(Yomeryl)
Builders of large projects in West Hollywood will be required to install temporary art on the fencing surrounding a project site under a resolution adopted by the City Council last night.
The requirement would apply to all projects of 10,000 square feet or more that have at least 75 feet of fencing facing a commercial street.
The art on fencing requirement was brought forward in 2015 by then-Mayor Lauren Meister. It got pushback from the city’s Planning Commission, a majority of whose members voted in April to deny the proposal brought forward by the city Community Development Department. Some commissioners opposed making art on construction fences mandatory but said they would support a voluntary program. In July, the commission reconsidered the idea and approved it.
An example of art on fencing is the mural surrounding the city-owned lot at 8120 Santa Monica Blvd. between Crescent Heights Boulevard and Havenhurst Drive. The city’s WeHo Arts program commissioned a mural titled “The Kicks of Route 66” that consists of 33 panels each 7 feet high by 684 feet long. It was commissioned by the city’s WeHo Arts program in partnership the Department of Public Works from the artist team YoMeryl.
Developers will have to select an artist from the city’s “muralist roster.” If a developer is interested in an artist not in the roster, he or she can submit that artist for consideration for the roster.
The design proposed for the fence will be reviewed by the city’s Arts Division staff under a process approved by the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission in 2016. The mural will remain up so long as the construction fencing is in place.
While the City Council endorsed the arts on construction fencing concept, it got pushback from Ed Levin, a prominent local architect, and Genevieve Morrill, president of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s wonderful idea,” Levin said of art on construction fencing. But “not everything that’s a wonderful idea should be mandated by government.” Levin said the city should encourage developers to give back to the community by installing such art but not require it. “This is an overreach of the police powers of the city.”
Morrill also opposed mandating such art. And she argued that developers should be allowed to promote their brands on the fencing. The city’s Economic Development Division is looking at options for that.
8120 A $7,000,000 contaminated lot the city purchased knowing there was an underground serious toxic waste site. A parking lot was the last attempt to justify the absurdly overpriced closed door agreement that the city would pay $7 to the developer who couldn’t build his project. Why would the city buy not just an unusable lot, but one with potential massive toxic clean up costs?
HIDE IT WITH A MURAL???
I noticed today that the mural at 8120 SM Blvd. is full of holes. Would that be considered vandalism?
developers need to be promoting their brands on the fencing? really? how many people see a developer’s sign on a fence and think “gee, i think i’ll call them to tear my house down and put a strip mall in”? none. but they probably do make a negative connection to the developer’s name if that person is sick of gentrification. if money, money, money, money, money is always and forever your ultimate goal, having artwork on the fences to create a positive connection between the residents and your project is the wiser idea… creates interest in the project and creates… Read more »
I like the idea & would love it more if there were a list of West Hollywood artists that would be given first consideration…..
As a business owner I do I have to pay the artist to put his artwork up? It’s tough enough to open a business in WeHo now I have an added expense?
I agree with Ed Levin; “Not everything that’s a wonderful idea should be mandated by government. This is an overreach of the police powers of the city.”
I like this guy!