Concrete Stamps

Location

Various

About

In 2007, eight blocks of temporary sidewalks were installed along Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia, between Jason Street and North Court. They were a stopgap measure, intended to improve pedestrian access while the city planned a much grander Streetscape project.

Nearly 20 years later, the long-awaited Streetscape is finally nearing completion. Remarkably, much of that original concrete is still there, along with two distinctive designs stamped into its surface.

Getting those sidewalks in the first place had taken two years of advocacy by the Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association. Having fought that hard for them, the group wanted something more interesting than plain gray concrete.

The debate over what those improvements should look like was captured in an entertaining December 2006 account of a public meeting by local artist Mary Fleener. Residents suggested colored concrete, decorative textures and other creative touches, while city representatives favored a more conventional approach.

Even in 2006, nobody seemed quite sure when the permanent Streetscape would become a reality. Some suggested it might happen around 2010, while others weren't so optimistic. Fleener captured the uncertainty and frustration surrounding the project, and one commenter on her report predicted it could take another 20 years. As the finishing touches are finally being made in 2026, that prediction has proved surprisingly accurate.

Fortunately, Leucadia 101 succeeded in getting some personality into the concrete, thanks to two local artists whose designs drew on the area's heritage and landscape.

Fred Caldwell, the local artist, historian and beloved "Mr. Leucadia," ran Caldwell's Antiques on Coast Highway 101, which also housed his small graphic design business. Fred already had a design featuring a retro Highway 101 shield, which fellow Leucadia 101 board member Kevin Doyle converted into a digital file suitable for producing the concrete stamp.

Kevin's contribution came together rather less deliberately.

With the artwork for the stamps due the following morning, Kevin realized that two designs were needed. He turned to a photograph he'd taken in 2003, looking down Leucadia Boulevard past Leucadia Roadside park, where a magnificent tree (possibly a Monterey cypress) stood silhouetted against the sunset.

Working against the clock, Kevin traced its silhouette, added a little water and a setting sun, and delivered the finished artwork by 8 a.m.

He still finds it amusing that a design created in such a hurry became one of his most recognizable. Kevin, who admits he usually overthinks and overworks his designs, had no time for either. He later adapted the artwork for stickers that can also be spotted around town.

The stamps proved popular enough that former mayor Sheila Cameron borrowed one to decorate her driveway, and other residents have since followed suit.

As Streetscape construction progressed, Leucadia 101 continued advocating for the designs to be included in the new sidewalks. The city agreed, and fresh impressions of both designs are now appearing along Coast Highway 101, including the latest improvements north of Jupiter Street.

The original stamps, meanwhile, have weathered nearly two decades remarkably well.

It's a fitting outcome for two pieces of local artwork. The sidewalks were only supposed to be temporary, the tree that inspired one design is long gone, and Fred sadly passed away in 2023. Yet their designs remain, pressed into the streets of the community they helped shape.