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Though they praised the Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony that took place at Tsunami Plaza on Friday, Crescent City Councilors authorized staff to take steps to make it safer, including closing it to the public at 11 p.m. nightly.

City staff can institute operating hours at the open space near the Del Norte County Library quickly, though it would require an ordinance change, City Manager Eric Wier said Monday.

He told councilors he would also pursue quotes to remove the scalloped walls around the plaza that act as collectors for garbage and limit visibility. According to Wier’s staff report, Crescent City police are often removing people’s belongings as well as drug paraphernalia and human waste.

“This is a critical area for our community as you look at the connection between the park, the transit center [that will be] located by the library and that connection to Third Street,” Wier said. “Without a doubt, if done right and designed correctly, this could be an area that is celebrated by our community and could have some events.”

Wier’s suggestions came about a month after he and Public Works Director David Yeager introduced options for upgrading the plaza and fountain that honors the 11 lives lost during the 1964 tsunami.

At their Nov. 6 meeting, councilors directed staff to repair the fountain’s centerpiece, a bronze sculpture created by artist Bruno Groth, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the tsunami in March.
On Monday, Wier and Councilor Kelly Schellong said they had received complaints about the plaza’s safety.

“Most complaints I get from downtown business people are about homeless people,” she said. “And not just their presence, but the alcohol abuse and garbage and furniture — all kinds of things being left behind. And if you spend a day down there you can get a marriage proposal.”

Much of Monday’s discussion centered around whether or not the fountain should be relocated to Beachfront Park or if it should be removed entirely. In June 2021, the City Council adopted its Economic Development Strategic Action Plan, or EDSAP, which created four potential designs for the plaza, none of which included a fountain, Wier said.

Mayor Pro Tem Ray Altman pointed out that if the sculpture and fountain had been in place at Friday’s Christmas tree lighting, spectators wouldn’t have been able to see the choir or Santa. He asked if a fountain is even necessary, pointing out that children don’t lack for a place to play in the water.

“I think the sculpture itself is a nice piece of art,” he said. “I don’t think it fits in that plaza at all.”

Altman also pointed out that added seating, tables and trees — features the designs in the EDSAP call for — would also make it difficult for cleanup crews and provide places for people to hide from the police.

“I’m not sure there’s any real answer as far as do we take out all the walls, do we take out the sculpture or put the sculpture back,” he said.

Altman’s colleague, Jason Greenough, said that while he thought removing the walls would also be a good way of creating a more open area for public events, he felt the sculpture was made to be part of a fountain with cascading water.

“I think if we relocate it I would love to see that initial vision restored,” he said.

Schellong said the people she spoke with don’t want the fountain and sculpture to be relocated. When the plaza was dedicated back in the 1960s it was meant to be a gateway into Downtown Crescent City from Beachfront Park, which ties in with what the city is trying to accomplish now.

“Another thing somebody said was, ‘Don’t move everything to Beachfront Park,’” Schellong said. “The city shouldn’t have everything we want to highlight and feature in Beachfront Park. The memorial is a memorial and that’s really why it was built there. I don’t want to lose that history because those 11 people died in the tsunami.”

Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore said that while he had advocated for the memorial’s possible relocation, he’s reconsidering that opinion. Again he compared relocating the tsunami memorial to a loved one being told the headstone to their father’s grave would have to be moved.

Inscore also said Crescent City should treat the Tsunami Memorial Plaza like Beachfront Park, Brother Jonathan Park and Peterson Park, all of which are closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. He pointed out that it’s best for the public not to be in those spaces at their night for their own safety.

“The fountain being there Friday night, that was very unnerving,” Inscore said. “We were very fortunate, I believe, that no child was injured. We have to figure out that piece sooner rather than later. Putting the sculpture back there will avoid some of this.”

At their Nov. 6 meeting, the City Council authorized staff to spend $5,000 to weld the bronze sculpture back on its pedestal.

Yeager brought several different options for the fountain to the Council’s attention as well. These options include $12,000 to fix the plumbing and water pump, allowing the fountain to function as a fountain again.

Restoring the fountain and upgrading the weathered irregular concrete would cost about $39,000, according to Yeager.

The public works director also included a proposal from Harley and Jill Munger, of Piece by Piece Pottery, to incorporate a tile mosaic design at the fountain. This option would cost about $49,000, according to Yeager.

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