September 3, 2025

Dear Contractors and Property Owners,  

This letter has been sent to all construction and landscaping contractors currently on record with the Chautauqua Institution Office of Campus Planning & Operations. Use the following link to download the 2025-2026 Contractor Authorization Certificate, valid through the upcoming summer season, along with other updates from Chautauqua Institution. If you are not registered, please complete the form with updated information and return it to the Office of Campus Planning at PO Box 28, Chautauqua, NY 14722 or bring it to the Main Gate Ticketing Office to receive this year’s hang tags. Our staff will be available to swap out your old hang tags for the current season’s tags, at no additional cost, during their typical hours (10 a.m.–3 p.m.) from Tuesday through Thursday. New hang tags are available for $10 each.

Please acquire and display hang tags in any vehicle entering Chautauqua Institution for construction and/or landscaping project-related activities. After the 2025 Summer Assembly finishes here at Chautauqua Institution, you may resume your normal construction activities that have been approved by the Office of Campus Planning & Operations beginning Aug. 25, 2025.

Clearance: Streets and roads must be kept unobstructed at all times, except for specific times approved by the Administrator. Any request to block roads must be made more than three days prior to the proposed work for the Administrator to properly notify the Grounds Manager, Safety & Security Department, Fire Department and any affected property owners. Streets and landscaped areas must be protected from damage caused by any construction activity, and repairs must be made by the contractor if any damage occurs. If a contractor’s vehicle is parked in a noncompliant area without prior authorization, they will be assessed daily penalties by the Office of Campus Planning & Operations. This applies to all streets and walkways on the Institution grounds.

You are able to use Chautauqua Institution’s South Parking Lot if there is no legal parking available for your project’s site. This lot will be available for use after Sept. 9, 2025, and if you plan to use the lot for any vehicles, you MUST notify the Campus Planning & Operations. When parking in the lot, please park in the southernmost corner (see attached map with location highlighted) and have any vehicles/trailers identifiable with your company’s name, contact information, or a contractor hang tag. When completing work on the grounds, please be respectful of the community and keep construction activity 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Try to minimize construction noise, keep a clean/tidy site, and respect the daily schedules of nearby property owners. If you are aware of nearby property owners who may be affected by your project, we suggest reaching out to alert them ahead of time, if possible, so you can discuss with them how you plan to complete your scope of work without affecting them negatively.

When preparing to do any construction or landscaping projects for property owners on the Institution grounds, you must complete an Application for an Architectural and Land Use Compliance Certificate for each project. Prior to starting work on any project, you must receive the approved and signed Compliance Certificate from the Office of Campus Planning to be posted at each job site for the duration of the approved project’s scope of work. You may also be required to obtain additional permits from the Town of Chautauqua’s Code Enforcement Office, depending on the permitting requirements for your project.

We are looking forward to the upcoming season with all the exciting projects planned! As a reminder, all construction projects should be completed, and equipment removed from the grounds by noon on June 23, 2026, in advance of our Summer Assembly. As a construction contractor, it is your responsibility to remain current on the policies and procedures for Architectural and Land Use related work on the grounds, and the Rules & Regulations of the Institution. If you have any questions, please feel free to visit our Construction Resources website at the link above, or give us a call at the Office of Campus Planning and Operations.

South Lot Contractor Parking Area

• Use the southern corner of the lot near the South Gate.
• Call Campus Planning & Operations to alert us about any vehicles or equipment you plan to leave in the South Lot.
• Make sure that trailers and vehicles are clearly identifiable with your company’s name, contact information, or a contractor hang tag, or give us the vehicle’s license plate number.

Thank you for all the great work you and your teams do every year, and all the services you provide for your clients on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution!

Ryan B. Boughton, Assoc. AIA
Administrator of Architecture & Land Use Regulations
Office of Campus Planning and Operations

Process Chart

How To Work Here – What To Do

To be authorized to work on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution:

1. Know and understand the Architectural and Land Use Regulations (ALU)

• Request a printed copy ($25) from the Operation Office
• Access it for free on our website
• Schedule an appointment with the Administrator

2. Complete a Contractor Authorization Certificate form and submit to the Operations Office

• Request a printed copy from the Operation Office
• Download it from our website
• Return form in person, by mail or email to the Operations Office
• Renew every year – by end of Season (August), Operations Office will send out new forms

3. Activate or purchase new Contractor Vehicle Pass and hang on mirror – ALL YEAR

• $10 one-time cost
• Must contact operations office with Pass # to reactivate
• Applies to all contractors and their employees

In order to complete projects on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution:

1. Refer to Compliance Process Matrix to determine level of action required

• See Article 6.3 of the ALU

2. Submit completed Compliance Certificate Application to Operations Office

• Can be done by either the Owner or Contractor
• Schedule an appointment with the Administrator – I will guide you
• Forms available from the Operations Office
• Download it from our website
• Return application and any documents in person, by mail or email to the Operations Office

3. Review Process

• Administrator and/or Architectural Review Board
• Administrator will advise throughout and notify when approval complete
• Operations Office will fax completed Certificate to Town of Chautauqua when relevant for a Building Permit

4. Pick up, submit payment for and post the Compliance Certificate

• Fees per the schedule
• Violations and additional Fees if Certificate not posted
• Work not to start until Certificate is approved and posted (unless written permission is granted from the Administrator)