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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/17/2011, C11 - APPROVAL OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ART PROJECTS FOR 2009-11 council ManngDam ac enaa uepont pan all CITY O F SAN LUIS O S I S P O FROM: Shelly Stanwyck, Parks and Recreation Director Prepared By: Shannon Bates, Recreation Manager SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ART PROJECTS FOR 2009-11 RECOMMENDATION Approve four additional public art projects and one equipment purchase for a total expenditure of $95,500 of unallocated public art funds from the 2009-11.Financial Plan. DISCUSSION Background Every two years, upon the approval of the Financial Plan by Council, public art funds allocated from General Fund CIP projects are placed in a public art account and are supplemented with additional funding from the Art in Private Development program (art-in-lieu fee). As monies are cumulated they are then proposed for allocation among projects identified by the CIP Review Committee with final project approval by Council. For 2009-11, General Fund contributions and the funding available in the in-lieu account resulted in $275,500 available ($290,900 including donations) for public art projects. On January 19, 2010, Council approved funding for three public art projects as well as support for the public art maintenance fund (see Attachment 1) for an initial allocation of $150,400. The approval of the three projects and maintenance fund left a remainder of$140,500 unallocated. During the January 191' presentation to Council, staff foreshadowed potential future uses of the unallocated funds that included a downtown utility box mural program as well as public art for the new skate park at Santa Rosa Park. On June 15, 2010, in conjunction with the Downtown Beautification and Enhancement Goal, staff sought approval for a downtown utility box mural program. Council approved the project and allocated$34,000 of public art funds for its completion(see Attachment 2). Proposed Additional 2009-11 Public Art Allocations Currently,there is $106,500 in public art funding yet to be allocated for 2009-11. The following summarizes four recommended new public art projects and one equipment purchase for the program proposed for these presently unallocated public art funds: 1. Expansion of the Box Art Program ($22,000). In September 2010 (the weekend before Savor the Central Coast) the Box Art Program transformed 16 old and unattractive utility/traffic control boxes into interesting pieces of art. A collaborative effort between the City and the Downtown Association proved to be a terrific success. Not only does the Box Art Program contribute to the vitality and attractiveness of Downtown it also deters graffiti and adds to the sense of place for both residents and visitors alike. Due to the overwhelming community support and positive impact of this program, staff is recommending expanding the program to include 12 new boxes (see proposed locations on Attachment 3). The new utility box locations include three in the downtown core, three connecting uptown to downtown on Monterey Street, and six C11-1 Approval of Additional Public Art Projects for 2009-11 Page 2 that were identified by Public Works staff as high visibility locations that would benefit from beautification efforts. 2. Matching Grant for City/County Library Mural ($35,000). On March 1, 2005, Council adopted Resolution No. 9656 (Attachment 4) which established a matching grant program to encourage public art. According to the Resolution, art projects seeking matching public art "grant" funds require City Council approval, consistent with the City's Donation Acceptance Policy. Furthermore, projects eligible for matching public art "grant" funds should provide a clear public benefit and advance the City's public art goals. The resolution requires that Council determine the appropriate level of matching funds up to a dollar-for-dollar level for each request. In December 2010, the San Luis Obispo Library Manager approached staff with request for a public art matching "grant" for a new art project in the San Luis Obispo City/County Library. The project would create public art murals to revitalize the aging interior of San Luis Obispo's City/County Library (over 23 years old). With other renovations currently underway, the interior and its plain white walls look dated. The project would include public art murals in the atrium and children's room as well as painted pillars. The art would provide a significant augmentation to this central community facility. The total project cost would be $70,000 ($35,000 from City public art funds and $35,000 from the City/County Library). 3. Public Art Design for the Santa Rosa Skate Park ($30,000). On March 7, 2011, the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) reviewed the design of the Santa Rosa Skate Park (Attachment 6); the ARC's approval of the design included conditions for additional public art elements. In particular, the commission discussed free standing sculpture, artistic shade structures, and art tiles used to accent the concrete skate surface. After consulting with the RRM design team on how to satisfy the ARC condition, the use of an artist as a design consultant surfaced as the best approach. This would allow for an artist to design a variety of artistic elements which would be fully integrated into the building plans for the skate park. The selected artist would be a sub-consultant to RRM and his or her design would become a part of the construction documents for public bid. RRM is the Architect of Record (and the prime consultant) and is ultimately liable for the work. Having the artist consult to RRM holds him or her contractually to the same level of liability. The selected artist's scope would include identifying public art opportunities within the project as well as the development of the concept(s) for the art piece(s), in collaboration with the design team. 4. "Deck It Out"Art Show ($2,000). In a continued effort to raise the necessary funds for the construction of a new skate park at Santa Rosa Park, staff have joined forces with the local art community to create the "Deck It Out" Art Show and Auction. Local artist will be selected to artistically augment a blank skateboard deck that will then be entered into the art show and eventually be sold via an auction (with all proceeds benefiting the Skate Park fund). Public art funds will be used for supply purchases and program outreach while artists will be asked to donate their time. It is estimated that 20 decks will go to auction. S. Purchase of ipads for Jury Review ($6,500). In order to encourage the use of recycled and tree-free products, the Public Art program has transitioned from a paper submittal in response to a public art RFQ to a paper-less submission (via email or disk). However, once paper-less submissions are received, each application (5-15 pages each) is printed and collated for each jury C11-2 Approval of Additional Public Art Projects for 2009-11 Page 3 member to review. With the number of applications received growing with each new project (up to 150 applications), the resources needed to produce materials for each juror have become unmanageable and cost prohibitive as well as environmentally insensitive (over 10 reams of paper were used for the creation of the juror binders for the latest public art project). Following the initial investment, the purchase of nine ipads for art jury members would reduce the amount of money needed for supplies by 100% (the expected savings for each jury review in material costs is $1,800). The public art fund would recover the costs of this investment after 4 jury reviews (with 2-3 juries per year, the savings will be realized after 18 months). The substantial staff time savings associated with this change will also improve productivity. Finally, the ipad provides a more visual platform for the juries to review submittals (including images of artist's previous work as well as artist websites); a critical component to the review process. Other alternatives, such as flash drives and virtual servers have been explored, but due to the size of the image files and the need to have the information on hand during the jury review process, the ipad surfaced as the most cost effective solution. CONCURRENCES Two of the proposed additional public art projects (Box Art and Skate Park) were previously discussed and recommended by the CIP Review Committee during the 2009-11 Financial Plan process. The others represent a unique community partnership opportunity, a fund raising art event, and an administrative use and thus were not discussed by the CIP Review Committee. FISCAL IMPACT If all of the above projects are approved the remaining$11,000 in public art funds from 2009-11 will be used to supplement public art funds received from the FY 2011-13 or pay for unforeseen public art maintenance costs. The following funding is available for public art projects in 2009-11 as part of the City's public art fund which is the aggregation of CIP project share and Public Art In-Lieu fees (private development): 2009-I1 Public Art Funds Pubic Art-In-Lieu 233,700 2009-11 CIP 31,800 Reallocation of sidewalk project 10,000 Holcomb donation 15,400 Total 290,900 09-11 Previously Approved Projects 184,400 Expanded Box Art 22,000 Library Matching Grant 35,000 Skate Park 30,000 Art Show 2,000 Jury ipads 6,500 Remaining Funds 11,000 C11-3 Approval of Additional Public Art Projects for 2009-11 Page 4 ALTERNATIVES 1. Do not approve the ipad purchases. Council could determine that the ipad purchase, although an environmental and visually superior approach to managing the public art program, is not consistent with how Council wants to allocate public art funds in 2009-11. 2. Redistribute funds. Council could decide to redistribute the proposed allocations among the proposed projects, allocating more funding than recommended for one project and less for another or could recommend other locations for public art. 3. Delete one or more of the projects. Council could decide to delete one or more of the projects from the recommended list and redistribute funds among remaining projects. The current recommendation reflects staff's intent to meet the public art criteria and acquire quality pieces of art for the scale needed for the location. ATTACHMENTS 1. January 19, 2010 Council Agenda Report 2. June 15, 2010 Council Agenda Report 3. Expanded Box Art Map 4. Resolution 9656 Public Art Matching Grant 5. Letter of Support—Friends of the Library 6. March 7, 2011 ARC Minutes 7. Letter of Support—RRM C11-4 nTTCN�4EtdT� A] council Mai,D� acEnba Repoin �N CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Betsy Kiser, Parks and Recreation Prepared By: Shannon Bates, Recreation Manager SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF PROPOSED 2009-11 PUBLIC ART PROJECTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF PUBLIC ART PIECE "OH GREAT SPIRIT" RECOMMENDATION 1. As recommended by the Capital Improvement Plan Review Committee, approve specific public art projects for funding through the 2009-11 Financial Plan. 2. As recommended by the Public Art Jury and the Architectural Review Commission (ARC), adopt a resolution accepting the donation of the public art piece Oh Great Spirit for installation on the open space at Higuera Street and Prado Road. DISCUSSION Public Art Program In 1990, the City Council established and funded a Visual Arts in Public Places program. The Council determined that 1% of the estimated construction costs of eligible projects in the City's Capital Improvement Plan Program (CIP) should be set aside for public art. The Public Art Program was further enhanced in 2000 with the adoption of the City's Public Art in Private Development program which requires property owners and developers to incorporate a piece(s) of art in new developments or substantially improved developments in the City, or pay a public art in-lieu fee. The minimum cost of the public art, including installation, is an amount equal to one-half of one percent of constriction costs in excess of$100,000,up to$50,000 maximum fee. As set forth in the City's Budget and Fiscal Policies, CIP projects are evaluated during the budget process for conformance with the City's public art policy. While it is generally preferable that public art be incorporated directly into a project, this is not practical or desirable for all projects, especially small projects or those with limited visibility. To ensure that funds are adequately budgeted for this purpose, regardless of whether public art is directly incorporated into the project,funds for public art are identified separately in the CIP (see Attachment 1) . Based on the funding amount established under this approach,the CIP Review Committee makes recommendations, following Financial Plan adoption, for the allocation of this amount by the Council for specific public art projects. This process has been used since the inception of the Visual Arts in Public Places program and has worked well for defining how much the City will set aside each year for public art. During lean years (2003-05, 2005-07 and now again for 2009-11), Council temporarily reduced the percent for public art from I%to 3/4%to 1/2%respectively to assist with balancing the]budget. C11-5 i ATTi;CHfJENT.� 2009-11 Public Art Projects& Oh Great Spirit Donation Page 2 In November 2009, the CIP Review Committee met to discuss proposed projects and identified several uses for public art funds for Council approval based on the following criteria: 1. Project has high public visibility and use. This is especially the case, for gateways and high pedestrian use areas. 2. Project should lend itself to the inclusion of public art. 3. Except in limited circumstances, public art is generally not appropriate in landscaped medians due to traffic concerns. On one hand, if the work is significant enough to attract driver attention, it may also result in driver inattention. On the other hand, if it is subtle enough not to have this problem, it probably won't meet the criteria for high visibility. 4. Project should be public art ready, meaning the project should be nearing the design phase at near or under construction and will be completed within the two-year CIP. 5. The number of projects should be limited in order to focus staff efforts and result in meaningful pieces of public art. A summary of funding sources is provided in the Fiscal Impact section. Proposed 2009-11 Public Art Projects For FY 2009-11, between the General Fund contributions and the funding available in the in-lieu account, $275;500 is available for public art projects ($290,900 is available including donations). Based on the above criteria, the CIP Review Committee recommends the following projects for Council approval: 1. Meadow Park Community Garden ($55.400). Community Gardens across the country have been shown to improve quality of life, provide a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulate social interaction and beautify neighborhoods. Community gardens have also become a popular place for public art; the garden niches, winding pathways and quiet spots for reflection provide endless opportunities for art such as: sculptures,mosaics,iron works, mobiles or more functional art such as benches,bird baths, or reflection gazing balls. The CIP Review Committee felt that the new Rotary Community Gardens at Meadow Park offer an ideal opportunity for a public art project. Of the $55,400 recommended for this project, $15,400 was recently bequeathed to the City by the late Cydney Holcomb and her family and friends specifically for public art. The Community Garden piece will honor Cyd's contributions to the City during her lifetime, which tirelessly focused on the beautification and safety of our neighborhoods. 2. 9-11 Memorial at Dispatch Center 070,0001. In November, Fire Chief John Callahan submitted a request on behalf of the City of San Luis Obispo to receive a piece of the World Trade Center (WTC) steel that was recovered from the site after the September I Vh attacks in 2001. The Port Authority of New Jersey and New York, as well as the September 11`h Families Association are part of this effort to distribute steel to organizations interested in creating memorials. This is an opportunity to create a lasting memorial honoring the lives of the 2,973 people lost as well as educating future C11-6 TTRCHMENT 2009-11 Public Art Projects&Oh Great Spirit Donation Page 3 generations about the events of September 11, 2001. The intent is for artistic elements to be used to showcase the steel in addition to lighting, installation and interpretive information. Pairing the WTC steel with public art allows for a unique and moving collaboration that will result in a memorable piece of art. In addition, the new Dispatch -n, Center seems to provide a fitting and relative setting for such a memorial. 3. Installation of Oh Great Spirit($10;000). If accepted as recommended below,the donated sculpture Oh Great Spirit will require funding for installation, lightning and landscape plan and interpretative plaque as conditioned by the Architecture Review Commission (ARC).Full discussion follows below. 4. Maintenance($15,000). During the 2005-07 Financial Plan process, Council approved an annual allocation of$15,000 to be used for maintenance of the City's current public art collection. There remains $140,500 in public art funding yet to be allocated. Staff is presently evaluating opportunities for an allocation in tandem with the Downtown Beautification and Enhancement Goal, which will be reviewed by Council at the Mid-Year Budget Review on February 23, 2010. For example, our Downtown presently has a number of unattractive utility/traffic control boxes at various high visibility intersections that are in desperate need of enhancement. The Downtown Association (DA) is familiar with a creative program in the City of Ventura and others popping up all over the country that have tied a public art strategy to convert these "eye sores" into a form of public art. Staff is consulting with the DA and may be able to provide a recommendation for art in the downtown with the February 23 report. iy Other opportunities include the integration of public art at the Santa Rosa Skate Park. As recommended at the community forums and by the design team staff,a designated space for public art has been identified and is included in the final design for the park. The CIP Review Committee supported public art funding for the skate park and will provide a recommendation for public art with the report authorizing staff to bid the Skate Park project. Approval of public art piece: Oh Great Spirit Background. In 2000, the City Council adopted a Privately Funded Art in Public Places Policy that allows an individual to donate art to the City if the art 1)meets established criteria for public art; and 2) withstands the rigorous review of a jury, the ARC, other commissions where appropriate, and the City Council. In December 2008, the Ernst family approached the City with a donation of the sculpture Oh Great Spirit (see Attachment 2). Per the public art policy, all pieces of donated art are juried. In May 2009, a public art jury reviewed the merits of the piece and recommended acceptance by the City. The next step in the approval process was the review and subsequent approval of Oh Great Spirit by the Architectural Review Commission(ARC)which took place on December 7,2009. Proiect Description. Oh Great Spirit is a 11 foot tall cast bronze sculpture of a Native American with a weathered patina Nationally renowned bronze sculptor, Nell Banister Scruggs, describes C11-7 aTTACKIENT 2008-11 Public Art Projects& Oh Great Spirit Donation Page 4 the piece as honoring the sensitive connections between people, plants, medicine and health that Native Americans first discovered. The donated sculpture is proposed to be installed on the City-owned property located on the southwestern corner of South Higuera Street and Prado Road (see Attachment 3). The sculpture will be installed with an engineered footing that is anchored to a concrete pad located approximately 30 feet back from the South Higuera sidewalk. As shown in the photo rendering (see Attachment 4) the sculpture would have a natural backdrop of plants and trees in the adjacent creek corridor. Lighting will consist of three ground-mounted lights that are positioned to illuminate the sculpture at night. Public Art Jury Review. A public art jury consisting of Craig Kincaid (Parks and Recreation Commission), Jim Trask (Artist), Allen Root (Artist), Peaches Olson (original property owner), Christy Haman (Art in Public Places Committee) and Lauren Bandari (Arts Council) convened on May 22, 2009 to judge the merits of the proposal using the Guidelines for Public Art. The jury evaluated the projects for: 1. Artistic excellence. 2. Appropriateness of scale,form,material, content and design relative to the environment. 3. Relationship to the social, cultural and historical identity of the building. 4. Appropriateness of materials relative to structural and surface integrity,protection against theft,vandalism,public safety and weathering. 5. Ease of maintenance. 6. Appropriateness of proposed method of installation of artwork, and safety and structural factors involved in installation: The jury unanimously recommended Oh Great Spirit for acceptance, describing the piece as "sophisticated and stunning", "having extraordinary craftsmanship", and`very impressive." ARC Review. On December 7,.2009, staff presented Oh Great Spirit to the ARC for discussion and approval. Using the Guidelines for Public Art, the ARC found that the artwork meets the criteria for public art and recommended its approval to the City Council, based on findings and subject to conditions(see Attachment 5). The Commission added the following two conditions: 1. A plaque providing information about the artist and the piece shall be installed near the sculpture. The narrative provided on the plague shall be a collaborative effort with input from the artist,the City,and the Chumash Tribal Council. 2. A landscaping plan shall be submitted along with plans for a building permit which shows proposed improvements such as a pathway around the piece and includes supplemental planting to highlight the piece that is naturalistic and takes advantage of the site's riparian backdrop.. -81-4 C11-8 I � I TTACNi1UNIT 2009-11 Public An Projects&Oh Great Spirit Donation Page 5 CONCURRENCES The proposed public art projects for 2009-11 were developed and recommended by the CIP review Committee. The Public Art Jury and the ARC also reviewed Oh Great Spirit and recommended that the piece be approved for the open space at Higuera Street and Prado Road. The Chumash Tribal Council has been involved in the review and has given approval of the piece subject to signage with language agreed upon by staff and the tribal council. FISCAL IMPACT At one time, $10,000 was programmed for public art in conjunction with the Little Theater Sidewalk Replacement project. However, Public Works staff found that the public art did not easily fit into the construction contract; the limited funding available for this project did not allow for the contractor to work with an artist. In addition, staff was concerned about the close proximity to an existing public art piece and viability for the two pieces to work together cohesively. City Manager approval in September 2009 allowed for the re-programming of the funds for 2009-11 public art projects. Therefore, the CIP allocation for public art, the Public Art In-Lieu fees (private development), the re-programmed funds from the Little Theater Sidewalk project and the Holcomb Trust donation provide a total of $290,900 for public art projects in 2009-11. The following table outlines the recommended projects and funding source(s): ProjectFundill" hi-Licti 09-11 CIP Sidewalk Holconib Project Community Garden 1 31,800 15,400 55,400 9-11 Memorial 70,000 70,000 Oh Great Spirit 10,000 10,000 Maintenenace 15,000 15,000 Reserve 140,500 140,500 Fund Total 233,700 31,8001. 10,0001 15,4001 290,900 ALTERNATIVES 1. Council could redistribute funds among other projects, allocating more funding than recommended for one project and less for another or could recommend other locations for public art. 2. Council could delete one or more of the projects from the recommended list and redistribute funds among remaining projects. The current recommendation reflects staffs intent to meet the public art criteria and acquire quality pieces of art for the scale needed for the location. 3. Reject the piece Oh Great Spirit. This is not recommended based upon the concurrences identified above. Should Council choose this alternative it would need to provide staff with }q direction-for finding anew home for the piece. ATTACHMENTS 1. 2009-11 Public Art CIP 2. Letter of donation from Ernst family 3. Vicinity and Site Map for Oh Great Spirit C11-9 `A7 CHi1 EhT 2009-11 Public Art Projects&Oh Great Spirit Donation Page 6 4. Description and rendering of Oh Great Spirit 5. ARC Findings and Conditions 6. Resolution of Acceptance for Oh Great Spirit T:1Council Agenda ReportsTarks&Recreation CARTublic Art\09-11 CAR#2.doc .%a ATfACHMEIUT ' CULTURAL • a PUBLIC ART Sewer Iateral Replacement at Police Annex 25,000 HVAC Ducting Replacement m Police Station Records Area 36,000 Police Station Pariong Iat Maintenance 82,000 Poke Station Exterior Painting 48,OW Police Station Interior Painting 32,000 Fire Station 3:Shower Stalls and Flooring Rept 50000 Street Reconstruction,Resurfacing and Sealing 1,825,000 1,400,000 1,980,000 2,060,000 Downtown and Gateway Paving 200,000 500,000 Traffic Safety Report Inplernentation 25,OOD 25,000 25,OOD 25,000 Neighborhood Traffic Management 2UM 20,000 20,000 20,000 0rardraa Impaoveraenls 60,000 Prado Road Bridge DeekMacrtenance 150,000 Street Sip Maintenance 60,000 60,000 6DAW Traffic Signal Reconstruction 25SAM Street Light Painting A000 25,000 25,000 Downtown Pedestrian Lighting 70,000 70,000 Stmt Light Replacement:Bread Street 60,000 Sidewalk Repair 20,000 20,000 2DAW 20,000 SidewalkAecessrbilityImprovements 135,000 20DJW 250,000 250,000 Mission Style Sidewalks; 25,000 25,4OD 25,OD0 25,000 GamptehemaiveDiteetionalSigm Prograrn 50,000 Bicycle Facility fmpmvements 25,000 25AW 25,000 25,000 1 Andrews CmckBypam Channel 330,000 Sat Rermval 125.000 90,000 135,000 225,000 Corrugated Metal Pipe StormDracm Replaeerremts 26DAO 26D 000 260,000 260,000 MmorStormDrain Facilities 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 Storm Drain Calvert Repairs 150,000 50,000 Marsh Street Bridge Rehabilitation 401.500 Johnson Pump Station Potup Replacement 140,000 Broad Stmt QeekBank Stabilization 35,000 Tom Street QeekBankStab7mtion 50AM Playground F4uiprmnt Replacement 308,600 SinshchmrPaikMasterPlan Imlemmtation 215,000 Laguna lake Part Master Plan Implementation 83,800 lndwick Canter WACDueting and Economizer 52,000 EacriorPaintingU adwickand Senior0ontets 90,OOD EatermPainting,Parks and Recreation Building 20,0 W Damon-fads Fields Maintenance Building 64,000 Meadow Park Roof Repbcement 40,000 Mission Plata Walkway Replacetant 65,000 ' Warden Bridge Deck Rehabilitation 45,000 Pomsettin Creek Walk 95AN Parks Pavement Maintenance 300000 Jack House RestrootaBuad'aag Remodel 195.000 Sinaheitra StairReplacernent 80,000 Downtown Urban Forest Manmgcu=t 25,OW 25,OOD 25.000 25OW 01yupic Pool Replastering 165,00 Rcpt=T Bar aft 24,200 Replace Both House Roof 62,000 Restroom replacement:GolfCourse 220,000 1 Jack House Fire Sprinklers 43,000 Jack House Gamebo and Concrete Walkways 80,000 Sealing EmaiorMummy at(Sty County Muscum 15.000 Corporation Yard Fuel Island Rehabilitation 35,000 Corporation Yard Tn=14 Pit U DverSmnctum zoo HallEdcliorpain tinst 30.000 Teta) 3,098.000 3 15 000 4 3 00 4 904 00 PubifeArt 0.5% 1 513700 I S16,1001 S24,200 1. 524500 - 3-389 C11-11 AITACHMEff 0 council MatinDw June 15 201 ac4enoA Kepo� I�w N.b. CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Jay D.Walter, Director of Works Direc Betsy Kiser,Director of Parks and Recrea ' n Prepared By: Bridget Fraser, Senior Civil Engineer Shannon Bates, Recreation Manager SUBJECT: DOWNTOWN MAINTENANCE AND BEAUTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Approve work scope Option 1 which includes completing improvements on three blocks of Higuera Street from Morro to Broad and direct staff to proceed with preparation of construction documents. 2. Authorize the City Manager to approve the plans and specifications for advertising and award the construction contract if bids are within the approved budget of$640,000. 3. As recommended by the Capital Improvement Plan Committee, approve funding in the amount of$34,000 for the downtown utility box public art project. DISCUSSION Background One of the Council's"Other Important Objectives"in the 2009-11 Financial Plan is expanding Downtown maintenance and beautification efforts. The intent was to enhance the maintenance and beautification of the Downtown through reprioritization of projects, new partnerships, clearer standards and design guidelines, and improved internal and external communications. Specifically, beautification efforts will be focused on downtown signage, solid waste collection, tree maintenance, news rack management, and other enhancements of existing City infrastructure. At the February 23, 2010 Council meeting, staff provided an update on the progress of the Downtown "Objective" and asked Council for direction and input on the desired improvements to be made. The Council report is available for review in the Council Reading File. To summarize,three approaches were suggested by Staff 1 Implement a block-by-block approach by bringing selected blocks up to standards. 2 Sprinkle improvements throughout the downtown area. 3 Combination of approaches 1 and 2. For the most part, Council's direction to staff was to first focus improvements on Higuera particularly the completion of the block containing the Wineman Hotel (Higuera Street, from N Morro to Chorro). If additional funds were available, staff would then provide Council a "shopping list"of other possible improvements in the downtown. B3 f I JL 1-14 TTACH69EPF Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 2 Work Scope Options As shown in the Fiscal Impact section there is approximately $640,000 currently available from various projects that can be used to support improvements to the Downtown". Using this $640,000 target,various work scope scenarios were put together which generally included "completion" of one or more blocks in the downtown by in-filling areas without Mission sidewalk, removing and replacing trees as called for in the Urban Management Plan, upgrading existing tree grates, installing pedestrian lighting, updating trash receptacles and news racks to new standards, upgrading sign posts to new standards, and painting traffic/light poles within the block the standard dark green. In addition to completing a block or blocks, several of the work scopes also included various combinations of improvements outside of the completed block such as, street light/traffic pole painting, replacement of news racks in the downtown, upgrading sign posts in the downtown, replacing all the trash cans in the downtown and providing an allowance for a contingency fund. "Note: For the purpose of this report and project, the "downtown" is the area bounded by Santa Rosa, Palm, Nipomo and Marsh. This area is most consistent with the Downtown Pedestrian Lighting District and the core area of the Mission Sidewalk District. Four work scope options are provided based on a budget of$640,000. Attachment 1 provides for a visual overview of the work that could be completed under each option.The work scopes and costs are only estimates at this time and final details and costs will be refined once the Council provides guidance on the preferred work scope. Consistent with Council's prior direction, all four concepts focus on Higuera Street. All options include completion of the block containing the Wineman Hotel. The four options are summarized as follows: Option 1 - Completes three consecutive blocks on Higuera Street from Morro to Broad. No other miscellaneous improvements are identified out side of these three blocks. This option provides for a contingency of$40,000. Option 2.— Completes two blocks of Higuera from Morro to Garden. This option provides farther attention to Higuera Street by also upgrading of all.sign posts, replacement of all trash cans and painting of all street light and traffic poles along a six block stretch of Higuera from Santa Rosa to Nipomo. It also includes replacement of all news racks in the downtown and provides for a$15,000 contingency. Option 3 — Also completes two blocks on Higuera from Morro to Garden as in Option 2. Rather than focusing additional improvement on the six block stretch of Higuera, additional improvements are spread throughout downtown by upgrading all of the sign posts and all of the news racks in the downtown. This option provides for a$50,000 contingency. Option 4 — Completes one block on Higuera from Morro to Chorro. The remaining improvements include all news racks, trash cans, sign post upgrades in the downtown as well as inspection and painting of ten Iight poles. This option provides for a$60,000 contingency. Staff recommends Option 1 as it most closely meets Council's direction to complete blocks on Higuera. Completing these three blocks, as opposed to spreading the improvements throughout b3 -a C11-13 1 TTACHIMEW li Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 3 downtown, will allow a more focused evaluation of the completed product, including news racks and trash cans, and allow modifications and adjustments to be made before moving forward with more improvements. This option, as well as Options 2 and 3, will provide much needed lighting in the block of Chorro to Garden - one of the "darkest' streets in downtown and will result in three consecutive completed blocks of lighting not to mention three consecutive blocks of Mission sidewalk. The matrix shown below summarizes the four work scopes. Council may choose the recommended Option 1 or any of the other "packaged" work scopes or Council may select other combinations. To help with this, approximate estimates are given for each item for use by Council in the event Council chooses to swap items or include items (increase the budget) or eliminate items(reduce the budget)from the work scope. Hi era-Morro to Chorro(W ineman) $ 200,000 X X X X Hi uera-Chorro to Garden $ 200,000 X X X Hi uera-Garden to Broad $ 200,000 X Higue_ra-Os_os_ to Morro $ 200,000 News Racks-Replace all in DT-22f $ 130.000 X X X Sign Past Upgrade (Hi uera Only) X Sign Post Upgrade-,Replace all in DT-200t $ 70,000 X X -StmetlTniffic Light Pole Painting(Higum Only) X Street Light Inspection&Painting- 10 Poles $ 50,000 X .x Trash Receptacles (Hi uera Only) X Trash Receptacles-Replace all in DT-77t $ 140,000 X Contingency/Seed Money/Matching Funds — _— $40K $15K $50K $60K Estimated Construcion Time(Heavy Construction) 6 mos. 4 mos 4 mos 2 mos Matrix Notes: 1. Completing these two blocks will result in 3 consecutive completed blocks of pedestrian lights 2. There is overlap in costs between the"block"items and the"miscellaneous"items because some of the miscellaneous items,such as news racks and poles,etc,are included in both the block cost and in the miscellaneous cost. - The News Rack and Trash Receptacle estimates are based on the cost of the items used in Wineman Hotel demonstration block. -Location and number of news racks is based on placing the new rack in same general location as existing. The total number of news racks and the location may change as a news rack ordinance is developed and adopted. 3. Construction impacts including time of year, daily work hours, etc., will be discussed and coordinated with the Downtown Association and affected business once the scope of the final project has been determined by Council. Contingency Fund. Staff recommends setting aside a portion of the budget for a contingency fund that can be used for various reasons; such as, absorbing design or construction costs of "unknowns" encountered in the project, and/or be available as matching funds. The concept of matching funds has been used to a small degree in the past few years to leverage City funds with private property owners to obtain additional improvements at a reduced cost. Property owners involved with building improvements frequently express an interest in doing more frontage improvements than are actually required,if the City is willing to provide some funding toward the work. In a couple of instances, the City has paid for the installation of curb and gutter,with 8 3 --3 C11-14 MACH64ENT— Z-0 _ Downtown Maintenance and Beatification. Page 4 the property owner paying for the sidewalk. Sidewalk repair budgets have been significantly reduced and staff has been unable to leverage these changes recently. Another potential use of contingency funds could be to purchase and install trash cans or paint some of the street light poles, above and beyond the approved work scope project. The funding could also be used for the originally proposed Warden Bridge resurfacing. This surface has become uneven and pedestrian traffic would benefit from its replacement. Other Work Efforts Affecting the Downtown Projects Final approval for news rack and trash receptacle standards is underway with the Architectural Review Committee. Staff will also meet with Pierre Rademaker for feedback on the new standards prior to final approval. Additionally, the City Attorney's office is working on a news rack ordinance so that the City can eliminate the individual news rack clusters in favor of a larger unit available through the City. A draft ordinance is currently circulating for review by staff. Once internal review is completed it will be circulated for review by external stakeholders. Public Art In January, Council approved several public art projects for funding through the 2009-11 Financial Plan. However, $145,500 remained unallocated from the public art fiuul._ At that time, staff presented several ideas for future use of these funds including a utility box public art project that would be tied to the ' Downtown Beautification and Enhancement Goal. The proposedT project would enhance 15-17 old and unattractive utility/traffic control boxes at various high visibility intersections in the a Downtown core. Over the past several months, staff has ; consulted with the Downtown Association (DA) to design a program that could use public art as a strategy to convert these "eye sores" into a form of public art while adding to the beautification efforts taking place in Downtown. Similar programs exist in Palo Alto, San Diego, Vista, and El Cajon to name a few (see Attachment 2 for examples of proposed program). The approximate $2,000 per box would include an artist stipend and supply voucher as well as cleaning, prepping, and applying an anti-graffiti top coat. Staff and the DA have begun the conceptual work on a program entitled `BoxArt". A "BoxArt" Festival that would precede the Savor Central Coast Festival in the Fall would culminate the event with selected artists painting their assigned box in a festival type atmosphere(similar to the i madonnari festival). FISCAL IMPACT Funding for the Downtown projects comes from a combination of maintenance and upgrade Capital Improvement Plan projects approved for the Downtown as part of the 2009-11 Financial Plan. While the funding was originally approved for individual projects, Council has expressed an interest in developing a revised workscope incorporating some of the original elements along with new ones (i.e. news racks,.trash receptacle and sign post upgrades). The following table summarizes the original allocations and expenses incurred to date with a total 8b—� C11-15 1 TTFCHNIBT— 2--- Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 5 budget available for this project. As shown below there is $640,000 available to support this work in the Downtown. Cost Summary Capital Improvement Plan Downtown Projects Sec.No. 2009-10 2010-11 Mission Style Sidewalks 90739 100,000 100,000 Downtown Paving 90942 200,000 Downtown Urban Forest Plan 90759 25,000 25,000 Street Light Paint-Downtown 90944 50,000 50,000 Warden Bridge Deck Rehabilitation 90946 45,000 Pedestrian Light Installation 70,000 Demonstration Equipment&Lighting Expenses 25,000 Total S395,000 $245,000 640,000 Public Art Funding 2009-11 CF In-Lieu Fund JUtlily Box Program(Downtown) 11 01 34,000 $34,000 CONCURRENCES Downtown Improvements. The Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce are in favor of making improvements in the Downtown. Both organizations believe that improving the Downtown experience will have a positive impact on the City's economy in the long term. Staff will be meeting with both organizations prior to the Council meeting to give them an over view of the work scope options/staff recommendation and to gain their feedback. Once the scope of work has been determined, both organizations will be contacted for input on how to lessen impacts and to coordinate construction timelines. Public Art. The proposed project was developed and recommended by the CIP Review Committee and subsequently supported by the ArtsObispo Art in Public Places Committee. Additionally, the Downtown Association has been an avid supporter and would be significantly involved in the execution of the project(see Attachment 3). ALTERNATIVES 1. Select another work scope option. Rather than approving staff's recommendation of Option I., Council may choose one of the other "prepackaged" options or direct staff to modify one of these options. 2. Select other improvements or another approach to address the needs to improve the Downtown. Council members or other interested members of the community may have other ideas about how this objective should be tackled. Staff could be directed to explore those ideas and bring an alternative concept back to the Council. 3. Direct funds to another Public Art project. Deny the public art project and redistribute funds to another public art project or recommend other locations for public art. ATTACHMENTS 1. Work scope Exhibits B 3'� C11-16 TACHI P.9ENT Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 6 2. Examples of utility box public art programs 3. Letter from the Downtown Association regarding public art COUNCIL READING FILE Council Agenda Report—February 23,2010 ckountil a Benda roparts*b8c warm mAMl Ok p190979 downs x baeulifiaUm nWancekw dt beautillatim wodampe.dac C11-17 ATTACHMENT 2 Utility Box Public Art Programs (examples) San • El Caion 9'*'}� •' iia+ F 77:71 Vista i I • 1 Alto 11-18 i I ATTACHMENT Z 2 June 2010 To: Shannon Bates,City of SLO Recreation Manager ,FA;J& Public Art Coordinator San Luis 3hispa From: Deborah Cash,Executive Director Downtown SLO Downtown Association Asst duAion Re: Artist Painted Utility Boxes PO Boz 1402 Son Luis Obispo As you know,the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association Design Committee California 93406 became interested in a public art project viewed in Ventura,CA last year when Phone 805-S41-0286 members attended a California Downtown Association conference there. The F= 805-781-2647 www.downtownslo.com project,Think Outside the Box,is sponsored by the City of Ventura with the purpose of transforming that city's utility boxes into valued works of art. According to their project literature,"Not only will this program improve the curb appeal of one of California's most enchanting historic cities but also give artists and sponsors alike an oppommity to add their unique perspective to the City's public art collection. In February,2010,you joined members of the Design Committee on a field trip to Ventura to meet with the city principals involved in the creation and coordination of Think Outside the Box. Our group was warmly greeted by representatives from the City's public art program and downtown organizers. We were given a tour of the program throughout their downtown area—we glimpsed as well other features that showcase that community's dedication to public art and downtown enhancements. Afterward,during a lunch meeting,we learned about how their program was implemented,paid for,launched,maintained...basically the recipe for how it's done was provided to us. Needless to say,the excitement generated by this visually fun and artistically valuable project was infectious and our group was even more encouraged to learn that you had already looked into this type of program for Downtown SLO and that funding might be available in the City's Public Art budget. Over the past few months,we have met and together worked out a plan that would in some ways replicate what Ventura has done with its utility boxes,in essence,our own boxes would be painted by local artists using a variety of artistic styles and subjects. The committee has named the project"BoxArt"and this name would be used in the`day of activities"BoxArt Festival"and"Walk BoxArt"map. Our goal is that on Saturday,September 25,2010, all selected artists would be painting their boxes in the Downtown area,with the Downtown Association providing a central location for map distribution,refreshments, entertainment and information about the project. The date was selected to ensure the art is complete prior to Sunset Magazine's Savor event the following week 83� 1� i ATTACHMENT2. The Design committee and the Board of Directors have a long history of supporting public art in Downtown,including the Chinatown mural art on the parking structure,artist painted banners,Cat and the Fiddle,jurying Downtown art projects,Trout About Downtown and participating in Art in Public Places. We consider ourselves partners with the City in this respect and have had a good working relationship on all these projects.Having a new project to look forward to is exciting and one the committee is willing to provide staff and volunteer resources,marketing,promotions and event planning towards. We believe we have worked out a tight but'do-able'timeline that will ensure the project's quick delivery during good weather and prior to our organization shifting gears for the holiday season. Shannon,thanks so much for your interest,support and extra work. We sincerely hope the City Council will give this project a green light and turn Downtown's unsightly and`graffiti-tempting' blank utility boxes into fun surprises at every turn. Paraphrasing from the Ventura project brochure,"the program promises to bring vibrant color and vitality to Downtown SLO's urban landscape." Especially in times when people need a little'lift' here and there during the day, this type of project would deliver cheer and beauty well beyond its investment. Thanks to everyone involved—in advance—for supporting this exciting and `paintbrush ready'project. '�R ..ttomi� �r►' �'�' e;. �,,•� �� ♦.SL. .'� '�'. + •. -. . �•`f't•-:.�� �}' ', cr Sit INV IPA 1 r � r� 10 i IL�', !x+,19' .T`:,,. ";w � ,,� •� •� �� •r � v�h ��� ;tom. � �•� * ,dl � . M � t 10. 01 Xi a Jk 97 SIGN rt- L = �r •� � •r •ir ..at �R ♦ , INTERSECTIONS PublicWorks Department 919 Palm Street, Son Luis Obispo, ATTA CH6gED;T RESOLUTION NO.9656(2005 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ADDING A MATCHING FUND COMPONENT TO THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART PROGRAM WHEREAS,the City has had a Public Art Program in place since 1990;and WHEREAS,the Program currently consists of three components, including Visual Arts in Public Places,Privately Funded Art in Public Places and Public Art in Private Development;and WHEREAS, the City realizes that a matching fund component to the public art program is an excellent way to expand public art opportunities within the City beyond the three existing components. NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that a matching fund component is hereby added to the City's Public Art Program and shall read as follows: The City has established a matching grant program to encourage public art. Projects seeldng matching grant funds will require City Council approval,consistent with the'City's Donation Acceptance Policy. Public art projects receiving matching funds should provide a clear public benefit and advance the City's public art goals. For every request, the Council will determine an appropriate level of match,up to a dollar-for-dollar level. Upon motion of Council Member Brown,seconded by Council Member.Settle, and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Council Members Brown, Mulholland and Settle, Vice Mayor Ewan and Mayor Romero NOES: None ABSENT: None The foregoing resolution was adopted this Il.day of March 2005. Mayor David F.Romero,Mayor ATTEST: dt(44t4 Audrey Ho City(ler R 9656 p ATTACH10E]T 1 -- Resolution No.9656(2005 Series) Page 2 APPROVED AS TO FORM. J4nadpdP.Lowell Ct Attorney iThCNi1ENT I� I SAN LUIS OBISPO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY February 7, 2011 Shannon Bates, Recreation and Public Art Manager City of San Luis Obispo 1341 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Dear Shannon, The San Luis Obispo Friends of the Library strongly supports art in a public building such as the library. With many.visitors, the library is a wonderful place for people to experience an appreciation of local art talent. We hope the city will be able to fund public art projects in the library. Sincerely, Laura C. Lehmann President P.O. BOX 1135 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93406 • 1805) 594-8962 Cll-24 ,'?TfACHA9ENT �_ SAN LUIS OBISPO ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES March 7, 2011 ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Ken Curtis, Suzan Ehdaie, Steven Hopkins, Michelle McCovey-Good, Greg Wynn, Vice-Chair Jim Duffy, and Chairperson Anthony Palazzo Absent: None Staff: Senior Planner Pam Ricci and Recording Secretary Janet Miller ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was accepted as presented. MINUTES: The minutes of February 7, 2011, were approved as presented. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: There were no comments. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 1. 190 Santa Rosa Street ARC 14-10; Review of a new skate park expansion project at Santa Rosa Park; PF zone; City of San Luis Obispo — Public Works Department, applicant. (Pam Ricci) Pam Ricci, Senior Planner, presented the staff report, recommending that the Commission adopt a draft resolution, which grants final approval to the project design, based on findings and subject to mitigation measures and conditions which she outlined. Lief McKay, City design consultant, spoke in support of the project. He provided a detailed presentation regarding the design of the skate park and associated improvements. Commr. Ehdaie questioned if the project would include a sound system. Christine Wallace, Community Services and Events Supervisor, stated there would not be a sound system. Mr. McKay noted that there may be temporary sound systems at events. Commr. Curtis asked if a passive gravity system versus a sump pump had been considered for drainage to help lower maintenance costs. Mr. McKay noted that the site included sump pumps in certain areas because the depth of some of the pool features precluded use of storm drain improvements. C11-25 ARC Minutes ATTACH"-iEf!T�_ March 7, 2011 Page 2 Hal Hannula, Supervising Civil Engineer, discussed the elements required for a passive system. Commr. McCovey-Good asked about the concrete surfaces and any concerns with graffiti. Mr. McKay replied that they have found that the skateboarding community itself provides oversight of the facilities. He noted that painting concrete surfaces was not a possibility to cover up graffiti because of the slickness it adds. Bridget Fraser, Civil Engineer, explained photometric plans to the Commission. Commr. Wynn questioned if water fountains were included in the project. Mr. McKay noted the locations of nearby water fountains. PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were no comments. COMMISSION COMMENTS: Vice-Chair Duffy described the project as a great community amenity. He suggested that the City pursue a custom design for the proposed shade structures. Commr. Wynn recommended that a truss system be considered for the shade structures to allow for additional flexibility on how they are used at the site. Commr. Hopkins agreed with the idea of a unique shade structure. Commr. Ehdaie supported the opportunity for incorporating art in the project design. Shannon Bates, Acting Parks & Recreation Director and Public Art Manager, noted there was an opportunity to pursue public art funding to help offset costs of some of the custom features discussed. There were no further comments made from the Commission. On motion by Vice-Chair Duffy, seconded by Commr. Curtis. the ARC supported the adoption of the draft resolution as presented by staff:.which granted final approval to the proiect design, based on findings and subject to mitigation measures and conditions with the-addition of one condition. The added condition was: "The Citv shall investigate the possibility of a custom design for the shade structures proposed for the stage area with flexibility for them to be utilized for different uses.. Public art funds could possibly be utilized for a custom shade structure design or other decorative features in the skate park area such as tile borders." AYES: Commrs. Curtis, Ehdaie, Hopkins, McCovey-Good, Wynn, Duffy, and Palazzo NOES: None RECUSED: None C11-26 ARC Minutes :1TTFCHr ENT March 7, 2011 Page 3 ABSENT: None The motion passed on a 7:0 vote. COMMENT AND DISCUSSION: 2. Staff: a. Agenda Forecast: Pam Ricci gave a forecast of upcoming projects. 3. Commission: Chairperson Palazzo mentioned that the installation of "Oh Great Spirit" at the intersection of Prado and South Higuera was a nice addition to the area. Commr. McCovey-Good agreed but mentioned that the lighting might need some further adjustment to be less bright and better focused. Commr. Wynn was concerned with the fencing around the new outdoor seating area at 1028 Chorro Street for the Nautical Bean. He reiterated his prior suggestion that ropes or another type of barricade that could be brought in every night might be preferred so the sidewalk was more open after business hours. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted by, Janet Miller Recording Secretary Approved by the Architectural Review Commission on March 21, 2011. Ryan Betz Supervising Administrative Assistant C11-27 rrmdesigngroup IN creating environments people enjoy April 28, 2011 RRM Design Group 3765 S. Higuera St.,Ste.102 Shelly Stanwyck, Parks and Recreation Director San Luis Obispo,CA-93401 City of San Luis Obispo P:(805)543-1794 1341 Njpomo Street F:(805)543-4609 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.rrmdesign.com Re: Public Art at Santa Rosa Skate Park Dear Shelly, We understand that the City intends to fund the addition of an artist to the Santa Rosa Skate Park design team in order to collaborate and develop public art concepts. As the City's design consultant for the project, RRM Design Group is thoroughly supportive of this proposal and we are optimistic that it will provide significant added benefits to the design. In our firm's history of working with artists on public improvement projects, we have consistently found that involving artists throughout the design process - as opposed to "after- the-fact" installations - produces results that are typically well integrated into the site, and are often more interesting and compelling.- We believe that the development of the site design and the public art components should be iterative and intertwined, and we look forward to a successful relationship with the selected artist and City staff. Sincerel , RRM S N G OUP Lie y; RLA Princi I Landscape.A hitect cc; Shannon Bates, Recreation and PubliaArt Manager alnl idpoflo;wrsitz;2009i%3C9 i�2 Sanra Rasa-.Skate Park 11 it'rviect A'anuymnentiCorresponderce t,QitrCs[dnw7ck fetter 4 28 I J.docx COMMUNITY I PUBLIC SAFETY I RECREATION I EDUCATION I URBAN ARCHITECTS I ENGINEERS I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS PLANNERS I SURVEYORS Q A California Corporation I Victor Montgomery,Architect#Ct i o90 I Jerry Michael,RCE#36895,LS#6276 1 lett Ferber,LA#28M Pri led3(q�