1. Hear and see presentation on artist selection, community input and design process, and developed art concepts;
2. Consider art concepts;
3. Provide responses.

City Council is being asked to consider and respond to the Beautification and Public Art Commission's (BPAC) recommendations for integrated art concepts for the future Lone Tree Overpass, a road and bridge structure which will extend Lone Tree Road from Butler Ave to Route 66. The proposed integrated art concepts incorporate several motifs drawn from community input. 

Funding Source, and City Council and BPAC's Roles:
Beautification projects, as well as Arts & Science projects, are funded by voter approved Bed, Board, & Beverage tax revenue. Though no approval is before City Council at this juncture, the City Council has established BPAC to make recommendations about how public tax dollars should be spent on beautification, arts and sciences. 

Per the Flagstaff City Code, Section 2-14-001-0006.D, BPAC is required to evaluate and make recommendations to the City Council for public art projects.

Per standard procurement process, the City Council must approve (or disapprove) any contract in an amount exceeding $50,000.  If there is Council support for the proposed integrated art concepts, City staff will work towards obtaining more detailed designs and specifications for the art enhancements.  Contracts for the art enhancements will be presented to City Council in the upcoming several months, going over more than one fiscal year. Because the art enhancements are integrated into the Lone Tree Overpass structures, fabrication and installation costs for the art will be included in the contracts for the construction of the Lone Tree Overpass.
 
Cost Range for Integrated Art Elements at Lone Tree Overpass:
Beautification, Arts & Sciences (BAS) is working with Capital Projects to determine the amount to be charged to the Beautification fund. This involves determining the cost with the art enhancements and subtracting out the base cost of the same element with a standard treatment. In FY23, the BAS program contributed $50,000 towards the artist design contract and design-team work. BAS’s FY24 proposed budget for Lone Tree is up to $900,000, drawing from both the Lone Tree project ($500,000) and a future projects ($400,000) budget lines: plus another $250,000 proposed for FY25.  While the cost analysis is still ongoing, the preliminary estimates are in the range of $750,000 to $1,125,000. The overall Beautification fund balance supports an increase to the FY25 budget if there is need.
 
Public Art Process for Lone Tree:
With a design team for the project already in place and design underway when BAS became involved, the program worked with Capital Projects and WSP, the engineering and professional services firm contracted with the City, to add an artist to their design team under the City’s existing contract with WSP. Laurie Lundquist was chosen to be that design team artist in March 2022 through a competitive interview process.  BPAC reviewed that choice at their April 2022 meeting. Noted was her range of experience on design teams for freeway overpasses, pedestrian walkways, bridges and underpasses and the positive reception of those projects.
 
With the artist on board, BAS supported the design team with some best practices in the field of public art. In early 2022 a community survey was conducted that focused on this area’s sense of place, for which approximately 150 responses were received.  In addition to the City’s public meetings and meeting with City Planners and Historic Preservation, the artist also interviewed Councilmember Deborah Harris in her position as the Executive Director of the Southside Community Association.  In June 2022, the artist participated in a focus group discussion of all the character areas that the Lone Tree Overpass connects with community members. The focus group members included two members of BPAC plus Southside, Sawmill Mall, NAU, Indigenous, and Route 66 representation. Initial ideas regarding the art features were presented to the public on July 26, 2022, at the Murdoch Community Center. Taking in those responses, the artist vetted her concept development with members of a focus group which led to further refinements. BPAC gave its recommendation for these refined integrated art concepts at the December 2022 meeting. Value engineering led to small changes to use repeated patterns.
 
 Integrated Art Concepts and Motifs:
The Lone Tree Overpass connects Southside to Route 66 across the relocated Rio de Flag drainage and the BNSF railroad. The aesthetic aspects of the overpass reflect Flagstaff’s unique natural environment, the pedestrian and bicycle friendly design of the overpass, and the dynamic of the railroad and the Rio drainage through the heart of the city and which the new overpass crosses. The artist uses three dominant project colors: yellow ochre, burnt sienna and cerulean blue, classic colors that stand the test of time and which are harmonious with Flagstaff’s natural environment.
The overpass elements receiving integrated artistic enhancements include:

• Retaining walls on the south
• Abutments on south and north ends of the overpass
• Parapet, or pedestrian safety walls on the outside edges of the overpass and inside
• Fencing required by BNSF over the span that crosses their tracks (dashed purple)
• FUTS path railing
• Piers that support the open bridge spans
• Entry features at south and north ends of overpass

A color-coded plan of these elements is included in the presentation.
 
The imagery on the retaining walls on the east and west sides of the overpass is inspired by the ponderosa forest and Flagstaff’s lumber history. On the east retaining wall are oversized, stylized tree patterns inspired by the unique ponderosa bark. The patterns are inset.  And textured with a vertical linear form liner pattern, which is also between the tree shapes, on approximately the first 10 vertical feet, which is a graffiti deterrent. Rustication patterns are repeatable to fit within the construction budget. Oversized, stylized tree rings float on the west wall. The wall connecting the east and west retaining walls under the overpass unites the forest and lumber motifs. The artist understands that it is the community’s wish that this area eventually will become active community space.
 
The overpass is supported on its north, where it connects to Route 66, with a 108’ abutment wall, along the FUTS path runs and perpendicular to the overpass. The mountains make an appearance on the north abutment wall with natural rusticated concrete on a blue background, creating a foreground/background ambiguity. Laser-cut steel bicycle wheel forms appear randomly as a nod to Flagstaff’s bicycle lifestyle. Circular arcs sweep along the FUTS path railing, echoing bicycle and train wheels, in weathered steel.
 
On top of the overpass, a safety parapet wall runs the length of the overpass on its outside edges. The inside parapet wall continues the blue of the north abutment wall, with silhouettes of pedestrians and bicyclists sandblasted randomly, like the shadows of users. Dark sky compliant accent lighting within the parapet wall was chosen by the artist.
 
The exterior of the parapet wall, above the three bridge spans that traverse the BNSF tracks, the relocated Rio de Flag drainage and future community space, are rusticated with stylized shapes that variously represent the movement of the train and the Rio. On the parapet above the south retaining walls, giant pine needle forms in powder-coated steel are attached randomly, creating shadows that move with the sun.
 
8’ tall cyclone safety fencing is required by BNSF over the railroad tracks. The artist impacted the shape of the fencing into a sawtooth design to continue the sense of movement. The fencing is further activated with abstract shapes inspired by the trains, wind and clouds. The images are created by a series of many small flags or tabs, made from a durable and colorfast fabric-like material. The tabs are attached to the outside of the fence with permanent fittings, to flutter with the wind. Spaces between create transparency and allow visibility. This feature will be most visible from the FUTS path and Route 66.
 
The shape of the supporting piers that hold the bridge spans are a more dynamic V shape. The piers are painted and rusticated with shapes similar to the train wheel and movement shapes seen on the parapet above, with the form liner adding textural interest.
 
Lone Tree identity elements are proposed for the entries to the overpass from Route 66 on the north and from Butler Ave on the south. A free-standing laser cut fence section marks a resting area with pedestrian amenities on the south. The intertwined arc motifs of the fence recall the wheels of the bicycles and the trains, the tree rings, and the mill saw. A different version of the same element tops a section of the parapet wall on both the east and west side of the north entry.

Council Transportation Goal: Deliver quality community assets and continue to advocate and implement a highly performing multi-modal transportation system.
Council Community Outreach Goal: Enhance public transparency and accessibility.
Goal CC.4: Design and develop all projects to be contextually sensitive, to enhance a positive image and identity for the region.
Goal CC.5: Support and promote art, science, and education resources for all to experience.
Goal LU.3: Continue to enhance the region’s unique sense of place within the urban, suburban, and rural context.