SOLANA BEACH — A nearly two-story tall stained-glass window to be installed on one of two new buildings on the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church campus satisfies a city policy that requires large developments to include public art.
That decision, made with a unanimous vote at the Aug. 28 council meeting, will result in a $15,000 public art fee refund to the church once the piece is installed and final occupancy for the building has been granted.
The stained-glass will be located on the northwest corner of the new chapel building and visible from the intersection of Lomas Santa Fe Drive and Stevens Avenue.
It was created by two father-and-son teams — architects Lew and Jon Dominy of Domus Studio and Charly and Dominic Engles of DomCat Studios Inc. — to imitate a sunset over the ocean. Kathryn Conniff, from the project management team at Horine Group, said the piece is valued at more than $15,000.
Council adopted a master art policy in September 2007 that requires private development projects valued at $500,000 or more to pay a public art fee of .5 percent of the total building valuation.
Solana Beach Presbyterian received approval last year to replace two buildings on the property at 120 Stevens Ave. The church paid the required $15,000 art fee before the building permit was issued this past March.
Applicants can be refunded the fee if they incorporate art into a project or acquire council-approved art that would be placed by the city in a designated location.
Proposals for public art must be submitted to the Public Arts Advisory Commission and made available for public review.
During the 45-day review period that began Jan. 10, only one comment was received from a resident who wanted to know who the artist would be.
The project is expected to be completed by this Christmas.
