Citizens Advisory Board recommends John Nolan statue for Centennial Park

The Citizen Advisory Board on Jan. 29 recommended that the city accept an application to place a life‑size bronze statue of John Nolan on the southeast corner of Centennial Park.

The proposal, presented by Harry Klinkammer, the city’s historical resources manager, and a representative of Venice Area Beautification Inc., calls for a bronze sculpture of Nolan seated on a bench holding a plan, placed at the corner of Nokomis and the Centennial Park parking lot. Klinkammer said public works has signed off on the proposed location.

The recommendation matters because the project is tied to the city’s upcoming centennial and would occupy a highly visible public park site. Applicants said the work will be funded privately by local donors, with a bid from the foundry for $64,000 and a realistic final estimate of about $70,000 once design details are added. Presenters said they already have $20,000 in hand to begin the commission and that manufacturing and shipping are expected to take about eight to ten months.

Klinkammer opened the presentation, saying the application comes from Venice Area Beautification Inc. in partnership with the Venice Area Historical Society and that the statue would invite passersby to sit beside Nolan and view the Nolan plan. A presenter for the applicant group described the sculpture as bronze, life‑sized, mounted on a bronze bench, and named a California studio that has produced other Venice bronzes as the preferred fabricator. He said finer facial and detail work would be completed by the principal sculptor at the foundry and that the project team would name the principal sculptor at the project’s end.

Board members asked about logistics and costs. A board member noted the location is covered by a public camera and recounted past theft of other sculptures at the site; the applicant said the bronze works have been maintained by the sponsoring group and generally hold up well. When asked about site work such as removal of two palm trees and pad preparation, the applicants said those tasks would be carried out by city public works and are not charged to the applicants. The applicants also discussed options for signage and public education about Nolan’s work; they said the funding presently covers fabrication and shipping, while the final approach to public education and plaque design remains to be determined.

During questioning board members sought clarity on funding and plaque approval. Applicants said they have a “capping grant” committed to cover the shortfall beyond the $20,000 already raised; they also stated that a plaque or larger informational display had not been submitted with the application and that plaques historically go through city review and approval. A board member raised a city policy concern, quoting Section 11 of the City of Venice policy that discourages donations that require the city to pay for installation or ongoing maintenance; the applicant said the sponsoring group has not anticipated reimbursing the city for installation costs and that they have not previously needed to ask the city to cover such expenses.

The board voted on a motion to recommend the application for placement of the John Nolan statue. The clerk conducted a roll‑call vote; each named member present voted in favor and the motion passed.

The board’s recommendation is advisory; final approval and any agreement on installation, site finishing, signage and long‑term maintenance will require further city staff and council processes. Presenters asked the board to allow production lead time so the piece could be completed in advance of Centennial events.