Council backs artwork enhancements on Loop 101 entrance; agrees to use transportation funds

City staff presented possible aesthetic enhancements along the Loop 101 corridor between 70th Avenue and 50th Avenue and the Glendale City Council gave consensus to proceed with artwork improvements funded from transportation sources.

Parab Adebala, identified as interim director of transportation, and Ryan Lee, director of governmental affairs, explained that Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and ADOT invited municipalities to consider supplemental artwork investments while the Loop 101 widening project is under construction. Adebala and Lee said MAG and ADOT will refresh existing landform graphics and some sound wall painting as part of the regional contract, but additional enhancements — including landform graphics between 70th Avenue and 60th Avenue and four coiled‑snake features and smaller saguaro motifs at the Loop 101/50th Avenue border — were presented as optional city investments.

Staff put preliminary costs on the table: approximately $80,000 for additional landform graphics between 70th and 60th avenues and roughly $230,000 for the proposed coiled‑snake and saguaro elements at 50th Avenue. Lee told council that splitting the border element cost with Phoenix reduces Glendale’s share to about $195,000. Staff said MAG and ADOT would perform the engineering and construction and that city staff time would be minimal; however, the Municipal Arts Fund is governed by an ordinance that gives the Arts Commission a mandatory role in recommending expenditures from that fund, so using arts dollars would require commission review and could delay the work. The transportation department has available funds, staff said, and councilors discussed whether use of transportation funds would be a faster, practical option.

Council members asked technical questions about a nearby illuminated pedestrian bridge (previous LED rope lighting had failed, staff said, in part because replacement requires freeway closures and the original wiring had been stolen) and about quicker funding paths. Some councilors said they favored using transportation funds to avoid both delays and using Arts Commission resources; others said staff should still check other potential funding sources. City legal staff advised that the Arts Commission ordinance requires the commission to review expenditures from the Municipal Arts Fund, meaning council could not unilaterally spend arts fund money without that review.

The mayor called for consensus on moving forward with the proposed artwork enhancements using transportation funds; the transcript records vocal assent from multiple council members and the mayor confirmed consensus to move forward with the project and the required intergovernmental steps with MAG and ADOT. Staff said the formal contract change order and intergovernmental agreement would return to council for final approval.