TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eric Brinkman, Senior Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Memorial for the Fallen Public Artwork Commission from the Public Arts Fund (Unbudgeted) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
(Estimated Time: 15 Min.)
A) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
B) IF APPROVED, ALLOCATE FUNDS FROM PUBLIC ARTS FUND
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on (1) the Memorial for the Fallen public art project at the Manhattan Beach Civic Center Plaza and (2) issuance of a Request for Qualifications to commission the artwork. If both are approved, staff recommends that City Council allocate $150,000 from the Public Arts Fund (PAF) to fund the project.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The total budget for the Memorial for the Fallen artwork is $150,000 which includes artist fees, design, materials, fabrication, and oversight during installation as well as all site preparation, permitting, foundation work, and dedication costs. The funding will be allocated as follows: $100,000 for artist design fees, fabrication, transportation, and installation oversight, and $50,000 reserved by the City for engineering, permits, site preparation, installation, contingency, and the dedication event. The PAF currently has a total balance of approximately $1.67 million, with an unallocated balance of $818,000.
The Art in Public Places Ordinance became effective December 19, 2002. It sets aside a 1% development fee on residential properties of four or more units and every commercial and industrial building project with building valuation exceeding $500,000. The funds are restricted to works of art in public places.
BACKGROUND:
On October 3, 2023, the City Council directed the Parks and Recreation Commission to develop a Fallen Soldier program-a commemorative initiative to honor Manhattan Beach service members who lost their lives in active duty. As part of this effort, the Commission was asked to consider criteria for recognition, the appropriate size, scale, and form of the monument, and potential placement within the Civic Center Plaza.
It was also suggested by the City Council that the title of the program be reconsidered to be applicable to all branches of military service. The City Council had previously considered and supported a memorial wall that would be in the area adjacent to the Veterans Memorial on the greenbelt across from the Joslyn Center.
The Memorial for the Fallen is a proposed permanent public artwork honoring Manhattan Beach service members who lost their lives in active duty. Initiated by community member Gary McAulay, with guidance from the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Cultural Arts Commission, and the Arts in Public Places Committee, the project seeks to create a dedicated memorial recognizing their ultimate sacrifice.
Approval by City Council will allow the City to fund the project, finalize parameters for inclusion, and issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select a professional artist or team to design and fabricate the memorial.
The concept is to create a dedicated space to honor service members with meaningful ties to Manhattan Beach who died while on active duty. In addition to developing the initial concept, Gary McAulay recommended inclusion criteria and compiled a preliminary list of 21 eligible service members.
Criteria for recognition was developed by Gary McAulay and the Parks and Recreation Commission before the project transitioned to the Cultural Arts Commission in Fall 2024 to leverage their public art expertise and to develop an RFQ to select an artist/team to design the memorial. An Arts in Public Places Committee (APPC) was established on May 14, 2025, to support the project by providing community input. The APPC and Cultural Arts Commission evaluated multiple sites within and around Civic Center Plaza, including the area near the Veterans Monument. The Veterans Monument site was deemed not viable as meeting ADA requirements would require significant additional infrastructure and substantially increase the project budget.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed Memorial for the Fallen will serve as a central, ADA-accessible, dignified space in the Civic Center Plaza for reflection, commemoration, and civic ceremonies.
Key project elements include:
• Location: The Civic Center Plaza was identified as the preferred location for its high visibility, accessibility, and suitability for ceremonies. Additionally, the site is already ADA compliant, significantly reducing the overall budget required for installation. Alternative sites were explored by both the Cultural Arts Commission and the APPC, including areas near the Veterans Monument at Valley Drive and 15th Street, as well as multiple locations within the Civic Center Plaza. The APPC determined that significant infrastructure improvements would be required to make the Veterans Monument site viable due to ADA regulations and expressed concern that a new artwork might compete with the existing monument. Within the Civic Center Plaza, the APPC considered potential impacts from the Farmers’ Market and other regular activities. To minimize disruption and preserve space for community use, the APPC identified four potential locations within the Plaza that would have the least impact. Each of the four locations is specified in the PowerPoint attached.
• Public Art Commissioning: A Request for Qualifications will be issued to select a professional artist or team with experience in civic memorials and public art. The selected artist will design, fabricate, and oversee installation of a permanent, low-maintenance memorial compatible with the Civic Center setting. Special consideration will be given to Veteran artists and local artists. A shortlist of candidates will be developed by the APPC and forwarded to the Cultural Arts Commission, which will make recommendations to City Council for final artist selection.
• Eligibility Criteria: Individuals who were born, raised, lived in, enlisted from, or were otherwise significantly associated with Manhattan Beach and died while on active military duty. A standard application used by many other organizations will be implemented and an open application process will allow individuals to apply for nomination.
• Nomination Process: Applications reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Department with final approval of names by City Council. Names may be added over time through an annual process if necessary.
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on (1) the Memorial for the Fallen public art project at the Manhattan Beach Civic Center Plaza and (2) issuance of a Request for Qualifications to commission the artwork. If both are approved, staff recommends that City Council allocate $150,000 from the Public Arts Fund (PAF) to fund the project.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
An Arts in Public Places Committee (APPC) was formed in May 2025 to help guide and inform the project. The APPC is composed of: Karen Tokashiki (Cultural Arts Commissioner), Dana Torey (Cultural Arts Commissioner), Gary McAulay (Community Member and Veteran), and James Gill (Former Cultural Arts Commissioner and Veteran). This item was discussed at multiple Parks and Recreation Commission meetings from November 2023 through May 2024, Cultural Arts Commission meetings from September 2024 through July 2025 and Art in Public Places Committee meetings from May through August of 2025.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Request for Qualifications
2. PowerPoint Presentation