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Public Works outlines plan to relocate "Tyrone 4" sculpture to new Day Palm Drive median
Summary
City public works presented a plan to move the Tyrone 4 steel sculpture roughly 110 feet southwest to accommodate a developer-required turning pocket; staff said the developer will fund relocation and estimated a 3-month timeline.
Public Works Director John Carillo told the Public Arts Commission the city will relocate an existing steel sculpture, "Tyrone 4," from the eastern median of East Palm Canyon (near Day Palm Drive) to a nearby corner reserved by a developer, to accommodate a required vehicular turning lane.
Carillo said the sculpture was placed in the median when that stretch was developed nearly eight years ago and that the piece was originally transferred from Palm Desert. The developer acquired part of the right-of-way and is required to construct a turning pocket at the entry; as part of that obligation the developer is responsible for relocating the artwork. Staff said the proposed new location is approximately 110 feet southwest at the southeast corner of the shopping-center entry, a setting staff described as having better visibility for motorists and pedestrians.
Carillo showed photographs and a site map and advised commissioners that engineering and landscaping for the new entry are already underway, with rock landscaping placed around the reserved area. He said the developer has agreed to reserve a spot for the sculpture’s relocation and that the city’s preference was to move it promptly because median work will begin soon. Carillo estimated a realistic relocation window of up to three months, acknowledging developers’ timelines may vary.
Commissioners asked about competing uses for the median and structural limitations. Carillo said the median sits atop a bridge deck in places, limiting the depth available for large foundations; that constraint makes large permanent pieces difficult in short medians. He also said the city is pursuing a separate gateway monument project (the Cathedral Mountains monument) on a nearby corridor, which the Public Arts Commission previously endorsed.
Commissioners inquired about the piece’s provenance, interpretation and artist. Staff said research shows the sculptor is Betty Gold (born 1935) and that the piece has been in the city since about February 2018, but the original artist statement on the work provides limited explanation of the sculpture’s meaning. Carillo and commissioners discussed the sculpture’s weight (nearly a ton) and noted the developer funding the relocation will relieve the city of relocation expense.
Ending
This was a staff presentation; no formal action was required. Staff said they would inform the commission of the relocation schedule and return with further details if commissioners desired.
