, and because our friends and loved ones deserve a sense of safety, permanency and community, which is hard to provide from a house on wheels where you can’t poop.
Additionally, it is important to protect the integrity of our donors’ wishes so that the generous supporters of Esalen will be confident in giving their gifts in the future. If the information about the donation being earmarked is incorrect I invite the administration to clarify that, in clear and direct communication. I don’t want to hear an equivocating explanation of a loophole in legality, either it was for staff housing or it wasn’t. That’s what I want to know.
—Anonymous
Your report about the Staff Housing is in attitude
correct….the facts.
I was at esalen in the sixties, when my dear friend and companion, spoke to Lany Stephens, a wealthy fan of Esalen about the horrid living conditions of the staff.
We were mostly living in aour autos.
She donated the money to build the lower units along the hillside. This donation was understood to be for Staff Housing in perpituity. David Price knows of this
arrangement.
Begining about 15 yrs ago, weaseling managers have wiggled the staff housing into the hotel system quitetly.
The present Staff units of Garden View were built later
and probably belong to the Institute.
I left out John Heiders Name in the line about my dear friend…
Hey ESALEAKs you are creating a huge stir….
People are just waking up to your existence..
Bravo…
I believe that verbal contracts are valid. If there is a witness as to the arrangement (David), and any of John Heider’s heirs might be concerned that their ancestor’s wishes are being flouted…is there a possibility of bringing a (sshhh! don’t say “lawsuit”) change about in the use of Garden View? The WS and ES programs have been sadly shrinking away over the years. Housing is needed!