title
CAC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Consideration of the Research and Options Presented for the Washington Boulevard Tree Surrounds; and (2) Review, Discuss, and Provide Comments; and (3) If appropriate, Make a Recommendation to City Council
body
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Sally Unsworth/Cultural Affairs Manager, Office of Economic and Cultural Development
Phone Number: (310) 253-6001
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (04/16/26)
Department Approval: Adam Troy, Assistant City Manager of Economic Development, Vitality, and Equity (4/15/2026)
______________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Affairs Commission (1) Consider the Research and Options presented for the Washington Boulevard Tree Surrounds; (2) Review, Discuss, and Provide Comments; (3) If appropriate, Make a Recommendation to City Council
BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION
The Washington Boulevard Tree Surrounds were installed in 1998 as part of a comprehensive Culver City Redevelopment Agency streetscape revitalization effort intended to renew a declining commercial corridor and reinforce Culver City’s identity as the “Heart of Screenland”. The approximately $4.3 million project included decorative tree surrounds with integrated lighting, gateway signage and banners, bus shelters, landscaped medians, and environmental graphic design elements developed by Sussman/Prejza & Co. These surrounds were conceived as commemorative streetscape infrastructure celebrating films produced in Culver City rather than as standalone public artworks.
Architectural Resources Group (ARG) has noted that the project was implemented as part of redevelopment-era corridor improvements and does not currently meet eligibility thresholds for historic designation. While the tree surrounds represent a significant legacy of cultural storytelling, the professional opinion of ARG determined that the structures do not meet eligibility criteria for federal, state, or local historic designation, providing flexibility for future reinterpretation or redesign.
Because the surrounds remain just one component of a much broader environmental graphic system, it is important to note that the Cultural Affairs Division has not evaluated or considered the restoration of the associated bus shelters, banners, or gateway elements at this time. Consequently, restoration decisions limited strictly to the surrounds may not address the aging condition of these other original project assets.
KEY TIMELINE AND MILESTONES
2022-2024 - In consultation with the Public Works Department and the Department of Economic Development, the City made the decision to remove the Arts Districts Tree surrounds due to concerns about their degradation and a potential plan to upgrade lighting features along the Washington Blvd corridor.
January 2025 - Local artist and architect Jeff Morrical presented to the Cultural Affairs Commission regarding the historical context of the tree surrounds and the Sussman/Prejza design work associated with 1984 Olympics-era environmental graphics. He advocated for retention and rehabilitation of the structures.
February 2025 - Planned removal was paused following a letter-writing campaign from more than a dozen residents and stakeholders requesting additional review.
March 2025 - Jeff Morrical addressed City Council via public comment to alert the Council to the community concern about the tree surround removal. The City Council remanded the discussion to the Cultural Affairs Commission for recommendation and incorporated into the Cultural Affairs Division work plan.
September 2025 - A community feedback session was held at Parks Place to gather input from Arts District residents and stakeholders.
October 2025 - Artist Jeff Morrical hosted an Art Walk & Roll outreach booth; Cultural Affairs supported promotion of the City’s survey through signage and QR codes.
October-December 2025 - The Cultural Affairs Division promoted the Tree Surround survey through outreach, GovDelivery notices, and social media.
December 2025 - Cultural Affairs staff held a discussion with environmental graphic designer Paul Prejza regarding original design intent and maintaining visual cohesion.
March 2026 - Cultural Affairs staff worked with artist Jeff Morrical to review a map made of the location of the tree surrounds including conditions reports on structural and cosmetic damage for all surrounds in the district. The map and conditions report is included in (ATTACHMENT 1).
SURVEY AND COMMUNITY INPUT SUMMARY
Community engagement reflected a broad spectrum of perspectives. Many respondents expressed appreciation for the surrounds as recognizable Arts District icons and valued their connection to Culver City’s film history. Others supported adapting or simplifying the design to reduce maintenance complexity while retaining interpretive storytelling elements. Some stakeholders raised concerns about aging infrastructure, safety, and visual cohesion with newer development.
Feedback overall demonstrated strong interest in preserving the narrative of Culver City’s creative legacy, but less consensus regarding preservation of the physical structures themselves. The survey results for the online survey are included in (ATTACHMENT 2).
CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGN AND FUTURE INTERPRETATION
ARG’s professional opinion determined that the tree surrounds do not meet eligibility criteria for federal, state, or local historic designation. This provides flexibility for reinterpretation or redesign. Discussions with the original design team emphasized the importance of visual cohesion across the system, suggesting that individualized artistic reinterpretations may not align with the unified environmental graphic language of the original project.
REHABILITATION APPROACHES
Multi-Year Phased Rehabilitation: Patt Conservation identified corrosion, paint loss, and structural wear across much of the system, noting that preservation would require ongoing cycles of treatment rather than a one-time restoration. Estimated systemwide restoration costs range from approximately $200,000-$300,000+, excluding electrical upgrades and potential prevailing wage impacts.
Partial Retention with Phased Rehabilitation: Selective preservation of a limited number of surrounds could reduce capital costs, with estimated restoration of smaller groups ranging from approximately $30,000-$50,000. ARG’s analysis indicates flexibility for such an approach, as the surrounds are not designated historic resources.
Full Removal: Public Works estimated complete removal at approximately $30,000. Removal would eliminate long-term maintenance obligations but would require Council direction regarding future streetscape design.
POTENTIAL INTEGRATION INTO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM AND THE CULTURAL TRUST
As the Commission evaluates the future of the Washington Blvd Tree Surrounds, one potential path is to recommend that a portion or all of the structures be formally incorporated into the City’s Art in Public Places (APPP) program as permanent art objects. This reclassification would shift the surrounds from their current status as streetscape infrastructure to official assets within the City’s permanent art collection.
Classifying the Tree Surrounds as permanent art objects would unlock the use of the Cultural Trust to fund either partial or full rehabilitation efforts. Currently, estimated systemwide restoration costs are projected between $200,000-$300,000+. Utilizing the Cultural Trust could alleviate the immediate pressure on the General Fund for the initial restoration of these iconic Arts District markers.
However, becoming part of the official public art collection brings specific regulatory and preservation-based restrictions:
• Design Integrity: Under standard public art practices, the objects would likely need to be maintained in a manner consistent with their original design intent. This would limit the City's flexibility to adapt or simplify the structures to reduce maintenance complexity, an option previously suggested by some stakeholders.
• Maintenance Commitments: Once designated as public art, the surrounds would require a significant and ongoing time commitment from Cultural Affairs staff, particularly during the high-intensity initial rehabilitation phase.
• Ongoing Stewardship: The City would be responsible for continuous maintenance to ensure the artwork remains in good condition unless or until the pieces are formally deaccessioned from the collection-a process that carries its own set of administrative requirements.
FISCAL AND UTILITY CONSIDERATIONS
Transitioning these assets to the APPP program introduces several financial unknowns.
• Long-term Costs: While the Trust could fund the initial restoration, the ongoing maintenance of a systemwide, streetscape-scale collection would represent an undefined, perpetual draw on the Cultural Trust.
• Lighting and Safety Infrastructure: A critical point of clarification is required regarding the integrated lighting elements. The Patt Conservation assessment did not evaluate lighting functionality, leaving unknown electrical repair costs. Long-term stewardship of a streetscape-scale system may require an interdepartmental maintenance model; otherwise, coordination responsibilities could shift to Cultural Affairs despite the infrastructure-oriented nature of the assets. Currently, these function as a City utility providing essential safety and illumination for the district. If the surrounds become "art," the responsibility for maintaining these utility-grade electrical components would need to be clearly delineated between Public Works and Cultural Affairs to ensure the safety of the corridor is not compromised and upkeep responsibility is realistic and confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO FUNDING & UPDATES TO SURROUNDS
Outside Funding Concepts: Community discussions included sponsorship or nonprofit partnerships to support rehabilitation. While these could offset capital costs, ongoing maintenance obligations would likely remain with the City.
Steel-Cut Branding / Interpretive Option: Another concept involves replacing existing film strips with simplified steel-cut branding or interpretive elements, preserving storytelling while reducing maintenance complexity. Costs to fabricate, remove film strips, and install steel-cut branding have not been explored.
SUMMARY AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS
The Washington Boulevard Tree Surrounds represent a hybrid legacy of redevelopment-era infrastructure and cultural storytelling. The Commission’s recommendation will help guide City Council in determining whether the City’s future investment should focus on preserving the physical structures, reinterpreting their narrative, or pursuing a new streetscape direction.
Staff seeks Commission discussion and guidance in identifying a path forward that balances community interest, fiscal responsibility, operational capacity, and the broader vision for the Arts District corridor. A formal recommendation will be presented to City Council based on Commission feedback.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Further fiscal analysis is likely to occur once the Cultural Affairs Commission discusses and determines a recommendation for the future of the Washington Blvd tree surrounds. Possible funding paths could include utilizing the City’s Cultural Trust, requesting General Fund support or working with the City to determine another possible funding source, or a possible hybrid funding model via sponsorships or outside funding sources. Fiscal impact is likely to be a key consideration for any proposal to City Council.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 26-04-21_ATT_1_Tree Surround Map and Conditions Assessment
2. 26-04-21_ATT_2_Tree Surround Survey Results
RECOMMENDED MOTIONS
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Consider the research and options presented for the Washington Blvd tree surrounds; and,
2. Review, discuss and provide comments; and,
3. If appropriate, make a formal recommendation to City Council