Title
Presentation of Preliminary Designs for Street Banner Program Phase 2
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff requests that the City Council provide feedback and direction on preliminary design concepts for Phase 2 of the Street Banner Program to be installed in six locations throughout the City.
BACKGROUND
On April 20, 2015, the City Council approved funding for the design, printing and installation of Phase 1 of the Street Banner Program. Phase 1 was completed in early 2016 and 164 new street banners were installed on E. 14th and Davis streets
In June 2016, Council allocated $50,000 for Phase 2 of the Street Banner Program as part of the proposed FY 2016-17 budget. Phase 2 will place approximately 175 additional banners in six locations:
1. Bancroft Ave (Durant to Oakes)
2. Hesperian Blvd (Springlake to E. 14th)
3. MacArthur Blvd (Durant to Superior)
4. MacArthur Blvd (Dutton to Estudillo)
5. San Leandro Blvd (Williams to Washington)
6. Wicks Blvd (Manor to Burkhart)
Analysis
Street banners enhance the streetscapes by adding a vibrant element that enlivens key corridors and the mobility of experience for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers. They also strengthen a sense of place and identity. Staff worked with the City’s Graphics Supervisor to develop preliminary designs of four new street banners. The goal is to utilize colorful iconic San Leandro imagery that evokes a sense of place and beautifies public spaces.
All locations, with the exception of Bancroft and Wicks Blvd, will have street banners installed for the first time. Installing banners in new locations is considerably more expensive than refreshing existing ones because it requires the purchase and installation of new banner hardware on City light poles.
Upon receiving feedback and direction from the City Council, staff will revise the preliminary designs and seek feedback from the Art and Youth Advisory Commissions. Once the final feedback loop is completed, the City Council will view the revised banners for approval. Printing and installation is expected to be completed upon 60 days of the approval of final designs (depending on weather and scheduling coordination with the vendors).
Board/Commission Review and Actions
Art Commission (May 3, 2017)
The Commission did not recommend moving the banner designs to the City Council for approval in their current form. Instead, the Commission recommended a call for artists or artist selection to submit a new version of the banners. The commission made this decision by the following vote 7 Ayes, 0 Noes, 1 Absent.
Youth Advisory Commission (May 16, 2017)
The Commission positively reviewed the images and liked the iconic images. Below is a summary of their suggestions:
• Remove ‘Welcome’,
• Remove shaded backgrounds to contrast the images.
• Include an ‘activity banner’ such as a person riding a bicycle in the Marina area and one that features faces.
• Include an industrial themed banner using the newly installed murals.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
• Community Meetings - priority exercise using colored dots.
• Virtual Town Hall -online platform where the community can provide remote input
• Social Media- leveraged social media accounts to push out online platform
• Commission Meetings
Budget Authority
The City Council approved $50,000 for this project in FY 2016-17 and funds have been carried over to FY2017-18
ATTACHMENT(S)
• Preliminary Design Concepts
PREPARED BY: Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton, Communications & Community Relations Manager