Southeast : City Studies Plan for Arch Monument

New York has the Statue of Liberty. San Francisco is home to the Golden Gate. Now Artesia--a city smaller than two square miles--wants its own monumental status.

The city’s elected officials are poring over plans to erect one--or several--arches across Pioneer Boulevard. A mammoth “welcome” mat, the project would be a pivotal point for a citywide beautification effort aimed at distinguishing Artesia from Cerritos, its overshadowing neighbor.

“We don’t want to blend in,” City Manager Paul Philips said. “A lot of communities in L.A. are just political jurisdictions, but Artesia is a real community.”

Philips said funding for the arch, as well as fountains and tree-lined boulevards, will almost certainly come from private benefactors within the city.