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Council approves utility box art wraps after Arts Commission presentation
Summary
Bonney Lake Council approved AB 2,623 to wrap five utility boxes with artwork selected by the Arts Commission, after a presentation on locations, selection criteria and budget; the commission recommended six designs and will proceed with five this year due to budget and siting constraints.
Bonney Lake’s City Council on May 5 approved AB 2,623, allowing the city to proceed with a utility box art wrap project recommended by the Bonney Lake Arts Commission.
Chris Yanki, vice chair of the Arts Commission, and other commissioners summarized the January 2026 call for artists that yielded roughly 100 Pierce County submissions and the commission’s screening process. Yanki said the project aims to transform utility boxes with artist‑designed wraps to add visual interest to streetscapes and celebrate local creativity.
The commission recommended six artworks; four finalist artists live in Bonney Lake and two are Puyallup residents. Because of budget, siting and a reconstruction near the high school, the commission intends to wrap five boxes this year and defer one location until the district finishes reconstruction so a student artist can participate in that site’s unveiling. Yanki described five proposed locations including a site near the new fire station, at the Bonney Lake grocery store area, near the Montessori school, on Sky Island Drive near the park-and-ride, and at the intersection approaching Bonney Lake High School and Mountain View Middle School (the final site held pending construction).
Councilmembers asked about cost and sponsorship. The packet lists a per-box cost of about $2,300 and a project projection of roughly $11,500; four businesses had verbally committed about $7,400 in sponsorships and the Arts Commission indicated an allocation up to $7,800 to support the project. "We're working on the sponsorship agreement so once we have it signed we'll be confident in getting that funding," an Arts Commission presenter said.
Councilmember Rock applauded the commission’s speed in pushing for wrap completion within the year; Councilmember Baldwin praised the community engagement and selection process. After discussion and a motion, council voted to approve the arts commission’s recommendation to proceed with the wraps.
Staff and the Arts Commission will finalize sponsor agreements, vendor selection for wrap production and installation schedules. The commission reported vendor wrap lifespans of up to seven years based on its vendor research.
