The art project has been envisioned to serve as a welcoming gateway to the county.
However, members of the public and the Public Arts Program and Advisory Board now say they aren’t sure if the sculptures would or should be visible from Interstate 80.
“Even a 25-foot sculpture, from a car on the freeway, over the barrier wall—I'm not sure you're even going to see that,” Jeremy Ranch resident Mitch Daly said at the April 2 meeting.
Deputy Summit County Manager Janna Young agreed the winning proposal should strike a balance, and not dwarf the roundabouts.
Summit County Public Works Director John Angell said he’ll drive a backhoe into the roundabouts as a visual aid to help determine the ideal height.
“I could probably get the bucket up 25 feet, take pictures of it and let you know, to give you an idea of what the size is,” he suggested.
With height in mind, board members evaluated three finalists’ proposals Tuesday, since whittling the field down from over 70 a month ago, based on applicants' previous work.
First, Don Kennell and Lisa Adler showed renderings of a metal bear and moose, 20 and 25 feet high.
Ilan Averbuch proposed twin chairs made of steel and stone, also 25 feet high.
DeWitt Godfrey’s sculptures would be abstract steel shapes, one 20 feet tall and the other 16 or 18 feet tall.
The artist chosen will have just under $200,000 to make their proposal a reality.
Jocelyn Scudder, executive director of the Arts Council of Park City and Summit County, thought it wise to get more information before making the final choice.
“I think it just shows careful consideration for this project,” she said. “It's a large project for the county, extremely visible, and integrated into two key communities here in Park City and Summit County.”
The public arts board has until May to decide, so it will schedule at least one more special meeting to deliberate and vote on the project.