REPORT TO ARTS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Art in Private Development Project - T2 Development (AC Hotel by Marriott) 795 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Report
BACKGROUND
Under the City’s Art in Private Development Ordinance (SMC 19.52), the development at 795 S. Fair Oaks Ave. is required to provide public art. The public art component must be equal in value to one percent of the building permit valuation. The procedure established for reviewing the artwork is as follows:
1) Review the artist’s background to ensure he/she has the experience and knowledge to design, fabricate and install large-scale artworks;
2) Review the artwork itself to determine whether the nature and style of the artwork is appropriate to the site;
3) Determine whether the proposed artwork is appropriate in scale for the overall development; and
4) Review the location of the artwork for accessibility to the public.
The purpose of this report is to request the Arts Commission review and consider approval of the proposed artwork. Under the Art in Private Development Ordinance, the Arts Commission is authorized to make a final determination of the proposed artwork and the City Council is not scheduled to consider this item. The Commission’s decision, however, may be appealed to the City Council by the developer.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Municipal Code 19.52 - Art in Private Development
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A mitigated negative declaration was prepared for the underlying project, Lifestyle Hotel at 795 S. Fair Oaks Ave Consistent with SMC Chapter 19.52 (Art in Private Development), art was a required component of the project and project approval was specifically conditioned upon the applicant providing visible public art along El Camino Real (condition of approval #BP-28). The Planning Commission adopted the MND and approved the project with the conditions of approval on October 26, 2015.
DISCUSSION
Project Location: This project is a 1.25-acre site located at 795 S. Fair Oaks Ave. at the corner of S. Fair Oaks and El Camino Real (Attachment 1 - Vicinity Map). This site is bounded by high density residential to the north, and a mixture of commercial and high density residential to the east across Fair Oaks Ave. and to the west down El Camino Real. To the South are commercial businesses including CVS Pharmacy, Chase Bank and In-n-Out Burger. Staff anticipates a very high volume of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area.
Project Description: The development of the site included the demolition of an existing restaurant building and new construction of a 5-story AC Hotel by Marriott with 182 rooms and underground parking. There are two entry points for vehicular access along S. Fair Oaks Avenue and one along El Camino Real, although these access points will be limited to right-in/right-out only (Attachment 2 - Site Plan).
Artwork Location: The proposed location for the artwork is at ground level, on the corner of S. Fair Oaks Ave. and El Camino Real (Attachment 3 - Site Plan with Art Location, Attachment 4 - Elevation Rendering with Place Holder). The location will be highly visible to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, as this intersection is considered one of the major intersections in the city.
Selected Artist: The artist selected for this project is Washington-based sculptor David Franklin (Attachment 5 - Artist’s Resume). Mr. Franklin has been developing large scale public art commissions in wood, glass and metal since 1999 and is currently creating works for the Washington State Arts Commission and the Maryland Transit Administration. Past commissions include projects for the Stapleton Master Community Association, Denver, CO; the Port of San Diego, San Diego, CA; Northglenn Arts and Humanities Council, Northglenn, CO; Kitsap County Arts Commission, Bremerton, WA; Tacoma Arts Commission, Tacoma, WA; and the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portland, OR.
Images of Mr. Franklin’s public commissions can be found at davidfranklinart.net.
Artwork Proposal: For this project, the artist has designed an original, abstract, 3-panel sculpture (Attachments 6 and 7 - Rendering of Artwork Design). Each 8’ x 8’ x 2’ panel can be viewed as a separate sculpture, or the viewer can appreciate the interaction between the panels when viewed as a single installation.
Constructed of burnished aluminum, each of the panels consist of 18-22 water-jet cut vertical slats. Individually, the slats will look like a two-sided sine wave; but once installed, the slats will become a sculpture of ripples, front and back, playing off each other and creating a large, concentric ring pattern. The ring pattern will change and undulate as the viewer moves around the sculpture.
Inspired by rain drops on the water while fishing and ancient Petroglyphs from the Columbia River Valley, the artist sees the concentric ring patterns as a representation of a universal theme: the precious commodity of water, especially in California where water drives economies and populations. The rings also create a strong contrast to the sharp angular architecture of the building.
Lighting Plan: The artwork will be up lit from ground level creating a white wash of light. Each panel will also be lit from behind by colored LED lights, which will create a rich depth to the sculptures, as opposed to floating on a black background. Additionally, due to the location, there will be a lot of ambient light.
Maintenance: The artwork can be easily maintained through periodic wipe downs with a damp cloth.
FISCAL IMPACT
If approved, the developer will be responsible for design, fabrication and installation costs of the artwork, as well as ongoing maintenance. There is no fiscal impact on the City’s operating budget other than incidental staff time to monitor the project, which is budgeted in the Art in Private Development Program.
The developer anticipates the artwork budget will be equal to or greater than the AIPD requirement, however, if it is not, the developer will be required to contribute the difference to the City’s Public Art Fund. The developer is required to provide backup documents to substantiate all art expenditures.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Arts Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board, on the City’s website, and the availability of the agenda and report in the Office of the City Clerk.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the artwork as it is proposed.
2. Not approve the artwork as it is proposed.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve the artwork as it is proposed.
recommendation
Staff concludes that the proposal adequately meets the criteria of the Art in Private Development requirement.
Staff
Prepared by: Kristin Dance, Community Services Coordinator
Reviewed by: Trenton Hill, Community Services Manager
Reviewed by: Daniel Wax, Superintendent of Community Services
Reviewed by: Cynthia E. Bojorquez, Director, Department of Library and Community Services
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Site Plan
3. Site Plan with Art Locations
4. Elevation Rendering with Placeholder
5. Artist’s Resume
6. Rendering of Artwork Design
7. Rendering of Artwork Design