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<br />Orozco, Norma <br />From:Sandra Pocha Peña <pocha@pocharte.com> <br />Sent:Tuesday, June 16, 2020 3:40 PM <br />To:eComment <br />Cc:!City Clerk <br />Subject:Item 29A - Public Comment <br />Importance:High <br />Hello City Council, Our City Manager and Staff, <br /> <br />I am writing as one of the heads of the Pacific Park Neighborhood Association and the former Chair <br />of the Arts Commission to comment on Item 29A on the City Council agenda for a bench & trash can <br />purchase. This public need offers the potential to transform our use of public space. <br /> <br />— Item 29A to pay Toler Manufacturing $311,111 for 143 benches and 155 trash containers <br /> <br />This is a great opportunity to bring in a sense of branding & design with these objects. A thoughtful <br />public art / bench project would greatly improve the quality of life for surrounding residents. <br /> <br /> <br />Look at what the City of San Antonio did with their public bench design, they created an Urban <br />Porches project to create community-building public spaces along key corridors. <br /> <br />https://www.getcreativesanantonio.com/Public-Art/Public-Artworks-Map/Public-Artworks-List/Public- <br />Artwork/Article/379/Urban-Porch-West-Side-Bus-Shelter <br /> <br /> <br />Here’s a visionary city bus bench design that highlights a municipal zoo: <br /> <br />https://beta.metro-magazine.com/10032976/san-antonios-via-unveils-zoo-themed-bus-stop-shelters <br /> <br />If these Santa Ana benches & trash cans are intended for South Main, they offer an even greater <br />opportunity to create our own city bench design. Numerous focus groups (So Main Merchants, the <br />Neighborhood Alliance, United Artists of Santa Ana) have asked for a Retro-Americana branding with <br />design elements that reflect that in the bench, light fixtures and built environment. <br /> <br />The reason for choosing Retro-Americana branding & design elements was to commemorate Historic <br />Route 101 that used to run along South Main and the car culture focused around the Santa Ana <br />Drags that was located there. <br /> <br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Drags <br /> <br />https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-30-me-hart30-story.html <br /> <br />https://youtu.be/Tk1ESsrQsGM <br /> <br />This is why open city bids are important. It enables the community to have the best possible option. <br />1 <br /> <br />