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Escondido feed-mill seeks murals on new silos; commission sends proposal to mural subcommittee
Summary
Vita Gold Brands presented plans to add two large storage silos and offered possible mural locations on its Escondido feed-mill site. Commissioners agreed to refer the proposal to the commission’s mural subcommittee for design, siting and funding follow-up; staff noted about $40,000 remains in the mural fund this fiscal year.
Vita Gold Brands representatives presented plans to enlarge storage at their Grand Avenue feed-mill site and discussed options for applying public artwork to the new silos during the Escondido Public Art Commission meeting. The commission voted to refer the proposal to its mural subcommittee for further work on theme, location and budget.
The company said the two proposed additional silos are 37 feet in diameter and would sit next to existing silos on a part of the site described by staff as a gateway to the city. Presenter Alex Dimler said the expansion would increase on-site storage so the mill could “survive a longer period of delivery laps and not have to truck,” and added that “the rail is far more efficient than a truck.” Dimler and co-presenter Trisha Young Bell said artists advised that smooth sheet‑metal bins are preferable for painting; the site also contains corrugated bins that are less suitable for murals.
Commissioners discussed possible scale and themes, including agricultural motifs reflecting Escondido’s history and more ambitious multi‑silo treatments. Dimler gave a rough cost benchmark from artist conversations: “a 20 by 20 foot mural at this elevated height is roughly $30,000,” and a multi‑silo installation could cost about $50,000, though he said those figures were preliminary.
Robert Rhodes, assistant director of community services, told commissioners the Public Art Commission currently has “just under $40,000” available in its murals fund. Rhodes recommended referring the presentation to the mural subcommittee for site selection, theme development and artist outreach before discussing funding amounts. A commissioner moved to refer the item to the mural subcommittee; the motion passed.
The referral starts a subcommittee process that staff and the presenting company said would explore ideal surfaces (sheet metal vs. corrugated steel), exact siting, artist scope and equipment needs for elevated work. Rhodes and staff noted that larger multi‑silo work would likely exceed the remaining fiscal‑year mural budget and could require carrying funding into the FY 2025–26 annual work plan.
Commissioners and presenters said they looked forward to working together on design options and logistics; no final design, budget commitment or permitting decision was made at the meeting.
