The city’s Arts Commission will review an updated design concept for the Chestnut underpass public art project at its upcoming meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5.

This updated rendering reflects a revised design approach following the community input process held last fall. Since then, the city and artist team have continued refining the project based on a combination of public input, site conditions and Caltrans requirements for public art within its right-of-way.

The updated design and proposed placement at the four exterior corners of the underpass address maintenance concerns identified after recent winter rains.

Arts Commission meeting
Thursday, Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m.
City Council Chamber
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive

The agenda and staff report are available online.

All Arts Commission meetings are streamed live on the city’s website and on the city's cable channel Spectrum 24 and AT&T U-Verse 99.

How to provide input

• Attend the meeting and provide comments in person
• Email comments in advance to arts@carlsbadca.gov by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5

Next steps

• The city will share an online input opportunity in early February for the community to review the updated design concept and provide additional feedback after the meeting.
• City staff and the artist team will review input from the Arts Commission meeting and the online engagement and use it to refine the design in March.
• The Arts Commission is scheduled to consider recommending approval of a refined final design at its April meeting.
• If recommended, the City Council will consider approval of the final design at a future meeting.

Background
The Chestnut underpass public art project is intended to introduce permanent public art and improve the experience for people walking, biking and driving through the I-5 underpass at Chestnut Avenue.

The city selected the artist team, Greenmeme, in 2024. The city and Greenmeme conducted multiple phases of community engagement in 2025 to gather input on themes, priorities and values to help inform the artwork. Feedback emphasized the importance of reflecting local identity, honoring the surrounding community and creating an inviting, well-maintained space.

Because the underpass is located within Caltrans’ right-of-way, the project must meet Caltrans requirements for public art, including safety, visibility and maintenance considerations. These requirements, along with site conditions observed over time, have informed both the updated design approach and the proposed placement of artwork at the exterior corners of the underpass. The Caltrans requirements are summarized in the community input report from fall 2025.

More information
Chestnut underpass public art
Community input report
Art in Public Places Program