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Bothell arts commission weighs using 1% public‑art funds for Cedar Grove Park sculpture
Summary
Commissioners discussed using the city’s 1% for public art account (about $170,000) to fund an interactive focal sculpture and smaller bronze pieces at Cedar Grove Park, but members stopped short of a decision and sought options that preserve money for other projects such as utility‑box art.
The City of Bothell Arts Commission on Oct. 16 discussed a proposal to use a portion of the city’s 1% for public art funds to support public‑art elements at Cedar Grove Park, a planned all‑inclusive playground in Snohomish County.
Danae McGee, the arts liaison/tourism manager for the City of Bothell, told commissioners she had met with the park design team and described three possible public‑art elements: a main interactive focal sculpture plus several smaller bronze animal pieces that would be part of the playground experience. McGee said the commission’s public‑art reserve holds roughly $170,000 and that the smaller bronze pieces were estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars while the main sculpture would be more costly depending on scale.
“The timeline for this is that we’re in the design phase between now and March, 2026,” McGee said, adding that construction documentation and permitting would begin in March 2026, public bidding would occur in September–October 2026 and the project could be complete by June 2027.
Commissioners welcomed the park opportunity but raised concerns about concentrating the commission’s limited 1% funds in a single park. One commissioner said: “Do we want to put all of our eggs in one park basket?” and others suggested splitting the commission’s resources so some money could support both Cedar Grove and more citywide, lower‑cost activations such as utility‑box artwork.
Multiple commissioners asked staff to return with concrete options. A commissioner offered to assemble a shared document listing brainstormed projects, rough cost estimates and possible funding sources so the commission could compare scenarios ahead of the planned update to City Council in early December. McGee said that any formal recommendation from the Arts Commission would go to council for final approval.
No formal vote was taken on committing funds at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to develop options and to bring more detailed cost, siting and funding recommendations to a future meeting.
