City: La Jolla artist’s relocated sculpture can stay

Reporting from San DiegoReporting from San Diego — The City of San Diego on Thursday approved a new location for a La Jolla artist’s front yard sculpture that was ordered to be moved because it sat too close to the street.

Nasser and Zari Pirasteh, whose home is on the corner of Nautilus Street and Avenida Mañana, began to demolish the brightly-colored artwork titled “In Out” earlier this month after losing their appeal of the ruling.

The 8-by-10-feet piece, which was the shape of a hut and was deemed a structure by city officials, was built in a corner of the property where it did not meet the mandated 20-foot setback required for sheds and other small buildings.

After initially thinking that the piece could not be moved, Pirasteh instead was able to relocate part of it to a spot closer to his house. The couple demolished a stone fountain to make room for it.

“We get to keep our sculpture. It’s ok now,” said an exuberant Zari Pirasteh after city officials visited the property and said the new location met municipal code.

The artist said he was only able to salvage half of the piece and that most of its embedded glass had been shattered — but it’s repairable.

Pirasteh finished the artwork in February after working on it for months. Soon thereafter, someone complained, and that triggered the city’s action.

Some residents said the artwork was an eyesore that should be torn down.

The couple has not yet settled the fines levied by the city, which included $1,144 in administrative costs and $10,000 that was to be cut in half if the mandated conditions were met.

Pirasteh said he now wants to add the hand prints and names of the many people who supported him and his wife during their months-long ordeal to the sculpture.

“It’s the people’s project now,” he said.