Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray considers the two faces of Lancaster Square as examples of development done wrong and development done right.

On the east side of the 100 block of North Queen looms the ugly gray concrete structure that the city is now demolishing. Across the street, to the west, Binns Park is an inviting green oasis in the midst of the urban landscape.

With Binns Park, planners incorporated decorative metal fencing, a fountain, landscaping and plantings that are pleasing to the eye.

As the city's public spaces — its parks, plazas, sidewalks and public buildings — are redeveloped and renewed, Gray wants to assure there are good aesthetics.

"What you don't want is the aesthetics of (the east side of) Lancaster Square," said Gray.

To ensure that city officials do not repeat the mistakes of the past, Gray wants to have all future city projects incorporate some type of public art that will beautify the city.

The city recently received a $200,000 grant, to be paid over three years, from the Lancaster Community Foundation. It will be used fund a public art manager position in the Public Works department.

That manager will develop policies requiring public art and work to establish funding for it.

The art manager would move into City Hall as the city is drafting plans for several of its parks.

The city also will look at programs established in other cities which have required public art to be incorporated into private commercial property redevelopment. Such a requirement would require an ordinance change, said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, the city's public works director.

Even if city law is not changed to require public art in private projects, the city would likely make recommendations for public art to be included, Katzenmoyer said.

"Everything would be reviewed," the mayor said.

Gray, whose wife, Gail, is an artist, said that public art has the ability to improve the quality of life for city residents. He pointed to the vibrant murals that have been painted on buildings in the city.

"People relate to the appearance of their neighborhood," he said.

"When you walk outside, to have a place that is appealing to the eye has an effect on the way you think about your neighborhood and the way you feel about yourself."

Public art does not have to be a large mural or free-standing sculpture. It may also take the form of artist-made street furniture, lighting or architectural details.

Gray pointed to a bicycle rack outside Central Market as an example. The rack, made by a local artist, is designed to look like an oversized high-wheel bicycle.

"We not only have a bicycle rack, but we have something there that is neat and pleasing to the eye," the mayor said.

Not everyone shares Gray's enthusiasm for the black metal bicycle rack, however.

Future public works of art, such as the towering 11-foot rack, would be subject to review by an appointed Public Arts Committee that would determine their appropriateness.

The structure of that committee hasn't been determined, said Katzenmoyer. It would likely include representatives of arts groups, educational institutions, developers and concerned residents.

Plans also call for city policy to contain a "waiting period" for works that cause controversy, so the controversy alone is not grounds for immediate removal of an art work.

The rack, murals and other pieces of art are part of an initiative to make Lancaster an arts destination. Gray's administration has sought to encourage arts events and plans to begin a multi-day arts festival in 2010.

The creation of a public arts manager position follows a study done on public arts by the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. A consultant for the college released a public art action plan two months ago.

The city will soon advertise for the position. Once hired, the art manager would develop policies, work to ensure preservation of existing public art and promote the installation of additional works.

The manager will seek grant funding from foundations, corporations and state and federal government sources. The manager will also work to establish a public art fund to which individuals could donate to support works of art.

Other cities have required a percentage of a total project cost being used for public art. Fort Collins, Colo., for example is one of several cities that requires 1 percent of the total cost of any project costing more than $250,000 to be used for public art.

Lancaster may also look at requiring a percentage of a project's cost to be reserved for art. Gray said he would consider the new manager's recommendation and input from developers and other interested parties before proceeding. Gray said he would not push for that funding if he thought it would hamper development.

Along with improving the quality of life for city residents, Gray believes public art will help attract tourists and help promote the city.

"It's exciting and it's logical that we should do it," he said of the initiative.


Staff writer Bernard Harris can be reached at bharris@LNPnews.com or 481-6022.