The metallic butterfly sculpture that used to sit on a Bouquet Canyon Road median in Saugus is set to be reinstalled in a new location at Central Park pending final approval from the City Council, officials announced Wednesday.
The sculpture, officially named “Western Tiger Swallowtail,” was removed for structural and aesthetic repairs after being struck by a vehicle on March 24.
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Members of the Santa Clarita Arts Commission met at their regular monthly meeting Thursday and voted to re-locate the piece after repairs are completed, said Phil Lantis, an administrator for the city’s arts and events office.
“We’re excited to have the Western Tiger Swallowtail hopefully back on display in the next few months for people to enjoy,” he said. “(Commission members) approved the recommended site at Central Park, and there are a few more steps before that gets finalized.”
After considering seven possible new locations, commission members ultimately decided to re-install the piece at a grass circle near the softball fields and children’s play area at Central Park.
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“(The site) has a high level of visibility in the park, so anyone entering the park would be able to see it,” Lantis said. “It also is in an area that wouldn’t be impacted by normal programming that goes on at the park.”
Concerns were raised that the sculpture could be at risk of being re-damaged if people tried to interact with it at close proximity, so protective fencing is also being considered in the relocation plans.
“Since the piece was designed originally to be in a median, it isn’t necessarily something we want kids to climb on,” Lantis said. “In looking at an alternative site and moving it into the park, our risk office felt it would be beneficial to have some sort of barrier to let people know that they shouldn’t play on it.”
The sculpture is in the final stages of repair and is currently being repainted. Though painting is scheduled to be completed by the end of September, the date of the actual installation has not yet been announced.
“There’s no firm timeline, but over the next couple months it will get reinstalled,” Lantis said.
The commission members’ decision still needs to be shared with the City Council, who will have the opportunity to add it to their agenda. Following their final approval, plans for the foundation, fencing and landscaping of the area also need to be finalized, he said.
A mock-up photo of what the sculpture might look like at its new location was released in the Arts Commission’s agenda report.
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