DISCUSSION
Monuments can convey a powerful connection between Garden Grove and its history, and in some instances its future. In most communities the placement of monuments is limited to circumstances of the highest community-wide importance and support, both to maintain the significance of such monuments and to minimize conflicts with the active and variable use of public spaces.
The following information can be used as a guide to assist the VNWBA Committee in the approval process of donating a monument to the City to be placed within a city park.
- To offer a monument to the City, donors should submit a “Letter of Intent” to the Community Services Department, as well as any preliminary designs. Once received, the Community Services Department will determine if the project is required to be reviewed by the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission. This will be determined based upon the size, scope, and cost of the project. Monuments in excess of the City Manager’s signature authority of $50,000 (Resolution No. 9212-14), will be required to be reviewed by the Commission.
- The Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission of the City of Garden Grove, a non-partisan review board, will review the project and conduct a community outreach meeting to receive comment regarding the proposed monument. The Commission will then make a recommendation to the City Council to approve or disapprove the proposal.
- The City Council receives and considers both the public comments and the recommendation of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission. The City Council will review the proposed acceptance of such a donation and may consider a Donation Agreement for placement of said monument within a city park.
The Community Services Department, along with the Public Works Department, reviews the appropriateness of the proposed monument as it relates to the site, the compatibility of the monument with the landscape, the impact on the park and its use, feasibility, aesthetic merit, as well as safety and maintenance issues.
Initial consideration is as follows:
Appropriateness: Most effective outdoor monuments are sited in spaces which bear a particular relevance to the subject of the piece. With commemorative monuments, historical associations between the subject or artist and a community are a traditional mechanism for the selection of an appropriate site. Consideration should also be given to the long-term impact of permanent monuments, and subjects should be of a stature able to weather the vagaries of time, changing attitudes, etc. Legal review, consideration and opinion may all be factors in determining the appropriateness of the donation.
Compatibility: Most monuments are likely to be situated within existing landscapes, and consideration must be given when designing the monument to integrate it with the natural environment. In certain instances the monument and landscape may be designed in tandem, thus increasing their compatibility. Donors are encouraged to consider alternatives to traditional monuments, such as "living" memorials consisting of trees, shrubbery and other landscape elements.
Impact on Park Use: It is important to keep in mind the necessity for unencumbered open space within the city. Monuments which interfere with or prohibit existing park functions may be cause for the disapproval of a proposed monument.
Feasibility: The feasibility of a proposed monument within a particular location within the park would have to be considered. Factors such as access, lighting, existing impediments, etc. would need to be evaluated.
Aesthetics and Community Support: Though conditioned by a range of subjective considerations, aesthetic merit is the primary determinant in the acceptance of a permanent monument. Proposed monuments must show evidence of the artist's mastery of the medium in which he or she is working (stone carving, bronze casting, etc.). Works of inferior workmanship will not be approved. As stated, monuments which show a sensitivity to their surroundings are given preferred status. Monuments most likely to receive approval are those which consensus opinion deems successful in its impact on the viewer. The proposed monument should be broadly supported by the community and should not be a source of substantial dissention or discord.
Maintenance: Given the responsibility of preserving and maintaining existing monuments, the City cannot in good faith accept monuments which present an unreasonable maintenance burden. New monuments should not be accepted unless the donor or sponsor can provide a means of perpetual care.
This can be negotiated as part of the Donation Agreement and can be in the form of the establishment of a maintenance endowment. The annual cost to maintain the monument will be determined by the Public Works Department and an endowment would be established to cover approximately fifty (50) years of maintenance costs.
In the case of smaller items such as plaques, the Community Services Department would negotiate with the sponsor, a one-time donation to a general maintenance account whose funds are applied to the cyclical treatment of the collection.
In lieu of a maintenance endowment, the City may establish a long-term legal contract which stipulates that donors or sponsors are responsible for the routine care of the monument. The use of durable materials, able to withstand the weathering process and potential acts of vandalism, will diminish the long-term maintenance costs.
Safety: Monuments should be safe to passersby, curious spectators (especially children), and the environment as a whole. Sharp projecting elements, loose parts, and other public hazards will prevent the official acceptance of a monument.
Authorization to Proceed: Under no circumstances should donors begin to raise funds or fabricate a monument prior to receiving all the necessary approvals.
Staff is available to assist through the review process and to work with monument sponsors in the refinement of the design.