TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eilen Stewart, Cultural Arts Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of the Cultural Arts Commission Recommendations for Utility Box Beautification Project Phase III Locations (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
APPROVE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Cultural Arts Commission (CAC) recommendations to commence Phase III of the Utility Box Beautification Project and proposed locations for installation of new artwork.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action. Staff will present artwork recommendations for Phase III from the Cultural Arts Commission at a subsequent meeting along with a request for a budget allocation from the Public Art Trust Fund, to be reviewed and approved by City Council in May, 2024.
BACKGROUND:
At the March 7, 2023 meeting, City Council directed the CAC to develop a work plan of several items including Phase II of the Utility Box Beautification Program. Phase II, completed in January 2024, consisted of 18 individual boxes installed at 12 locations with an allocated budget of $38,400.
Launched in 2018, Phase I of the Utility Box Beautification Program installed 11 artworks by South Bay residents on utility boxes throughout the City.
DISCUSSION:
During the installation of Phase II artwork, staff received several requests from individuals as well as from the Executive Director of the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professional Association for additional boxes to be wrapped in specific areas of Manhattan Beach. In response to these requests, the CAC is recommending the commencement of Phase III. If approved, Phase III will consist of 39 individual boxes installed at 28 locations.
The CAC identified potential utility boxes to wrap, focusing on several main thoroughfares of the City as well as areas of high traffic and visibility. These areas included: the Downtown, Tree section, Hill section, Manhattan Beach Boulevard corridor, City Hall, Marine corridor, and near schools, parks, and the Manhattan Beach Library.
The following is a list of proposed locations:
1. Cedar Avenue and Marine Avenue, northwest corner by mall entrance
2. Meadows Avenue and Marine Avenue, southwest corner next to residential home and cinderblock wall
3. Peck Avenue and Marine Avenue, southwest corner next to residential home
4. Redondo Avenue and Marine Avenue, southwest corner next to residential home, same corner as newly installed Butterfly box
5. Harkness Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, northwest corner next to residential apartment building (two large boxes in close proximity)
6. Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, northeast corner, across from Polliwog park
7. Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, southwest corner next to pickle ball courts
8. Peck Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, northwest corner next to residential apartment building (two boxes next to each other)
9. Rowell Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, southeast side by Fire Station 2
10. Poinsettia Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, southeast side, in front of church
11. North Dianthus Avenue and 8th Street, west side of street in residential area (two boxes in close proximity)
12. 8th Street and Larsson Street, northeast corner behind Gelson’s
13. Duncan Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, south side of street in front of Iron Workers Trade Union Building
14. Grandview Elementary School parking lot
15. Rosecrans Avenue and Blanche Road, east side of street
16. 15th Street and Valley Drive, south side of 15th across from the 9/11 and Veterans’ Memorials
17. 13th Street and Ardmore Avenue, south side of the street in front of residential home
18. Pacific Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, northeast corner in front of Pacific Elementary School
19. Marine Avenue between John Street and Pacific Avenue
20. Peck Avenue and Artesia Boulevard, northwest corner in front of Mira Costa High School parking lot
21. Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue, southeast corner in front of Creamery, next to existing covered box from Phase I (two boxes next to each other)
22. 11th Place and Highland Avenue, south side of street (two boxes next to each other)
23. Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Ocean Drive, southwest side next to parking lot (two boxes next to each other)
24. 14th Street and Highland Avenue, southwest side of 14th Street across from City Hall and the Manhattan Beach Library (two boxes next to each other)
25. Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Morningside Drive, southeast side next to Union Bank parking lot (two boxes next to each other)
26. Highland Avenue and 40th Street, northwest side (three boxes next to each other)
27. Highland Avenue between Rosecrans Avenue and 38th Street, east side of street in front of parking lot (two boxes next to each other)
28. Highland Avenue and 33rd Street, southwest side of street
If approved, the same Request for Proposals (RFP) as was issued for Phase II will be distributed by staff. The RFP will be open for a minimum of 45 days to allow a large volume of applications. The CAC and staff will focus on distributing the RFP to South Bay schools and encourage youth artists to apply. Staff will receive and administer the proposals in March 2024, and work with the CAC to make recommendations on artwork and return to City Council for final approval of artwork and allocation of funds in May 2024.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
This item was reviewed by the Cultural Arts Commission at the March 20, 2023, June 19, 2023, November 20, 2023, and December 18, 2023 meetings. The CAC voted unanimously to approve the proposed locations and recommendations to City Council for review.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed utility box beautification project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (the “common sense” exemption) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the agreement is exempt from CEQA. Additionally, the project qualifies for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the State CEQA Guidelines, given that the project consists of minor alterations of existing private or public mechanical equipment, with negligible or no expansion of use. Furthermore, there are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt class; therefore, there are no unusual circumstances.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1.Utility Box Beautification RFP Phase III (2024)