West Sacramento city workshop seeks input on public art plan

Community members met Monday night in West Sacramento to discuss what kind of public art they'd like to see around town. It comes after the city wasted thousands of dollars last year on a failed art project.

"It's a quality of life thing," said Doug Drozd, deputy city manager. "Everyone wants to be proud of the community they're in and art brings that."

The city held a workshop at city hall, asking neighbors for ideas on a new public art plan.

"I want to see something vibrant, something that takes my breath away," West Sacramento resident Peggy Bell said.

Local artist Dawn Pedersen said it helps give the city a unique identity.

"You're not going to see the same mural in the next town over," she said.

Drozd said West Sacramento currently has sculptures, murals, and other art installations scattered throughout town, but there's room for more.

"What we have found is that there's an appetite for increased public art here," he said.

The public outreach comes less than a year after the city paid more than $300,000 for an art sculpture along the waterfront and then tore up the partially built piece.

CBS News Sacramento first reported last July that the city demolished the project, called "Lighthouse," due to lead paint being found on the tower where it was supposed to be built.

Today, the site remains fenced off to the public.

"That's really why we're trying to take a step back, evaluate what gets installed, make sure that we have a firm grasp on the funding needed," Drozd said.

Where would the money for more art come from?

"What some other localities have done is place a requirement for new private development to either include new public art or contribute in some way to future public art," Drozd said. "That's one option."

The city's goal is to have a public art master plan in place that will help shape future art installations.

"It's a growing community," Drozd said. "There will be more spaces that need public art, and we want to make sure we get it right."

Community comments from tonight's meeting, and an online survey will be evaluated and presented to the city council later this year.