Administrative
Report
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: CAMERON HARDING, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION OF
PUBLIC ART ALONG ARTESIA BOULEVARD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council has expressed its desire to include public art along Artesia Boulevard (ARTesia) in both the Public Art Master Plan, adopted on April 9, 2016, and the Artesia & Aviation Corridors Area Plan (AACAP), adopted on December 8, 2020. Additionally, the Strategic Plan included a report to the City Council on the feasibility of an archway on Artesia Blvd and the process to invite design ideas for a public art archway project. At the January 17, 2023 meeting, the City Council considered the item and directed staff to broaden the scope of the creative place-making project by including as much public art in as many locations along Artesia Boulevard as possible. This report provides a program framework and recommendations to accomplish this goal.
BACKGROUND
On January 2, 2009, the City Council created the Public Art Commission to advise the Council in all matters pertaining to public art in Redondo Beach. On December 2, 2014, Council adopted Ordinance No. 3127-14 establishing the John Parsons Public Art Fund, in honor of former Planning Commissioner and City Council Member John Parsons. The Ordinance defines the situations under which both private developers and the City are required to make contributions to the Fund and how those funds may be spent. The total Fund balance is currently $1,009,283, of which $790,000 has been allocated, leaving approximately $200,000 for additional expenses that further the goals of the City’s Public Art Program.
The City’s Public Art Master Plan, adopted by Council on April 19, 2016, contains the purposes and goals of the City’s art program, along with artist selection methods, inventory of current works, conservation measures, the maintenance program, and recommended locations for future Public Art installations.
Locations identified in the Public Art Master Plan
The Public Art Master Plan identified 14 medians along Artesia Blvd. where public art could be located:
1. Between Redondo Beach Blvd. and Hawthorne Blvd.
2. Between Firmona Ave. & Kingsdale Ave.
3. Between Condon Ave. & Firmona Ave.
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
4. Between Inglewood Ave. & Condon Ave.
5. Between Felton Ln. & Inglewood Ave.
6. Between Phelan Ln. & Felton Ln.
7. Between MacKay Ln. & Phelan Ln.
8. Between Vail Ln. & MacKay Ln.
9. Between Rindge Ln. & Slauson Ln.
10. Between Blossom Ln. & Rindge Ln.
11. Between Green Ln. & Blossom Ln.
12. Between Flagler Ln. & Green Ln.
13. Between Aviation Way & Flagler Ln.
14. Between Aviation Blvd. & Aviation Way
Locations identified in the Artesia & Aviation Corridors Area Plan On December 8, 2020, the City Council adopted the AACAP. The plan recognizes that Artesia Boulevard could be converted from a corridor into a “destination” where people want to spend time and money by offering the kinds of amenities that attract visitors. The AACAP envisions providing comfortable spaces for the community to socialize and accomplish daily tasks by clustering preferred and synergistic uses in concentrated areas. The Plan recognizes that these efforts are strengthened through the incorporation of public art. These smaller Activity Nodes can become distinct destinations within the AACAP area that include public art. To promote the more immediate clustering of preferred and synergistic uses, the City has identified two specific areas to operate as Activity Nodes, where pedestrian activity is most likely to occur and be most desirable, and where “streetlets” can be installed to activate the public space:
· MacKay Lane to Felton Lane (two blocks)
· Flagler Lane to Blossom Lane (two blocks)
Other Locations and Costs
At the January 17, 2023 City Council meeting, the Waterfront & Economic Development Department, with input from the Public Works and Community Services Departments, provided Council with an archway report that summarized two possibilities: 1) a traditional “archway” sign (possibly to be designed by an artist) that would span the boulevard or 2) multiple pieces of artwork at various locations along the boulevard. Council directed staff to pursue the multiple artwork path to provide as much flexibility as possible to maximize art installation along Artesia Boulevard.
The January report to Council estimated that the cost associated with a single archway sign would range from $300,000 to $500,000, plus the artist’s fee, which will be commensurate with the skill and reputation of the artist. In addition, expanding the scope of the project to include multiple sites increases the total cost not just by the amount of designs, labor and materials, but also by the relevant permits and easements that may be needed for each additional location.
The January report also noted that investment in public art can be an investment in economic development because it is possible that a successful creative placemaking project will substantially improve the area’s ability to attract increasing numbers of both tourists and residents and, in turn, additional private investment, resulting in a net positive impact on the local Artesia economy.
To maximize the project’s ability to achieve the goals set forth by Council and in the AACAP, a budget not to exceed $1 million would be recommended. Council has already allocated $790,000 of the $1,009,283 currently in the John Parsons Public Art Fund. This means roughly $800,000 would have
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
$1,009,283 currently in the John Parsons Public Art Fund. This means roughly $800,000 would have to be advanced (as needed) from an alternative source (i.e. the General Fund) that would be reimbursed by the Public Art Fund as the Fund grows. See Scenario 1 in the Fiscal Impact Section.
In addition to the possibility of initially funding the project from the General Fund and paying it back with Public Art Funds as they become available, Council may also want to consider the following two scenarios:
Scenario 2: Fund only four (of the seven) budgeted public art projects (“Gate Wave” Project, Skatepark Mural, Transit Center Mural, and Public Works Yard Mural) that are in the most active stages of development. The artists for the “Gate Wave” Project and the Skatepark Mural have already been approved by Council. The Public Art Commission has selected an artist for the Public Works Yard Mural, and staff has nearly completed the selection process for an artist for the Transit Center Mural. This would delay or defund the other three previously approved projects (Lilienthal Street Sculpture, Esplanade Art Concept, and the Big Lots Retaining Walls Mural) and leave a Public Art Fund balance of $474,283 for the ARTesia Project.
Scenario 3: This is the same as Scenario 2, except instead of using all of the remaining Public Art funds on the ARTesia Project, the roughly $500,000 of available monies would be split between the ARTesia Project and the Gateway Signage Project ($250,000 for each - or any other combination Council approves).
It should be noted that there are other high visibility locations for public art outside of Artesia Blvd.
The Public Art Commission has identified two railroad overpasses and the associated concrete supports (see below) as priority locations for public art. These locations are not owned by the City, and only the Grant Ave. location is within the City’s boundaries. As such, additional research into the feasibility of these locations is required. Public Works engineering staff has been conducting preliminary conversations with the appropriate railroad authorities to facilitate regular graffiti abatement and to obtain a list of steps/requirements for the installation of potential public art projects.
1. Artesia Blvd. east of Inglewood (looking west)
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
2. Grant Avenue east of Inglewood (looking west)
How Public Art along Artesia is Recommended to be Selected/Acquired The City’s Public Art Master Plan sets forth guidelines for selecting artists and public artworks. The process involves three steps: Step #1, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which seeks to identify a pool of artists who have experience implementing projects similar to the one to be commissioned.
Step #2, a Call for Proposals (CFP) which involves selecting a small group of finalists from among the artists who successfully completed Step #1. These finalists are then invited to submit their original designs, budget, narrative, etc. for the project along with any other information the City might request, for which they are paid between 1 and 5 percent of the total budget for the project. In an effort to achieve Council’s desire to maximize art along Artesia Boulevard, the CFP for this project would also ask the artists competing to identify the locations where they believe artwork should be installed.
Step #3 is selecting one or more artists to implement the project. In the past, proposals for new public art have been reviewed only by the Public Art Commission, which then made a recommendation to City Council. In this case, however, because the goal of the project is not only to beautify, but also to create social capital through the process of bringing people together to develop ideas, themes, locations, etc., proposals should be reviewed by a panel of stakeholders (example
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
below) to make recommendations to the Public Art Commission and the City Council:
· One or two City Council Members
· One or up to three Public Art Commissioners
· Community Resident Representative
· Community Business Owner Representative
· Additional Stakeholders, as desired
The community-engagement process needed to finalize locations and designs requires the artist to participate in meetings with community members to learn what their vision for the project is and to help identify important themes. An agreement with the selected artist must be in place before locations and designs are finalized as community engagement is a labor-intensive process.
Professional agreements with artists typically include language that allows the City to terminate the contract if mutually agreed upon designs are not forthcoming. If the Agreement is terminated early, the contract will specify the amount the City owes to the artist for work completed to date.
Public Art can be incorporated in various ways for creative-placemaking, using sidewalks, medians, lighting, supports for overpasses, archways, walls, windows, and doors. It should be noted, placing artwork on private property will require agreements with the property owners.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Approve the public art procurement process described in this report.
2. Give direction on the desired funding scenario(s) for the ARTesia and/or Gateway (or Arch) Signage Projects (formal budget action would take place during the annual Budget/CIP process or as specific projects are procured with accompanying budget modification resolutions).
3. Conceptually approve the utilization of a Public Art Consultant to support the Artesia Art acquisition effort, not to exceed 10 percent of the total project budget.
4. Declare public art consultants “noncompetitive” as per RBMC 2-6.09, which states, “professional services of engineers, architects, accountants, attorneys, doctors, and other professional classes are hereby declared to be noncompetitive, and bids need not be received in any case where the City is depending upon the skill, integrity, judgment, and ability of the service rather than the dollar cost of the direct labor and material going into the service.”
COORDINATION
The Community Services Department coordinated the preparation of this report with input from the Waterfront and Economic Development Department and the Public Works Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of this item will be determined by the funding strategy directed by City Council.
Scenario 1: $1,000,000 ARTesia Project Budget - Leave all existing public art projects in place (see below), use the remaining roughly $200,000 of available Public Art Funds and advance up to roughly $800,000 of General Funds as ARTesia project expenses occur (likely beginning in FY 2024- 25) with the expectation that the Public Art Fund would reimburse all General Fund expenses as Public Art Funds are deposited in the account and become available for transfer. # Project Name Scenario 2
1 "Gate Wave" (new location) $ 275,000
2 Skatepark Mural $ 50,000
3 Lilienthal Street Sculpture $ 125,000
4 Bus Depot (Transit Center) Mural $ 150,000
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
# Project Name Scenario 2
1 "Gate Wave" (new location) $ 275,000
2 Skatepark Mural $ 50,000
3 Lilienthal Street Sculpture $ 125,000
4 Bus Depot (Transit Center) Mural $ 150,000
5 Public Works Yard Mural $ 60,000
6 Esplanade Art Concept $ 100,000
7 Big Lots Retaining Walls Mural $ 35,000
TOTAL $ 795,000
JP Public Art Funds on Deposit $ 1,009,283
Remaining Balance $ 214,283
8 ARTesia BLvd $ 1,000,000
9 Gateway (Arch) Signage $ 0
Amount Advanced by GF $ 785,717
Scenario 2: $474,283 ARTesia Project Budget - fund only 4 of the currently approved, and in design, Public Art projects (as follows) leaving $474,283 of Public Art Funds for the ARTesia Blvd Project.
# Project Name Scenario 2
1 "Gate Wave" (new location) $ 275,000
2 Skatepark Mural $ 50,000
3 Lilienthal Street Sculpture Delay/Defund
4 Bus Depot (Transit Center) Mural $ 150,000
5 Public Works Yard Mural $ 60,000
6 Esplanade Art Concept Delay/Defund
7 Big Lots Retaining Walls Mural Delay/Defund
8 ARTesia BLvd $ 474,283
9 Gateway (Arch) Signage $ 0
TOTAL $ 1,009,283
JP Public Art Funds on Deposit $ 1,009,283
Remaining Balance $ 0
Scenario 3: $250,000 ARTesia Project Budget and a $250,000 Artesia Gateway Siganage Project Budget - Otherwise same as Scenario 2, leaving a current Public Art Fund deficit of roughly 25,000. These are estimates only. The exact amounts would be appropriated through the budget and contractual process with known Public Art Fund deposits at the time and would be balanced against estimated Fund revenues.
# Project Name Scenario 4
1 "Gate Wave" (new location) $ 275,000
2 Skatepark Mural $ 50,000
3 Lilienthal Street Sculpture Delay/Defund
4 Bus Depot (Transit Center) Mural $ 150,000
5 Public Works Yard Mural $ 60,000
6 Esplanade Art Concept Delay/Defund
N.2., File # 23-6789 Meeting Date: 1/9/2024
# Project Name Scenario 4
1 "Gate Wave" (new location) $ 275,000
2 Skatepark Mural $ 50,000
3 Lilienthal Street Sculpture Delay/Defund
4 Bus Depot (Transit Center) Mural $ 150,000
5 Public Works Yard Mural $ 60,000
6 Esplanade Art Concept Delay/Defund
7 Big Lots Retaining Walls Mural Delay/Defund
8 ARTesia BLvd $ 250,000
9 Gateway (Arch) Signage $ 250,000
TOTAL $ 1,035,000
JP Public Art Funds on Deposit $ 1,009,284
Remaining Balance (Deficit) $ (25,716)
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· PowerPoint Presentation - Examples of Public Art Along Traffic Corridors