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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSK_LEGAL_Planning_draft HHDC Public Art Guidelines 9.30.25_CLEANVII. PUBLIC ART Purpose and Intent: The purpose of this section is to establish guidelines for the design, review, and approval of public art within the Hyannis Main StreetWaterfront Historic District. Public art should enhance the aesthetic and cultural environment of Downtown Hyannis while preserving the historic character of the district and ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal laws, including First Amendment protections.  A. Overview Applicants are encouraged to incorporate site context in the design of public spaces to celebrate the community identity as follows: a.     Where appropriate, use signage, branding and special features that highlight our community character which include opportunities to reflect the historical, artistic, and environmental elements of the community that honor heritage, culture and inclusivity of the entire community. b.     Buildings facing public spaces should be inviting and safe for pedestrians with entrances, windows, and active uses on the ground floor.  Where elevations lack these features, such as blank walls and garage fronts, consider incorporating public art, where appropriate, to incorporate design that prioritizes pedestrian friendly streets c.     Where appropriate, support local input and work with artists, musicians, educators, historians and others who contribute to our rich and unique character to integrate their stories into the District.  d. Integrate public art into the designs of parks and/or public spaces and their surroundings through a variety of methods.  Public Art can be a featured item, such as a fountain, statue, sculpture, mural, etc., or can be part of the architectural elements of a space such as the paving design, light poles, window boxes, furnishings, landscaping,and signage.  e. Reuse and renovate existing historic or cultural features where feasible. f. The Commission should consider color, materials, height, scale and massing as it relates to the historic settingof the historic district. See below, “Specific Guidelines” B. Specific Guidelines a.  Any historic features on property where a public art project is to be situated should be unaltered and not covered. b. Artwork such as fountains, statues, murals and others should not block views of historic buildings or key features or spaces, nor overwhelm historic buildings or their distinctive characteristics. c. Artwork should not be permanently affixed to the structure(s) on which it is situated. It should be removable. d. All applications should express the dimensions (height, width, depth) of the proposed project. e. The owner of the property where the proposed public art project is to be situated must give written consent which should be incorporated into the application. f. Murals: (1) should not be painted on previously unpainted masonry walls. (2) should not be located on theprimary façade of any building. (3)should not be locatedabove the roof lineor over any historically significant architectural elements. They should not be allowed on elevations directly facing or parallel to sidewalks or public roadways. (4)should not exceed 50% of a wall area, or twice the maximum wall signage sizeallowed, whichever is smaller. (5)should be limited to only one wall of a building.  (6)should not be placed on buildings of a high historic significance such as a National Register property and other notable historic buildings. Reference the 2011 Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Local Historic District Architectural and Historical Significance map. g. Paints and colors: Only paints appropriate for outdoor surfaces should be utilized.There should be no neon or fluorescent paint used unless vital to the artwork, such as flag colors. Applicants should use color(s) approved by the HDWHC unless the color(s) being utilized are germane to the artwork.              h.Public works of art are not signs and should not have sign content such as logos or company advertising. i. Lighting and audio. Public art shall not include internal or external illumination, neon colors, or flashing lights per Barnstable Town Code, Article II, Section 192-7. Signs with moving, flashing or animated parts are prohibited. Video projections or digital artare prohibited. Audio elements of a proposed public art project should not be distracting. j. Removal agreements are required with any applicationand must address returning the site to the original condition when a project or a time agreement ends. k. Public art should not be situated in a manner that causes or contributes to perilous pedestrian and/or vehicle traffic. l. Applicants should maintain their art project to ensure that it remains clean and safe. The Commission reserves the right to contact the appropriate municipal body to address any issues regarding the cleanliness and/or safety of public art located on publicproperty. m. The Commission reserves the right to place reasonable time limits on any proposed public art project. C.  ContentNeutrality Content-Neutral regulations apply in the same way to all artwork located on private property regardless of its content. Such regulations focus on time, place and manner of the artwork rather than the message it depicts. Content-neutral regulations apply the same standards to all artwork located on private property regardless of the specific messages conveyed. They focus on non-communicative aspects such as public safety, traffic flow and noise levels, without targeting the ideas or themes presented in art. These Guidelines are intended to be content neutral. D. Working Group  a. The HHDC working group that has already formed to draft the guidelines shall be retained andshall meet on a regular basis to review and update all guidelines as circumstances permit.