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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3a: Donation of Bronze Statue of Luck Baldwin and Approval of Location flF C� it �iFO� A fv y`; L4,, rP7R21 I..or„rmre ,, ° "eyo[ °� STAFF REPORT 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 •