The Lee Highway Median Art Project
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Many thanks to the artist Jarrett Ferrier and John Regan of Christopher Companies for the beautiful Lee Highway Median Art! To find out more about the project from RFP to installation, please click on the links, below. Click here to see photos of the finished product (thanks to Greg Embree for the photos of our ribbon-cutting ceremony)!
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Everything you need to know about the Lee Hwy median art panels:
The Design
As many recall, muralist Jarrett Ferrier from Schwa Designs Custom Murals for Public & Private Spaces won the art contest. He then interviewed our historians Kathy Holt (Cherrydale) and Bob McAtee (Maywood), the Embree’s regarding the library, Chief Scott Pardi regarding the CVFD, the Art Panel Committee, and Maywood Citizens Association to determine the theme of the 6 panels. Then Mr. Ferrier made numerous drafts of the panels and met with Cherrydale and Maywood committees almost a dozen times until the designs were approved. At that point he painted the themes on 18 by 9 inch canvas, which were then reprinted on 6 ft by 30 inch panels.
Jarrett is willing to sell the original paintings, first come first served. You can reach him at [email protected] and check out his other work at SchwaDesignGroup.com.
The Construction
The art panels are printed directly on exterior grade plywood and given UV coating by the GELBERG Signs Company in DC. It was determined that a plastic cover would trap moisture and rot the plywood. Everything is break away (rail road ties set vertically on rebars), the signs are mounted into break away sections. The iron work was done by our own Ivy Welding and the rail road ties were supplied by a business called Reese in Mercersburg, PA. The actual track bars came from the National Capitol Trolley museum and are original to the railroad on Lee Hwy. If the panels are damaged or fade, they can be reprinted.
Staying on Time
The Cherrydale/Maywood Dominion Heights Art Committee wrote an RFP (request for proposal) with very strict time lines. We announced the contest in December 2011, selected the finalists in February 2012, displayed the 6 best submissions at Cherrydale Library the first 2 weeks in March, and held the vote on March 21, 2012. Maywood, Maywood Mews, and Cherrydale members came to vote in person. The time line for installation was just as structured - from award to installation, April to end of August, we had stringent benchmarks. There was about a 2 month delay by VDOT, which we can’t complain about since VDOT was so magnanimous as to even allow the art panels. Hence we missed the deadline of August 30 but met the more important date – which was to install the art before occupancy of the Dominion Heights Apartments. The installation was completed 12/21/12. The ribbon cutting and celebration was held 2/18/13.
The Politics
For once we have a win win. The site plan for 3565 Lee Hwy was first floated in December 2003, with a the rezoning and site plan (SP #388) request for a 51-unit residential building with 8,545 square feet of ground floor retail. The CCA advised it would be a “no go” if they underparked it, which was the original plan (ie. to meet only the so called “revitalization plan” commercial parking requirements which is half the usual parking). We also warned that height would be a contentious issue. So the Christopher Co came back with full parking, and the 5th floor was set back. (It is only 3 stories from the back toward residential). After several presentations at CCA meeting, the project was supported. Then came the fight to get the County Board to approve the plans, as the Board did not want full parking and had concerns about the 5th story.
County required an arts fund donation from the contractor which the CCA and MCA fought to have remain here in the community. Apparently this was unique in Arlington Site Plan history. We then had wording inserted in the site plan that required the community associations select and approve the art, (ie, not the Arlington Arts Commission). Apparently no other site plan has had the art fund both remain in the community, with the community choosing the artist and project.
Numerous meetings later, on March 12, 2005 the County Board denied the rezoning and site plan. But the communities liked and fought for the project, so on November 16, 2005 theCounty Board approved the rezoning and site plan (now SP #395) for a 52-unit residential building with 9,777 square feet of ground floor retail.
Then the economy tanked in 2008 as the deadline loomed for construction. So on July 19, 2008--County Board approved a site plan amendment to permit modifications to conditions. On February 22, 2010 Christopher Company presented a plan to keep the exterior plans as already approved but requested an increase from 50 units (49 Residential and 1 office) to 67 units ( 66 Residential and 1 office). Many more meetings later on May 22, 2010--County Board approved a site plan amendment to permit revisions to the building allowing construction of a 66-unit residential building with 801 square feet of office space and 8,420 square feet of ground floor retail. Unfortunately the parking ratio dropped to average rather then extra. The only remaining issue of concerns for the neighborhoods was the lack of traffic calming on N Monroe St by Safeway.
In September 2010, having turned away a sudden demand that the Arlington Arts Commission select the art, we then learned that VDOT objected to having any art on the Lee Hwy median at all. An urgent meeting was arranged fall 2010, and Terry Yates from VDOT agreed that as long as the art was no higher than about 3 ft, it could be as long as we wanted. So in October 2010 CCA, MCA and Maywood Mews representatives formed the Lee Hwy Median Art Committee. And the rest is history.
None of this could have happened without numerous volunteers showing up at meeting, after meeting after meeting and standing together as good neighbors.
Thank you!
~ Maureen Ross, CCA President
(2/26/13)
The Design
As many recall, muralist Jarrett Ferrier from Schwa Designs Custom Murals for Public & Private Spaces won the art contest. He then interviewed our historians Kathy Holt (Cherrydale) and Bob McAtee (Maywood), the Embree’s regarding the library, Chief Scott Pardi regarding the CVFD, the Art Panel Committee, and Maywood Citizens Association to determine the theme of the 6 panels. Then Mr. Ferrier made numerous drafts of the panels and met with Cherrydale and Maywood committees almost a dozen times until the designs were approved. At that point he painted the themes on 18 by 9 inch canvas, which were then reprinted on 6 ft by 30 inch panels.
Jarrett is willing to sell the original paintings, first come first served. You can reach him at [email protected] and check out his other work at SchwaDesignGroup.com.
The Construction
The art panels are printed directly on exterior grade plywood and given UV coating by the GELBERG Signs Company in DC. It was determined that a plastic cover would trap moisture and rot the plywood. Everything is break away (rail road ties set vertically on rebars), the signs are mounted into break away sections. The iron work was done by our own Ivy Welding and the rail road ties were supplied by a business called Reese in Mercersburg, PA. The actual track bars came from the National Capitol Trolley museum and are original to the railroad on Lee Hwy. If the panels are damaged or fade, they can be reprinted.
Staying on Time
The Cherrydale/Maywood Dominion Heights Art Committee wrote an RFP (request for proposal) with very strict time lines. We announced the contest in December 2011, selected the finalists in February 2012, displayed the 6 best submissions at Cherrydale Library the first 2 weeks in March, and held the vote on March 21, 2012. Maywood, Maywood Mews, and Cherrydale members came to vote in person. The time line for installation was just as structured - from award to installation, April to end of August, we had stringent benchmarks. There was about a 2 month delay by VDOT, which we can’t complain about since VDOT was so magnanimous as to even allow the art panels. Hence we missed the deadline of August 30 but met the more important date – which was to install the art before occupancy of the Dominion Heights Apartments. The installation was completed 12/21/12. The ribbon cutting and celebration was held 2/18/13.
The Politics
For once we have a win win. The site plan for 3565 Lee Hwy was first floated in December 2003, with a the rezoning and site plan (SP #388) request for a 51-unit residential building with 8,545 square feet of ground floor retail. The CCA advised it would be a “no go” if they underparked it, which was the original plan (ie. to meet only the so called “revitalization plan” commercial parking requirements which is half the usual parking). We also warned that height would be a contentious issue. So the Christopher Co came back with full parking, and the 5th floor was set back. (It is only 3 stories from the back toward residential). After several presentations at CCA meeting, the project was supported. Then came the fight to get the County Board to approve the plans, as the Board did not want full parking and had concerns about the 5th story.
County required an arts fund donation from the contractor which the CCA and MCA fought to have remain here in the community. Apparently this was unique in Arlington Site Plan history. We then had wording inserted in the site plan that required the community associations select and approve the art, (ie, not the Arlington Arts Commission). Apparently no other site plan has had the art fund both remain in the community, with the community choosing the artist and project.
Numerous meetings later, on March 12, 2005 the County Board denied the rezoning and site plan. But the communities liked and fought for the project, so on November 16, 2005 theCounty Board approved the rezoning and site plan (now SP #395) for a 52-unit residential building with 9,777 square feet of ground floor retail.
Then the economy tanked in 2008 as the deadline loomed for construction. So on July 19, 2008--County Board approved a site plan amendment to permit modifications to conditions. On February 22, 2010 Christopher Company presented a plan to keep the exterior plans as already approved but requested an increase from 50 units (49 Residential and 1 office) to 67 units ( 66 Residential and 1 office). Many more meetings later on May 22, 2010--County Board approved a site plan amendment to permit revisions to the building allowing construction of a 66-unit residential building with 801 square feet of office space and 8,420 square feet of ground floor retail. Unfortunately the parking ratio dropped to average rather then extra. The only remaining issue of concerns for the neighborhoods was the lack of traffic calming on N Monroe St by Safeway.
In September 2010, having turned away a sudden demand that the Arlington Arts Commission select the art, we then learned that VDOT objected to having any art on the Lee Hwy median at all. An urgent meeting was arranged fall 2010, and Terry Yates from VDOT agreed that as long as the art was no higher than about 3 ft, it could be as long as we wanted. So in October 2010 CCA, MCA and Maywood Mews representatives formed the Lee Hwy Median Art Committee. And the rest is history.
None of this could have happened without numerous volunteers showing up at meeting, after meeting after meeting and standing together as good neighbors.
Thank you!
~ Maureen Ross, CCA President
(2/26/13)