CITY OF NAPA PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT

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1 CITY OF NAPA PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT AGENDA ITEM 6A Page 1 of 3 DATE: March 8, 2017 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission John Coates, Parks and Recreation Services Director Rick Tooker, Community Development Director Dwight Murray Plaza Public Art DISCUSSION: Project Background In 1974, the City dedicated its only downtown plaza and named it after one of the community s most beloved doctors, Dr. Dwight H. Murray, Sr. The civic plaza faces First Street at the corner of Brown Street, a north-south pedestrian corridor from Pearl Street to 2 nd Street. For many years, Dwight Murray Plaza (the Plaza) became famous for its prominent clock tower, outdoor conversation pit, and waterfall fountain. Many locals used the Plaza as a convenient downtown meeting place. Over time, however, the clock tower and fountain fell into disrepair, and the public space became outdated. In the 1980s, the City s Redevelopment Agency made improvements to the Plaza by removing the clock tower and repurposing the fountain into a landscaped planter. In 2015, the City Council identified the renovation of the Plaza as a high priority project and subsequently approved $1.5 million in the fiscal year 15-16/16-17 Capital Improvement Program budget for redesign and construction, and programed the inclusion of public art in the Plaza. Plan Development The City engaged a planning and design consultant to help redesign the Plaza in early The project s scope of work emphasized extensive public input which drove the plan s layout and design. The features programmed included: 1. the flexibility of space for special events, 2. shade cast by tree canopies and flexible shade that can be adjusted, such as through the use of moveable umbrellas, Page 1 of 3

2 AGENDA ITEM 6A Page 2 of 3 3. maintain business visibility from First Street and Brown Street, 4. quality paving and materials, flexible seating areas, and attractive lighting, all of which will provide an inviting atmosphere day or night, 5. integration with and connection to the Brown Street Corridor, 6. a flexible and low maintenance water element that can be turned off, and 7. installation of high-quality public art. In February 2016, staff presented the final conceptual plan of the Plaza design to the City Council. After discussion, the Council directed that the construction documents be prepared and construction be completed before the Archer Hotel opening in the late spring 2017 (this has been delayed until late summer). The Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission also provided support for the plan. Water Element Development The approved design initially included a circular-shaped, at-grade bubbler fountain located in the center of the Plaza. This fountain maintained flexibility of space as it could be turned off during events. When the City learned that the fountain required installing gender-specific bathrooms and changing stations on site, the Council directed staff to pursue options for a water element that would not be interactive and possibly incorporating water into the public art. Staff issued a Request for Qualifications to solicit artists who specialized in water features. The City received six responses to the request. A panel to guide the process, appointed by the City Manager, vetted the qualifications and selected Ned Kahn as the preferred artist. Ned Kahn is a Sonoma County resident and recipient of many prestigious awards and grants. His artworks are displayed around the world. Ten design concepts were initially presented by Mr. Kahn, some of which incorporated water in the art and others without actually using water but providing movement and the appearance of water. Attachment 1 to this report illustrates the ten concepts presented. The panel weighed each concept and expressed a strong desire for a non-water option. Veil of Water was identified as the preferred public art design.. Attachment 2 to this report illustrates that the design does not include water but it expresses the essence of water utilizing the natural element of wind. The artwork is a suspended structure in the shape of a large ring approximately 15-feet above the Plaza. The stainless steel ring supports thousands of anodized aluminum squares that hang upon cables and shimmer.in the wind. The technology employed allows the hanging squares to move with the airflow regardless of whether it is a windy or calm day. The 3 x 3 aluminum shapes also reflect surrounding colors (e.g. the sky, trees, pavement, etc.). The design will allow morning light to penetrate the Plaza, and during the afternoon the artwork will provide partial shade. Four stainless steel poles will support this 50-foot diameter artwork, which will be positioned on the edges of the Plaza. Page 2 of 3

3 AGENDA ITEM 6A Page 3 of 3 The majority of the panel believed that the artwork fulfilled many of the goals of the original plan, and accomplished the initial intent of a central feature in the Plaza providing movement (originally envisioned as a fountain). As proposed, Veil of Water will: 1. provide flexibility of space as it hangs above the Plaza, 2. provide additional shade, 3. retain business visibility from First or Brown Street, 4. provide an inviting and interesting atmosphere adding color, reflection and movement both day and night, 5. serve as a defining landmark for Downtown Napa and provides connection to the Brown Street Corridor, 6. appears to require minimal maintenance, and 7. add to Napa s collection and inventory of high-quality public art. In addition to accomplishing the above goals, Veil of Water is within the adopted art budget previously approved by City Council. Complete Agreement for Services with Artist, Ned Kahn. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: This action utilizes already appropriated Public Art Funds for the design and construction of public art in the Plaza and therefore it will have no impact on the general fund balance. DOCUMENTS ATTACHED: 1. Attachment 1: Illustration of all 10 proposed public art design 2. Attachment 2: Concept design, Veil of Water NOTIFICATION: The panelists guiding the public art proposal and members of the Parks & Recreation Commission who reviewed the art concept on March 8 th have been advised of the Council agenda. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that the Parks and Recreation Commission move, second and approve the action set forth below, in the form of the following motion. Move to: Consider the Veil of Water public art concept as the preferred design and provide City Council with recommendations accordingly. Page 3 of 3

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6 Veil of Water Proposal for Wind-Animated Arbor Ned Kahn, January 2017

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