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Council discusses placement and safety of donated bike sculptures; staff to test site at Grandview/Hauser
Summary
City staff, the art commission and councilmembers discussed potential locations and safety concerns for two large bike sculptures donated by MPW. Staff will inspect the preferred Grandview/Hauser site (Mittman parcel) for buried material and footing feasibility; if that site proves unbuildable council suggested Duncan Park as an alternative. Conc
Muscatine City Council members discussed placement and safety concerns for two large bike sculptures donated to the city by Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) and agreed to test one favored site before final placement.
City staff said MPW employees built the sculptures for RAGBRAI; the pieces are about 14 feet high and 23 feet long and are currently stored at MPW. Staff and the arts commission proposed a visible location on Grandview near Hauser — a site that would place the artwork near bike traffic and the riverfront approach — but warned that the parcel contains buried concrete and demolition debris that could complicate foundations. “...it may be hard to do some footings there,” staff said, and recommended MPW’s hydro-excavator be used to test subsurface conditions.
Council members raised safety and liability concerns about placing the sculptures in open public spaces where children might climb on them. Councilmember Lewis and others asked whether placing the pieces on a roof or another elevated site (for example, on a downtown building such as Harper’s) could preserve visibility while reducing climb-and-fall risk. Councilmember Osborne suggested the longer, narrow lot adjacent to the bike trail or a commercial rooftop as alternatives. Chief and public-works staff noted that many public artworks are accessible and that fences or other barriers are sometimes used to deter climbing but also acknowledged that fencing can reduce aesthetics.
Following discussion the council asked staff to first evaluate the Grandview/Hauser (Mittman) parcel with a hydro-excavator to determine whether foundations are feasible. If that site proves unbuildable, councilmembers raised Duncan Park and downtown rooftop/display alternatives. Staff will review insurance and safety implications and coordinate with MPW and the arts commission on installation plans.
Ending: Staff will test the favored Grandview/Hauser location and report back with footing feasibility, insurance implications and recommended placement options.
