Council approves two sculptures for Amlee Treehouse greenbelt; donor funds $150,000

Parks & Recreation Director Janet Tidwell presented staff’s recommendation on March 10 for two public‑art installations to be sited in the new 0.7‑acre greenbelt adjacent to the Amlee Treehouse Phase 2 development.

Tidwell said the town issued a national RFQ that drew 39 submissions (13 from Texas artists). A selection committee composed of town staff, representatives of the Addison Arbor Foundation and Amlee Residential shortlisted artists and recommended Kenneth (Ken) McCall for both commissions. The larger piece, Where Leaves Listen, is budgeted at up to $100,000 and was described as an arched branch/leaf structure that forms a pedestrian gateway; staff requested the artist add color accents to the leaves. The smaller commission, Whispers of the Wind (budget up to $50,000), is a dandelion motif intended to add a whimsical element.

Committee members said durability and longevity were important selection criteria; one alternate design that used acrylic leaves was rejected because the material’s expected color life did not meet the town’s multi‑decade expectations.

Council members expressed gratitude to Amlee Residential for the $150,000 donation. Several council members raised questions about using an out‑of‑state artist and about the second dandelion’s visual balance; the council directed staff to require the artist to provide updated renderings that make the smaller dandelion fuller (council mentioned roughly a one‑third fuller appearance) before fabrication proceeds. The motions to approve both agreements passed on the council floor: the larger piece was approved; the smaller piece was approved with the renderings addendum. Staff said the artist will provide engineered shop drawings and that any color fading would be manageable with maintenance and touch‑ups if needed.