Council to consider new art Tuesday
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 4, 2016 1:45 AM
Three public art pieces have been picked for downtown Goldsboro and will be presented to the Goldsboro City Council Tuesday.
The council also plans to consider site plans for a new middle school at the Wayne Preparatory Academy, a contract for the demolition of 26 condemned residential properties and approval of a downtown traffic and parking study.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. for a work session, during which time the public art selections will be presented, and at 7 p.m. for its regular meeting. The work session is in the City Hall Annex, at 200 N. Center St., and the meeting will be at City Hall, 214 N. Center St.
Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director, plans to present to council the top three public art selections for placement, in October, to downtown's two Center Street roundabouts and in the John Street parking lot. The city has budgeted $5,500 for the art, which will be leased for one year.
Combined efforts of a public art steering committee and public input have led to the selections. City Manager Scott Stevens said the council does not plan to vote on the public art, since the process is planned to include a steering committee decision.
"I don't think she'll be asking council for approval," Stevens said. "It's just making them aware of them. I think it's just more of an awareness for them."
The three selections include Sounds of the Elements, a 14-foot-tall, stainless steel, bronze and aluminum sculpture; Sky Walker, an 18-foot-tall, yellow, teal, purple and black steel structure; and Mates, a 7-foot-tall painted steel sculpture.
The larger pieces, with an annual $2,000 lease cost each, will be added to the Center Street roundabouts, and the smaller piece, with an annual $1,000 lease cost, will be added to the John Street parking lot, Stevens said.
The sculptures can be viewed at www.sculptures.goldsboronc.gov.
The council, during its regular meeting, will consider site plans for Wayne Preparatory Academy, which is interested in adding a middle school next to its elementary school on Tommy's Road. The plans are recommended by the city planning commission and include the addition of a 29,396-square-foot, two story, brick building on the property. The building is expected for occupancy in July 2017. An interconnecting driveway is planned on the property, allowing access to the schools from Tommy's Road and Patetown Road.
The council will also consider:
* Site plans for Brewmasters restaurant, at 2402 E. Ash St.
* Conditional use permits for tattoo parlors at 1923 N. William St. and 605 E. Ash St. The Ash Street location includes limiting Sunday hours from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.
* The sale of 624 Slaughter St. for $1 to Eleva Monroe.
* Approval of a $142,000 contract with A/K Grading and Demolition for the abatement and demolition of 26 condemned residential properties.
* A $98,191 purchase of playground equipment for Mina Weil Park from Playworld Preferred.