A Fresh Look Coming to Utility Boxes

The utility boxes around town boxes will be getting a facelift soon, as the next phase of the Alameda County Arts Commission was unanimously approved by the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council  (MAC) at their Monday night meeting.

The new phase will include refreshing the art on 47 existing decorated utility boxes and adding two more boxes on Foothill Boulevard at 164th Avenue and on 167th Avenue, which weren’t included in the initial 2018 phase of boxes that were decorated.

The vinyl wraps on the boxes need to be replaced every three to five years, and it’s time for a “proactive” update, according to Rachel Osajima, director of the Alameda County Arts Commission. The existing art will be replaced with new imagery from local artists, and installation is set for mid-2024 through 2025.

Each box costs $5,750, including licensing art from the artists, So with an approximate five-year lifespan; that means having decorated boxes cost a bit more than $1,000 per year per box and a total of just more than $280,000 for all of the boxes in this phase.

Osajima says the cost is worth it because artwork deters graffiti and “arts and creativity are an essential part of life in our community.”

The MAC agreed, with member Ken Carbone saying he had “no problem with the expenditure” and member Al Pardo saying that the artwork has received “nothing but positive public comments.”

Also, at Monday night’s MAC meeting, the council unanimously approved three other land-use matters:  an application to allow construction of a new single-family dwelling at 16860 Robey Drive; a conditional use permit to continue the operation so the existing drive-thru coffee kiosk in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven at 22600 Center Street; and the subdivision of a 5.25-acre parcel into 11 single family lots at 4738 Proctor Road.