HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-07-2018 - Item 1 - Schmidt1
Tonikian, Victoria
From:Richard Schmidt <
Sent:Monday, May 07, 2018 10:36 AM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ARC agenda communication Item 1
RE: Item 1 - - alleged "public art" on utility boxes
Dear Commissioners,
Please reject these designs and put an end to this ridiculous program of placing ugly municipally-sanctioned graffiti on our
inherently ugly utility boxes.
This "program" is a disgrace to our city's quality of life heritage.
As I travel around the USA, I find that every wannabee Podunk town from coast to coast seems to have jumped onto this
paint-the-utility-boxes bandwagon, which is being promoted by partisans of fake pubic art. Most cities which have
distinction seem to eschew this gum-wrapper decor.
Painting our boxes is just another step towards making our unique place Anyplace USA as we follow the lead of
desperate places with absolutely no distinctions to brag about.
Utility boxes are necessary, and ugly. So why call attention to them?
In the 1970s, Mayor Ken Schwartz, who alone had more design sense than our entire current staff combined, concluded
that the best way to tone down urban visual cacophony was to make these boxes visually go away, along with traffic light
standards and sign poles. His unique program to accomplish this involved painting such devices various "trial" hues till an
optimal one was discovered -- what has been called Schwartz green, a deep olive tone that made this stuff "disappear."
This color-control program, together with well-regulated commercial signage (something else we don't pay much attention
to today), was cited by Dan Buettner in Thrive as a key element making our city the "happiest place."
Today's staff is clueless about this -- just look at the complete lack of consistency in materials, shapes, configurations,
colors, and placements of necessary municipal hardware. We are back to the old indifference and anything-goes
blindness to visual cacophony. What a big shame.
The ARC could have a big impact on improving our municipal happiness and quality of life by once again concerning itself
with such things.
Rejecting further expansion of the signal box graffiti would be an appropriate first step.
Thank you.
Richard Schmidt