Brown Recommended for N. Main Group
At its May 23, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor public art commission (AAPAC) unanimously recommended that Connie Rizzolo Brown be nominated for a position on a task force to study the corridor along North Main Street and the Huron River. That recommendation will be forwarded to mayor John Hieftje.
The task force was established by the city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting, with membership to include the following: one member of the park advisory commission, one member of the planning commission, one resident representing the Water Hill neighborhood, one resident representing the North Central neighborhood, one resident from the Old Fourth Ward, one resident representing the Broadway/Pontiac neighborhood, two business and property owners from the affected area, and one member of the Huron River Watershed Council.
At its May 21 meeting, the two sponsors of the resolution that created the task force – Ward 1 councilmembers Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith – proposed adding three additional representatives: a member of the city council, someone from the boating/fishing community of river users, a representative from the Huron River Citizens Association. Tony Derezinski (Ward 2), who also serves on AAPAC, then proposed an amendment to add an AAPAC member to the task force. The AAPAC addition was passed by council on a 6-5 vote. [See Chronicle coverage: "Positions Added to North Main Task Force"] Appointments are expected to be made at the council’s June 4 meeting.
At AAPAC’s May 23 meeting, Derezinski told commissioners that “basically, we need someone at the table.”
The task force is charged with delivering a report to the city council more than a year from now – by July 31, 2013 – that describes “a vision to create/complete/enhance pedestrian and bike connection from downtown to Bandemer and Huron River Drive, increase public access to the river-side amenities of existing parks in the North Main-Huron River corridor, ease traffic congestion at Main and Depot at certain times of a day and recommend use of MichCon property at Broadway; …”
Earlier than that – by the end of 2012 – the task force is to make recommendations on the use of the city-owned 721 N. Main parcel.
Brown has served on AAPAC since early 2009, and has chaired the commission’s projects committee. She is a principal of Rizzolo Brown Studio, an Ann Arbor architecture firm.
This brief was filed from the basement conference room of city hall at 301 E. Huron, where AAPAC held its meeting. A more detailed report will follow.
“Unmolested by use”. Well done!
Who do we have to talk to to get rid of those things? Seriously. They are an eyesore, have no clear intent (as evidenced by this picture – no one knows what they’re supposed to be) and openly mocked all the time. Why are they still on our streets?
I’m with Laura. Weren’t they also considered trip hazards? For such a hip, quirky town we really stink at public “art.”
Thirded.
What is their history?
My favorite is still John Weise’s wonderful picture: [link]
Re: “openly mocked”
Well, yes, it is true about this mockery: [link]
They were installed with funding from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority with placement decided on with input from getDowntown I think – I thought we’d reported on them as a part of DDA coverage, but I did not turn up anything interesting with a cursory search.
I agree with the basic criticisms I’ve heard of them [too short, "art" logo interferes with locking, unimaginative, not obviously a bike rack, etc.], but do find that they’re serviceable as a place to lock my bike downtown, so I’m not prepared to support their wholesale removal.
Recently, county commissioner Jeff Irwin pitched the idea to the DDA of an annual contest for a bicycle hoop design, it’s being bounced around in DDA committees now, but does not appear to be any kind of priority. A scant mention of Irwin’s idea here: [link].
Irwin’s idea seems to be a one-bike-rack-a-year approach — that would take a while to replace all the current “art” bike racks. But one could imagine an accelerated schedule — especially if there were a specific suggestion for using the retired “art” hoops. Maybe they could be bolted to the outside of a giant wheel as “seats” on a merry-go-round for a park. Or just welded together into a grand piece of art suitable for Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize. Couldn’t look any worse that some of these ArtPrize entries: [link]
But in any case, it’s the DDA you need to approach if you’d like to lobby to see them disappear.
Screw all that. What is the need to artify a simple bike rack? Can we just have some bike racks without the need to justify them as Art? Or is this really a subterfuge to place public art in the disguise of utilitarian purpose?
Neither the purpose of bike racks or of art is well served by this sort of cute thinking.
The best comment on the racks: [link]
Those art bike racks cost $350 each. A basic hoop style costs $60 – $80. An inexpensive rack that’s easy to use and doesn’t try to make a statement works for me.
The ‘art’ bike racks are ugly, expensive and add to the downtown street clutter. I mean, good lord, walk down Main Street–bike rack, art bike rack, trash can, recycle containers, history signs, DDA ‘signs’, scifi solar parking meter machines, etc. It’s a wonder the ADA folks haven’t filed a lawsuit over all the dangerous situation that will lead to injuries. Even without accidents, downtown sidewalks are looking like a cheap, tacky yard sale with the craps beginning to pile up. Welcome to Ann Arbor…lol.