REPORT TO ARTS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Art in Private Development Project - T2 Development (Marriott Courtyard) 1235 Bordeaux Drive
Report
BACKGROUND
Under the City’s Art in Private Development Ordinance (SMC 19.52), the development at 1235 Bordeaux Drive is required to provide public art. The public art component value must be equal to, or greater than, 1 percent of the building permit valuation. The minimum artwork expenditure for this project has been established as $257,060.
The procedure established for the Arts Commission review of the artwork is:
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, AC & Signature Marriott - Java/Bordeaux. 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 at the site (condition of approval #BP-34). The Planning Commission adopted the MND and approved the project with the conditions of approval on Nov. 23, 2015.
DISCUSSION
Project Location: This project is a 3.08-acre site located at 1235 Bordeaux Drive at the southwest corner of Java Drive and Bordeaux Drive (Attachment 1 - Vicinity Map). This site is bounded by light-rail tracks along Java Drive and a vacant lot to the north, Industrial/ Research & Development (R&D) to the south, Industrial/R&D across Bordeaux Drive to the east and Industrial/R&D to the west. Staff anticipate a fair amount of foot and vehicular traffic along the Java Drive corridor by the workers and visitors from the surrounding businesses.
Project Description: The project includes the demolition of a one-story industrial building and the construction of two new eight-story hotels: 1) An upscale AC Lifestyle hotel with 200 rooms and 2) An extended stay Courtyard Marriott hotel with 150 rooms. Both hotels include meeting space, bar/lounge areas, dining space, fitness rooms, and small sundry shops intended for hotel patrons. The project also includes a three-and-a-half level, above-grade, shared parking structure.
The 100,540-square foot AC Hotel building is proposed along the Bordeaux Drive frontage, while the 100,520-square foot Courtyard Marriott building is proposed along the Java Drive frontage. (Attachment 2 - Site Plan). The buildings are connected through a third-level podium pool deck with a corner entry plaza underneath.
Vehicular entrances are located at the northwest portion of the site on Java Drive and at the southeast portion of the site on Bordeaux Drive. The onsite driveway and drop-off area will connect the two entrances. The onsite driveway also leads to the parking structure and surface parking. Pedestrian access to the hotel buildings is provided via the corner plaza and behind the building at the main drop-off area.
Artwork Location: The proposed location for the artwork is at ground level, in the transit or passageway underneath the third-level pool deck. This breezeway is enclosed on both sides by the hotel buildings and runs between the parking structure at the back of the site and the entry plaza at the corner of Java Drive and Bordeaux Drive (Attachment 3 - Site Plan with Art Location).
The selected location will be accessible to the public and visible to vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area (Attachment 4 - Rendering of Breezeway from Java Drive).
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 recently completed 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.
The Arts Commission may recognize Mr. Franklin’s work as he also recently completed a private development project here in Sunnyvale for the AC Lifestyle hotel at the corner of Fair Oaks and El Camino Real. Images of Mr. Franklin’s public commissions can be found at davidfranklinart.net.
Artwork Proposal: For this project, the artist has designed a unique art installation situated beneath the third-level pool deck. The installation environment is flanked on both sides by the hotel walls and filled with foliage and seating, but the ends of the environment are open, creating an 85 feet long x 45 feet wide x 24 feet high breezeway that is open to the street on one end and the parking lot in the back (Attachment 6 - Artwork Installation Footprint, Attachments 7 and 8 - Renderings of Breezeway from Java Drive and Attachment 9 - Rendering of Breezeway from Parking Lot). Much like a Zen garden, the space is designed to be a place of wonder and discovery, while also providing a calming retreat from the outside elements.
Located outside of the breezeway, adjacent to the public sidewalk along Bordeaux Drive, is the first of four abstract Corten steel sculptures designed for the environment. This sculpture is the smallest of the four, measuring 24 feet high x 12 feet wide x 4 feet deep. It will be visible to the public and accompanied by a plaque explaining the artist’s intent and encouraging people to explore the space.
As visitors wander into the space, they will encounter three more Corten steel sculptures measuring 24 feet high x 12 feet wide x 4 feet deep (Attachments 10 to12 - Renderings of Sculpture Environments). Each of the four sculptures will be made up of a series of steel “blades,” individually cut to different depths, creating a perception of undulating movement and a pattern similar to raked sand or ridges left in the sand after the tide recedes.
The “blades” will be aligned in such a way that as visitors walk through the passageway from one angle the blades will feel massive and from another they will almost disappear, creating an ever-changing experience.
Lighting Plan: The passageway will be lit using the ambient light of the space, but at night the sculptures will have added spot lights from the ground and ceiling levels to create a more dramatic look.
Maintenance: The artwork does not require regular cleaning, since Corten steel is meant to age naturally. However, the sculptures can be rinsed or dusted off when necessary.
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 (AIPD) 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 meets the criteria outlined in Sunnyvale Municipal Code, Chapter 19.52.010, standards for Art in Private Development.
Staff
Prepared by: Kristin Dance, Community Services Coordinator II
Reviewed by: Trenton Hill, Community Services Manager
Reviewed by: Damon Sparacino, Superintendent of Community Services
Reviewed by: Cherise Brandell, Interim Director, Department of Library and Community Services
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Site Plan
3. Site Plan with Art Location
4. Renderings of Project
5. Artist’s Resume
6. Artwork Installation Footprint
7. Rendering of Breezeway from Java
8. Rendering of Breezeway from Java
9. Rendering of Breezeway from Parking Lot
10. Rendering of Sculpture Environment
11. Rendering of Sculpture Environment
12. Rendering of Sculpture Environment