Angry Cactus Decision Looms

Part two of the controversial Angry Cactus signage proposal is scheduled to play out in council chambers this morning, when entrepreneur Tim Condon will present new drafts of a sculpture that has been touted as phallic and offensive by the members of the Design and Historic Review Commission (DHRC).

In keeping with requests from the DHRC board for scale artwork, Condon has hired an architect to complete drawings of his proposed “signage”, including illustrations depicting the original rooftop plan and a new suggestion that would put the cactus sculpture on an awning above the restaurant’s front door.

“We hired an architect to come and do [new drawings],” Condon said last week. “We haven’t really changed the design. We’re trying to keep it as similar as possible.”

Although concerns were voiced at the last meeting held Sept. 18 that the structure may be offensive, Condon says he feels confident that his proposal will pass this time around.

In the interim between the Sept. 18 meeting, at which his sign was tabled, and the meeting scheduled for Oct. 28, Condon commissioned a three-foot metal sculpture by Joe Arrington, who will ultimately make the 12-foot statue for Condon’s restaurant.

Due to the size and time frame, however, the result was not satisfactory, Condon said, and it remains to be seen whether the $1,500 statue will be presented to the board. 

A poll of LIVE! readers conducted Monday showed support for positioning the cactus on top of an awning, when 80.55 percent of 1,413 respondents voted in favor of that option.