TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Salem Riverfront Carousel Proposed Expansion and Relocation of the Salem Peace Mosaic.
Ward(s): Ward 1
Councilor(s): Councilor Kaser
Neighborhood(s): CANDO
Result Area(s): Welcoming and Livable Community
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ISSUE:
Update on proposed expansion of Salem Riverfront Carousel and proposed relocation of the Salem Peace Mosaic.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
body
SUMMARY:
Salem Riverfront Carousel is proposing a new building (The Addition) as an expansion of their facility. The Addition is a separate structure approximately 2,000 square feet in area and will be located on the west side of Salem Riverfront Carousel (Attachments 1, 2, and 3) in the South Meadow of Riverfront Park.
The approximate location of The Addition was approved as part of the 2018 Riverfront Park Master Plan Update. The park master plan was approved by Council in November 2018. The proposed location and footprint are consistent with the approved park master plan.
Salem Riverfront Carousel’s Executive Director and board members have done public outreach over the last several months to garner community input and have received several letters of support (Attachment 4). Twelve of the eighteen neighborhood associations received presentations and six did not respond or request presentations on The Addition proposal.
Recent discussions have ensued between Salem Riverfront Carousel and the Save the Salem Peace Mosaic Foundation about the placement of the Salem Peace Mosaic on the west side of The Addition. Both the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Salem Public Art Commission have endorsed the placement of the Salem Peace Mosaic on The Addition.
On October 10, Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved the design of The Addition (Attachment 5) and endorsed the placement of the Salem Peace Mosaic on the west facing exterior wall of the building as proposed (Attachment 6). On November 13 the Salem Public Art Commission (SPAC) also endorsed the Salem Peace Mosaic placement on the future Addition (Attachment 7).
A new agreement will be developed between the City and Salem Riverfront Carousel to cover construction activities in the park once fund raising is near completion. In addition, a new facility maintenance agreement will be prepared.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The primary purpose of the Carousel Addition is to house three areas of function: a carving area, a painting area, and a self-guided public viewing area. The carving area is proposed for larger scale, direct engagement between Salem Riverfront Carousel volunteers and the general public. It will house four individual carving cubicles with one or two larger scale collaborative carving spaces. There will be additional floor space for temporary storage of woodcarving projects and to accommodate small groups for interaction with the artisans.
The painting area will provide controlled environment capabilities that will better protect and preserve the artworks from the elements. A sliding glass partition will allow the public to view the painting area while being protected from the materials used in the artwork.
The self-guided viewing area for the public will showcase a variety of other figures and artworks of a historical or preservation nature. Wall-size windows will allow the public to view the space year-round, including during periods outside the operating hours of SRC.
The west facing wall of the building is proposed as the new location for the Salem Peace Mosaic. The placement of the mosaic in this location will enliven an otherwise blank wall and provide an attraction in the park.
BACKGROUND:
The concept of the Salem Riverfront Carousel Addition was presented to the members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on July 11, 2019, who approved the concept.
A letter dated August 7, 2019, was sent to Marie Bradford, Executive Director of the Salem Riverfront Carousel, from Public Works Director Fernandez requesting additional information be provided and presented to the SPRAB Board (Attachment 8). A response from AC + CO Architecture Community was delivered to the Director dated September 9, 2019. (Attachment 9).
Salem Riverfront Carousel conducted a public review process to receive feedback from members of the community. The public review process included the following organizations:
• Neighborhood Associations, 12 out of 18 (six did not respond to requests)
• Rotary Club of Salem
Information was also provided at the Salem Riverfront Carousel Open House on November 9, 2018, and again during the 2019 Spring Break. All events and presentations generated positive responses. Several letters of support have been received from various individuals and organizations.
There is currently an existing operations agreement between the City and Salem Riverfront Carousel that will be updated to include the proposed Addition once approved by City Council. This will be done through a coordinated effort between Parks Operations’ staff, Salem Riverfront Carousel, and the City Manager’s Office. Currently, the agreement addresses operations and maintenance of the Carousel and will need to be revised to include the Addition and the mosaic.
A new agreement between the City and Salem Riverfront Carousel to cover construction activities in the park will be developed once fund raising is near completion.
The Salem Peace Mosaic was installed in 2011 on the frontage of the YMCA building on the corner of Court Street NE and Cottage Street NE and is part of the City’s public art collection in downtown. The YMCA has announced plans to redevelop the property, which will result in the loss of the mosaic unless it can be moved to a new location. On April 8, 2019 Council authorized $25,000 from the City’s fiscal year 2020 budget to assist the citizen-led fund-raising efforts to hire a consulting engineer to design mosaic protection and hire cutting services to remove the mosaic from the structure. Once removed, Public Works has agreed to provide temporary storage for the piece until it is moved to the new location. The initial cost to save the mosaic is estimated at $250,000.
Robert Chandler, PE, PhD
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Carousel Addition Site Plan View
2. Carousel Addition Site Plan
3. Carousel Addition Floor Plan
4. Letters of Support
5. SPRAB Action Sheet Carousel Addition
6. SPRAB Action Sheet Peace Mosaic
7. SPAC Action Sheet Peace Mosaic
8. Letter from Public Works to Salem Riverfront Carousel
9. Response to Letter