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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 7.F
Meeting Date: June 22, 2022
From: Stone James, Economic Development Director
Title: Cove Community Artists Anson, Novak, & Townsley Street Sign Blade Topper Request
City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Public Arts Commission's recommendation to memorialize the lives and contributions of accomplished Cathedral City artists Bill Anson, Joseph Novak, and Tim Townsley. The Toppers could be installed on existing street signs located at San Jacinto Road and V an Fleet (Bill Anson), San Jacinto Road and Glenn Avenue (Tim Townsley), San Jacinto Road and Cathedral Canyon (Tim Townsley), Bel Air Drive and Grandview Avenue (Joseph Novak), and Bel Air Drive and Valley Vista Drive (Joseph Novak). The Public Arts Commi ssion would use Arts in Public Places funds in an amount not to exceed $1,778.00.
BACKGROUND:
Street Sign Blade Toppers (Topper or Toppers) are additional metal signs placed on top of existing street name sign blades. The name and/or images contained wi thin the Toppers are intended to designate or memorialize a unique neighborhood, historic event, person, or feature. Studies have shown Toppers improve community identity , increase property values, and enhance community pride.
Toppers are not new to Cathedral City . Currently, t oppers adorn street signs along Minerva Street (Candy Cane Lane ), “F” Street (Agnes Pelton Way ), and most recently, Grandview Avenue (Val Samuelson). Despite these Toppers having been placed, there was no formal application process. On March 11, 2020 , the City Council approved the City’s first formal process so residents may install Toppers within their own communities.
Tonight’s agenda item is a request from the Public Arts Commission to memorialize the lives and contributions of three recently deceased Cathedral City Cove artists by adding Toppers to several Cathedral City Cove community streets.
DISCUSSION:
Since January 2020, the Public Arts Commission has been working on memorializing
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the lives and contributions of three rece ntly deceased Cathedral City Cove artists. Their bio’s attached, artists Bill Anson, Tim Townsley, and Joseph A. Novak were impressive men who left an indelible mark. All three artists spent their final years living in the Cove, their life and works adding to Cathedral City’s rich history as an enclave for accomplished artists.
Based on where the three artists lived, Toppers are proposed to be placed:
Bill Anson: Mr. Anson lived on San Jacinto Road cul de sac west of the wash. A Topper is proposed to be placed:
1) On the corner of San Jacinto Road and Van Fleet Street.
Tim Townsley: Mr. Townsley lived on San Jacinto Road between Glenn Avenue and Cathedral Canyon Drive. Toppers are proposed to be placed:
1) On the corner of San Jacinto Road and Glenn Avenue
2) On the corner of San Jacinto Road and Cathedral Canyon Drive.
Joseph Novak: Mr. Novak lived on Bel Air Drive between Grandview Avenue and Valley Vista Drive. Toppers are proposed to be placed:
1) On the corner of Bel Air Drive and Grandview Avenue
2) On the corner of Bel Air Drive and Valley Vista Drive
Formally approved by the Commission on September 14, 2020, and subsequently revisited on November 8, 2021, May 10, 2022, and June 14, 2022, the Commission is ready to bring this project to completion. The Street, Neighborhood and/or District Identification Street Sign Blade “Toppers” program outlines several steps. A key step is ensuring the community impacted by the Toppers is aware of and generally supportive of the initiative. Topper program step 1 requires,
Topper applicants must confer with the residents/businesses of the designated area through a public consultation process and must be able to demonstrate consensus amongst all involved and affected via a petition or questionnaire.
Given the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of going door -to-door, the attached letter was mailed on May 31 , 2022. This letter was mailed to all residents on the streets between the respective Toppers. As of June 7, 2022, eight letters of support have been recei ved and are attached to this report. No letters objecting to the project have been received.
With Council’s support, the Commission would like to finalize and submit the Street, Neighborhood and/or District Identification Street Sign Blade “Toppers” pro gram application in hopes of completing the project by Q3 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Art in Public Place s Fund Balance will be used to cover the total project cost of $1,778.00. The current Art in Public Places Fund Balance is $125,721.02.
ATTACHMENTS:
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2022-06-01 Anson Townsley Novak Sign Topper Location Map 2022-05-30 StreetSignTopper Complete Letter
2022-04-27 Townsley, Novak, and Anson 3 Custom Street Signs_1 Val Samuelson Way
Agnes Pelton Street Sign Topper Example
Bio-Bill Anson-Palm Springs Life Article
Bio-Joseph A. Novak-Attorney, Artist & Author
Bio-Tim Townsley
2022-06-06 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Jessica Schiffman 2022-06-06 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Robert E Reeves 2022-06-06 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Simeon Den 2022-06-06 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Victor Ide 2022-06-07 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Shelly Kaplan 2022-06-07 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Stephan Ash 2022-06-08 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Jim Stennett 2022-06-08 Supporting Anson Townsley Novak Sign Toppers from Margie St. Anthony TOPPER PROGRAM and APPLICATION rev. 1 jac