Commission endorses elevated display for donated Onagawara in Vallejo’s Japanese garden

The Vallejo Commission on Culture and the Arts voted Jan. 26 to recommend an elevated design for a donated Onagawara to be installed outside the Japanese garden near the Vallejo Room entrance.

Eric Zomp, staff secretary to the Sister City Commission, summarized prior discussion and presented a staff recommendation that the Onagawara be mounted on a pedestal so the piece sits at eye level. The packet shows a pedestal envisioned as 48 inches wide by 10 inches deep by 24 inches high, constructed of concrete and rebar, and citizens and Sister City volunteers supported restoring the garden plantings to match original designs.

Pelton Stewart, representing the Sister City Commission, said the sister-city association adjusted its budget to cover expected remaining restoration expenses and praised volunteers who helped keep the project moving. Rick Wyrick of the Beautification Commission said plant material will be sourced from a wholesale nursery in Sonoma County and that a certified arborist is assisting with the planting plan.

Staff said Public Works will perform the installation rather than putting the work out to bid; initial Public Works estimates cited in the meeting were roughly $1,200 for labor and about $500 for materials for the pedestal (staff presented the figures as preliminary estimates).

Chair Daniel Weiss moved that the commission recommend the elevated design; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote of 7-0.

The commission asked staff to include the drawing and updated staff report in the packet sent to the council or relevant departments for implementation.