HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3a: Donation of Bronze Statue of Luck Baldwin and Approval of Location flF C�
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Office of the City Manager
DATE: November 15, 2011
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Donald Penman, City Manager
By: Linda Garcia, Corn nications, Marketing and Special
Projects Manager
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF A DONATION OF A BRONZE STATUE OF
LUCKY BALDWIN FROM MARGAUX VIERA; APPROVAL OF
THE LOCATION WHERE SAID STATUE WOULD BE
INSTALLED; APPROVAL OF THE USE OF CITY FUNDS TO
PAY FOR THE PROJECT; DIRECTION TO STAFF TO PURSUE
THE CREATION OF A PEDESTAL, DEDICATION PLAQUE AND
ASSOCIATED LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING;
AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN
AGREEMENT ON THE CITY'S BEHALF WITH MS. VIERA
OUTLINING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH PARTY
CONCERNING THIS PROJECT
Recommendation: Provide direction
SUMMARY
In response to a proposal from Margaux Viera, at its October 18 meeting the City
Council directed staff to place on an upcoming agenda the possible acceptance from
Ms. Viera of a statue of Lucky Baldwin for display on public property. Staff recommends
that the City Council provide direction as to whether or not to pursue the project and, if
applicable, that the Council take such action as outlined in this report relative to
acceptance of the donation, the use of City funds, location, process and execution of an
agreement with Ms. Viera.
DISCUSSION
Margaux Viera, Lucky Baldwin's great, great, great granddaughter, is interested in
commissioning a statue of him and donating it to the City of Arcadia as a tribute to his
life and significance in Arcadia history. This offer is made contingent upon the City
agreeing to provide a location for the statue; to purchase a pedestal upon which the
statue will sit; to install the statue and pedestal; to provide any electrical/lighting and
Mayor and City Council — Lucky Baldwin Statue
November 15, 2011
Page 2
landscaping that may be deemed appropriate for the area surrounding the statue; and
to accept responsibility for maintenance of the statue. Ms. Viera would commission and
purchase the statue and gift it to the City, who then becomes the sole owner. An
overview of the project is noted below.
Statue
The statue is proposed to be approximately 9' tall, cast in solid bronze. The artist Ms.
Viera has selected is Alfred Paredes.
Ms. Viera and Mr. Paredes will work together on the design of the statue in terms of
how he will be standing and what he will be wearing. City staff may assist to provide
historical background. A sketch and model of the statue will be prepared and presented
to the City Council for approval. Upon Council approval Ms. Viera will move forward
with any arrangements that need to be made to get the sculpting and casting started.
Pedestal
Staff will contact potential vendors to engineer, design and construct a pedestal to
support the Lucky Baldwin statue. The size, design and material will be determined in
consultation with Ms. Viera and Mr. Paredes and submitted to the City Council for
approval. The City will be responsible for all costs associated with the pedestal and
installation, including any etching that may be on the pedestal and/or any plaque that
may or may not be placed on or near the pedestal. Language on either the pedestal or
a plaque must be approved by both the City and Ms. Viera.
The cost of the pedestal and installation is unknown at this time as it will be determined
by design, size, material and delivery/construction. Staff and Ms. Viera both made
some basic contact with possible vendors and the ballpark figures we were given
ranged from $7,000 to $25,000 (keeping in mind there are many variables at this point).
Two of the potential vendors recommended building the pedestal on-site.
Location
The proposed location is the "rose garden" adjacent to the Community Center. The cost
estimate to modify the existing landscaping to accommodate the statue is $1,500 and
the estimated cost of adding electrical and lighting is $6,000.
Public Works Services has confirmed that the City of Arcadia owns the land on which
the rose garden sits. Of note however, is that the rose garden is officially called the
Reverend Monsignor Gerald M. O'Keeffe Rose Garden, as dedicated by the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors upon his passing in 1975. Staff does not propose
any change to the name of the garden or to the location of the existing plaque. Even
Mayor and City Council — Lucky Baldwin Statue
November 15, 2011
Page 3
though they do not have jurisdiction over the property, as a courtesy staff informed Holy
Angels Church of the City's plans; they do not have a problem with the installation of a
statue, but they would like the name of the rose garden and the dedication plaque to
remain the same.
Security for the statue has been discussed by staff and we feel it is something that
should be taken into consideration in the decision-making process for the project. Staff
has no reason to believe that the rose garden is less secure than any other location that
is not under surveillance 24/7, but nonetheless the subject of theft and vandalism is a
possibility. The Police and Public Works Services Departments believe that there could
be people out there who may attempt to chip away at the statue for the metal, but that is
a possibility in any public and open location. Securing the statue behind a barrier would
hamper visibility and limit access to view the statue or any language that may be
included on the pedestal or a dedication plaque. As is the case with all outside art and
public facilities, the City Council will need to weigh the positive aspects of having a
historical statue in a visible area of the community against not having it at all.
With regard to graffiti, the foundry has indicated that for bronzes that are installed in
outdoor spaces they coat the metal with a specialized lacquer followed by a couple of
coats of paste wax. These coatings are designed to maintain the brown patina color,
but they also help to make it easier to remove spray paint. Nothing is foolproof
however, and damage could be done. The 'good' news is that it is also (likely)
repairable.
Timing
Assuming an agreement can be executed between the City and Ms. Viera by the end of
2011, allowing roughly one month to obtain Council approvals as necessary along the
way, three months for the artists' work, three weeks for the foundry, one week for
installation and two weeks contingency, it is anticipated that the statue would be ready
for installation in May or June. This schedule assumes that work on the pedestal,
landscaping and lighting takes place concurrently, although the pedestal cannot
be designed or bid until the design has been approved by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
With Council approval, the City's financial involvement is estimated as follows:
Construction and installation of a pedestal and plaque $7,000-$25,000
for the statue
Landscaping $1,500
Lighting $6,000
Mayor and City Council — Lucky Baldwin Statue
November 15, 2011
Page 4
In 2005 a trust fund was established by the City with money from Westfield that was
provided as part of their expansion project processing. This money ($25,000) is to be
used specifically for "public art" and the Lucky Baldwin Statue Project would certainly
meet the designated criteria.
Once the details of the project are in place a more specific cost estimate will be
available. In making the decision to pursue this project (or not), the Council should be
aware that the total cost when all is said and done may exceed the $25,000 available in
the trust fund. As noted above, the pedestal is the largest expense on the City side and
the price varies greatly depending on size, design, materials and method of installation.
Unless the City Council places a cap on the project total, any expenses above the
$25,000 will come from the General Fund or the Capital Outlay Fund.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council provide direction on the Lucky Baldwin
Statue Project. If the project is to be approved the Council should:
1. Accept a donation from Margaux Viera of a bronze statue of Lucky Baldwin
2. Approve the referenced rose garden location
3. Authorize the use of $25,000 in designated public art funds; provide any
direction so desired concerning the possibility of the project costing more
than $25,000
4. Direct staff to work with Ms. Viera and the appropriate vendors to create,
design and install the statue, a pedestal and dedication plaque, and any
necessary landscaping and lighting
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute an Agreement on the City's behalf
with Ms. Viera outlining the responsibilities of each party with respect to
the Lucky Baldwin Statue Project
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