Seeman park gate approved

Bluebird Park neighbors failed Tuesday to sway a majority of the City Council against the installation of an artist-designed gate to the playground.

The council split 3-2 in favor of a colorful gate funded by the Arts Commission and vetted by a playground safety inspector, but was not considered appropriate for the site by critics.

“This is not about art — it’s about placement,” Vicki Borthwick said.

Landscape architect Bob Borthwick read a letter from neighbor Kimberly Stuart that said the gate compromised visibility and didn’t fit the neighborhood character.

Artist John Seeman’s proposal measures 20 feet long by 14 feet, 10 inches high. It will be constructed of stainless steel and galvanized steel with enamel paints. The five panels with flaring wings at either end are reminiscent of lattice.

The design was enthusiastically recommended by the Arts Commission.

However, after seeing the rendering of Seeman’s design at a July meeting, Councilwoman Toni Iseman expressed concern that children would be lured to climb the vividly-colored gate and try to rip off the applied kinetic features — a kite, birds and rotating spheres.

Approval of the gate was delayed for a safety check requested by Iseman and conducted July 31. Iseman was not satisfied with the report.

“This is an attractive nuisance,” Iseman said Tuesday. “It says ‘come play with me.’”

Seeman readily agreed to minor changes in the design recommended by the safety inspector — rounding some sharp points and reducing openings on the lower part of the gate.

“The inspector said with the play equipment inside, there was no reason to play on the gate,” Seeman said. Seeman’s design, chosen by the commission over nine other entries, was not well received by former Mayor Ann Christoph, who designed the Bluebird Park play area.

At the earlier hearing this year on the gate, Christoph tacked on the wall behind the council dais a drawing of the gate she had designed several years ago for the park, which was approved, but later eliminated from the project due to the cost.

“The gate doesn’t have to be my design, but I feel the new gate should be transparent and welcome people to the park,” Christoph said.

Seeman said his gate was not designed for adults but for children.

“If the criteria was wrong, it should have been brought up earlier, not a year later,” Seeman said.

This was the second Seeman competition-winner recommended by the commission for the council’s approval that met with some criticism for the siting. He was the winner of the public art competition for the front of the community/senior center, which the council accepted, but is looking into a different site for the installation.

The gate project was turned over to the commission when funds ran out on the park remodel.

“Making it an artistic endeavor was a way of get it funded,” City Manager Ken Frank said.

Iseman took responsibility for passing the project to the commission.

Mayor Jane Egly said regardless of the commission’s involvement, the ultimate decision rested with the council.

“This is wonderful art, but the council has to decide if it is safe and appropriate,” Egly said.

A majority said yes.