Shorewood to go forward with donated sculpture

Shorewood — The village is moving ahead with plans to place a donated sculpture in Atwater Park despite a legal objection from 20 residents, Village Administrator Chris Swartz said Tuesday.

The Village Board was told Monday night that the process it used for accepting the donation and deciding that the sculpture would be put in Atwater Park was legal.

Resident Jay Urban, an attorney, had argued that the village did not give sufficient public notice about the donation when it was proposed. He also argued that zoning rules don't allow a sculpture in the park. But the village attorney disagreed.

Urban said he would continue to monitor the process.

Swartz said the Village Board is expected Oct. 5 to sign a contract with the anonymous donor and will decide later where in the park the sculpture will be put. The sculpture is expected to be placed in the spring or fall of 2010, he said.

The sculpture was done by Jaume Plensa, whose works include a noted fountain in Millennium Park in Chicago.

Residents first voiced their concerns with the process in a letter to the village earlier this month.