HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16-2019 Item 08, Implementation process for four minor public art projects Department Name: Parks & Recreation
Cost Center: 7001
For Agenda of: April 16, 2019
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Shelly Stanwyck, Assistant City Manager Community Services
Prepared By: Lindsey Stephenson, Parks and Recreation Manager
SUBJECT: APPROVE A STREAMLINED PROCESS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF FOUR MINOR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and approve a streamlined Public Art process to facilitate semi-permanent and functional
art with four specific minor public art projects.
DISCUSSION
Background
In December 2016, Council adopted the City’s first Public Art Master Plan. The Public Art
Master Plan has an emphasis on operational and programmatic priorities with goals and
objectives designed to serve as a road map for the future of public art in San Luis Obispo. The
Master Plan recommended short, medium, and long-term implementation phases over ten years.
The short-term phase focused on addressing maintenance of the City’s existing Public Art
collection and elevating awareness of the program through the expansion of temporary Public
Art projects, with the integration of cost -effective functional art.
In alignment with the Master Plan short -term goals, staff is proposing four functional art
opportunities that will support community placemaking with the integration of recreational
activities and public art.
Council Direction Sought
With this report, staff is seeking Council approval of a streamlined process to facilitate semi -
permanent and functional art in four specific projects.
1. New Utility Boxes
2. Public Safety Barriers
3. Community Partnerships/Pop-up Events
4. Outdoor Ping Pong Tables
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The Proposed Streamlined Process
The process for minor public art projects is proposed as follows:
Step 1. The four projects will be reviewed separately (and based on their implementation timing)
by a Public Art Selection Jury. The Public Art Jury will include members who are a
composition of: neighbors, arts advocates, artists, local businesses, historians, community
members, and representatives of the City, County of San Luis Obispo, and the School
District.
Step 2. After the recommendation of the Public Art Jury, the Community Development Director
will determine if the public art designs meet the City’s Community Design Guidelines for
Public Art and issue the final minor development review approval.
Step 3. If needed, the designs selected will be forwarded to Council.
The Four Specific Public Art Projects
Staff has identified four cost effective temporary, semi-permanent, and functional art projects for
which the process for review could be streamlined and make progress toward the implementation
of the adopted Public Art Master Plan.
1. New Utility Boxes
Initially conceived as a program to discourage and abate graffiti and to enhance un attractive
utility/traffic signal boxes at various high visibility intersections in the Downtown core, the
Utility Box Art Program received funding from the City Council in 2010. Widespread
popularity of the box art program enabled the pilot program to exp and in 2012, 2016 and in
2018 complete the final City-owned boxes. Staff is suggesting the continuation of the Utility
Box Art Program as new signal boxes come online; the first two at the intersection of
Nipomo/Higuera, Foothill/Chorro and Garden/Higuera Streets. This is an established public
art program that has proven it meets all criteria put forth in the Community Design
Guidelines for Public Art.
2. Public Safety Barriers
Following the success and popularity of the approved Utility Box Art Program, staff is
recommending a similar call for artists, creating art designs to be applied to selected new
public safety barriers in the downtown core and the bollards that will be installed at the
Mission Plaza to be utilized during Farmer’s Market and Special E vents. This type of art-
centric design competition will elevate the public’s awareness of the City’s public art
program and enhanced public safety infrastructure. The public safety barriers will follow the
same process as the Utility Box Art Program and w ill meet the design standards for the
Public Art Program.
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3. Community Partnerships / Pop-Up Events
Pop-Up Events: The City has a long-standing history with local arts-related community
partners. A continued partnership with Arts Obispo and a renewed agreement includes
producing one annual pop-up event with focus on the arts and activation of parks to align
with the upcoming Parks and Recreation Master Plan and General Element Update. Pop -up
events in parks do not require a jury process but will follow protocol for permits required in
City parks and facilities.
Art Project at City Farm: The San Luis Obispo High School Welding Class, local artist Allen
Root , and City Farm are proposing a joint public art kinetic flower sculpture at the Calle
Joaquin Agricultural Reserve. Design, materials, and installation are donated by local City
vendors and $2,500 from the City Public Art Fund is requested to cover non-donated costs.
This project is working within the confines of the school calendar and needs a timely review
to be ready for a June installation and before the school year ends.
These are two types of community partnerships and funding opportunities that align with the
San Luis Obispo Public Art Master Plan and allow for creative art installations throug hout
the City.
4. Outdoor Ping Pong Tables and Public Art
Staff is proposing an activation of several City park spaces through outdoor recreational
ping-pong tables serving as a canvas for public art. Outdoor ping-pong tables offer a unique
placemaking tool that is focused on cultivating more engaged and connected communities.
Sinsheimer, Meadow, and Emerson parks have been identified as potential locations for
outdoor ping-pong tables. Using the adopted Public Art Guidelines, these ping -pong tables
would then be commissioned for art murals by local artists. Outdoor ping -pong as public art
would provide various community benefits that encourage healthy, active lifestyles and
exhibit space for public art and local artists.
What Public Art Projects will Continue to Follow the Normal Process and Come to Council
for Review
In the next two -year budget cycle, staff anticipates new public art project(s) to be developed
within the Downtown Vitality Major City Goal. As the workplan is in development a few
projects have come forward as potential projects for the Public Art Program. As placemaking
creates a special atmosphere downtown, there are creative enhancements potentially at
Bubblegum Alley and the expansion of the light post banner program with the Downtown SLO
could also be enhanced. Additionally, as phase one of the Anholm Bikeway begins development ,
there is a component of public art proposed for the Chorro Street underpass, the gateway to the
bikeway. In addition to these projects, all new public art projects in private development will
continue to follow the Public Art Guidelines and the procedural approvals along the way, with
final approval from the Council.
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CONCURRENCE
After the recommendation of the Public Art Jury, the Community Development Director will
determine if the public art designs meet the City’s Community Design Guidelines for Public Art and
issue the final minor development review approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended a ction in this
report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15278.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: No Budget Year: 2019-21
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing Cost
Public Art Fund $396,890.00 $ 8,000 Utility Boxes
$ 20,000 Barriers
$ 2,500 City Farm
$ 5,000 Pop-Up Events
$35,000 Ping Pong
$326,480 $
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total $396,980.00 $70,500 $326,480
Public Art Master Plan Initiatives will be funded exclusively from the Public Art Fund, which is
comprised of both a City General Fund contributions and Development in-lieu fees collected
annually.
There is sufficient Public Art funding available to implement the Public Art Master Plan
Initiatives outlined in this report. The Public Art fund has a fund balance of $396,890 available
to support the implementation of the Public Art Master Plan and$25,925 remaining in the Utility
Box Beautification project to augment the $8,000 for new utility boxes added to the program.
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ALTERNATIVES
1. Determine that the proposed minor public art is inconsistent with the City’s Public Art Policy
and/or City’s Community Design Guidelines (CDG). This is not recommended as all
proposed public art must meet the Public Art Policy and CDG.
2. Council could determine these are not minor public art projects and do not meet the
streamlined proposal and require City Council and Advisory Body approvals (Architectural
Review Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council). This is not
recommended given the projects proposed are minor in nature and temporary, also fit the
Public Art Master Plan recommendations, and are consistent with Council approved Public
Art Resolution and Flow Chart Attachment s A & B.
Attachments:
a - Resolution 6811
b - Public Art Review Process FLOW CHART
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