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Sherwood board reviews design themes, schedule for pedestrian bridge lighting
Summary
At a Jan. 17 work session, the Sherwood Board of Directors reviewed up to 20 proposed lighting themes for the city’s pedestrian bridge, discussed artist selection and ODOT approval requirements, and noted PGE relocation work and budget implications ahead of a planned March installation window.
On Jan. 17, 2025, the Sherwood Board of Directors reviewed proposed design themes, scheduling and permitting steps for lighting the city’s pedestrian bridge and directed staff to move forward with artist designs and ODOT submittal.
The board heard from Kristen, staff member, who said the city has created up to 20 lighting themes based on brainstorming by the Cultural Arts Commission and an artist the city has engaged, and that those themes can be adjusted seasonally or for holidays. The meeting also covered technical and permitting constraints, coordination with Portland General Electric (PGE) on power relocations, and a fast timeline for ODOT review.
Kristen, staff member, opened the discussion by noting, "we have up to 20 scenes, or themes," and showed examples of the contracted artist’s prior work so the board could visualize possible combinations of artwork and programmable lighting. The Cultural Arts Commission contributed the initial list of themes; staff said the artist, Vicky (contracted artist), will interpret the themes and produce designs for the city to submit to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for approval.
Board members and staff discussed specific theme categories. Members raised that cancer-awareness colors are not uniform across diagnoses and asked that the palette permit variations rather than implying a single color represents all cancers. Councilor Mays said, "White," when the group discussed adding a simple white (warm) option. Staff noted community concerns about light pollution and said there is a ‘‘wildlife-friendly’’ scheme among the proposed themes.
The board also discussed honoring first responders and military service through color schemes. Staff cautioned that some flags or first-responder combinations include many distinct color patterns (for example, separate colors for nurses, EMS and corrections), and that any design would be an interpretation rather than a precise flag replication. ODOT approval may further limit specific colors or near-red hues for safety or regulatory reasons; staff said the artist will revise designs if ODOT requests changes.
Technical and schedule details were discussed: staff said the city must submit designs for ODOT approval by March 3, 2025, to meet the project schedule, and that the first span installation is tentatively scheduled for the first weekend in March (staff cited around March 8 as the target). Staff described recent delays with PGE on high-voltage work and said the city budgeted for utility work. Staff stated the city budgeted about $400,000 for PDU relocation and indicated an additional expense in the neighborhood of $100,000 was expected for related relocation work, noting PGE contracts the field crews and that those arrangements have affected the schedule.
Control and public information also came up: staff said the lights are individually addressable via software, allowing both static and moving patterns on different arches. The board discussed publishing a webpage listing the themes so residents can learn why the bridge displays particular colors on a given day; staff did not commit to advertising every change but agreed a public-facing explanation was desirable. Board members also suggested the city could permit community groups or event organizers to request specific colors, with possible fee or sponsorship options to offset costs.
Staff described the workflow: the artist will develop visual interpretations of the chosen themes, the city will submit those designs to ODOT for review, and the artist will revise designs if ODOT requests changes. Staff emphasized the schedule is tight and that ODOT delays could affect the March installation timeline.
The work session closed with staff asking the board if they had additional guidance; members generally supported proceeding with the current themes while allowing staff and the artist to refine the palette and prepare ODOT submittals.
Looking ahead, staff will continue narrowing the theme list, finalize designs with the contracted artist Vicky, coordinate required utility relocation with PGE, and submit materials to ODOT for approval by the March 3 submittal target. The board will receive updates as the project moves through permitting and installation.
