Planning commission recommends reflective 'LOVE' sculpture, 7-0, for City Hall campus

Falls Church City planning commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 4 to recommend the Arts & Humanities Council’s preferred design for a permanent "LOVE" sculpture and endorsed a staff-recommended location on the City Hall campus.

City staff presented four finalist submissions from an employee call for art, saying nine total entries were received and four met the selection criteria. The Arts & Humanities Council selected the entry titled “Reflection, Diversity and Inclusivity”; staff told commissioners the council voted unanimously with one abstention due to a late arrival.

The recommended design features four six-foot-tall steel letters mounted on 4-by-4-inch bases. The design’s central "O" would be a vinyl wrap showing a collage of faces intended to represent the city’s diversity, while the surrounding letters would be reflective steel so viewers can see themselves as part of the artwork. Staff said the letters and bases would be powder-coated to resist rust and that final color and finish decisions will be coordinated with the fabricator.

Commissioners discussed siting for the sculpture and potential conflicts with other planned improvements. Staff recommended placing the artwork between the City Hall west wing and the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, near the DAR garden, rather than at the Park/Little Falls intersection where a planned covered bike shelter and frequent event activity could crowd the viewshed. Staff said the site would include an ADA-compliant approach path so people using mobility devices can visit the sculpture.

Commissioners asked about planting and visibility; staff said the existing right-side shrubbery is being kept intentionally low (about 2–3 feet) and that taller plantings would be used selectively to frame the installation. Staff also noted overhead utility lines and an area they call "Conduit Alley" would limit deep excavation, and that the sculpture requires only light anchoring rather than deep foundations.

A commissioner moved a resolution recommending the Arts & Humanities Council design titled “Reflection, Diversity and Inclusivity” for fabrication and installation on the City Hall campus. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote of 7–0.

If the commission’s recommendation is adopted by City Council, staff said they could present the item to council at its Dec. 9 meeting and pursue fabrication in January with a possible unveiling in February, timed to coincide with a February holiday. Staff also said a plaque recognizing the artist and fabricator would be installed with the piece.