Ames City Council defers vote to demolish historic downtown pillars

A plan to demolish several historic art monuments downtown has hit a bit of a snag, bolstered by nearly 150 signatures.

The City of Ames has asked for alternative options for the 16 brick pillars scattered across several intersections with 5th Street, from Duff Avenue to Pearl Avenue.

The council previously approved up to $16,000 to demolish and remove the pillars during a June meeting. A decision to either move, demolish or preserve the pillars was based on city estimates and processes the city uses to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

More recently, the council rescinded its demolition approval, asking the Public Arts Commission to consider alternative options due to a smattering of community blowback, many of whom feel the pillars should be preserved.

The Arts Commission initially suggested the pillars be demolished but readdressed the situation during its December meeting on Tuesday.

While the board didn't overturn its previous recommendation, some members were open to alternatives. Public Arts Commission Secretary Joseph Merchant believes the city could save the pillars that aren't an obstruction while moving others that are a danger.

"Some of these (pillars) are not in a good place and should be moved," Public Art Commission Secretary Joseph Merchant said. "They've caused danger to people and shouldn't have ever been put there. There should be some sort of a compromise where the most dangerous ones are moved and the rest are preserved or reconsidered."

The demolition was initially approved at a June meeting. However, once the council learned several community members were displeased at a Nov. 16 meeting, they moved to reconsider.

More: Ames City Council to reconsider controversial downtown demolition project vote

What is the history of the pillars?

Fifteen four-foot tall pillars were constructed in 1999, while the final structure was produced in 2001. Each is topped with an engraved stone displaying the intersecting street names.

The project was born out of the city of Ames's downtown district development plan in the 1990s. The structures were financed through grants from the Iowa Community Cultural Grant and the Iowa Department of Affairs. The city isn't certain of an exact cost but believes it exceeded $20,000.

Ames resident Valerie Stallbaummer spoke at the Nov. 16 city council meeting on behalf of disgruntled community members. She surveyed several Ames residents and presented her findings to the Public Arts Commission on Tuesday.

Stallbaummer revealed she had secured 145 signatures in favor of the pillars. She said none of the people she surveyed thought the pillars were blocking the sidewalk or were difficult to navigate around.

"People said things I hadn’t even thought of," Stallbaummer said. "(Some people) like leaning on them, which I never even thought of but have seen a couple of times. A number of people said they like to lean on them to watch the parades, or just to rest."

Stallbaummer and the other 144 petitioners pleaded the pillars be kept on behalf of their historical value.

"Teachers, history buffs and residents proud of their historic downtown Ames consider these 32 historic plaques valuable details about the heritage, origin and significant people and events of Ames," Stallbaummer said. "We Strongly believe that these artistic brick pillars should be maintained along 5th Street so that anyone can learn about and appreciate the full story of the city of Ames."

More: Ames says Main Street doesn't want pillars anymore, but leaders dispute removal

Why did the commission recommend removal?

The demolition plan derived from comments the city had received on its "Ames On The Go application." The mobile app allows residents to submit complaints or issues they have with the city.

Several visually or mobility-impaired residents said the pillars were a cause for concern on Main Street, especially during the winter. They feel the pillars are a dangerous obstruction since nine are placed in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Some of these pillars are smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk," Merchant said. "That creates four feet on each side; that's not enough. A sidewalk should be five feet, and when it's less than five feet, you're forcing somebody off on one side or into the road on another side."

A study revealed the pillars would likely fall apart if they were moved to another location, which led the commission to suggest demolition instead.

Ames Main Street also favored removing the pillars, so the commission approached the city.

"When Ames Main Street consulted with us, their letter indicated they didn't feel confident the pillars could be moved because of the amount of space that would be excavated around the pillars to get them out are two foot wide and deep," City Manager Brian Phillips said. "It might not have a great chance of moving them intact, and our city staff and Public Works Department also felt like there was a lot of risk they would fall apart if they were attempted to be moved."

Public Art Commission Chair Kyle Hauswirth said recommending demolition was one of the hardest decisions he's made in his years of service.

"I do think these pillars are unique and really fantastic, but when it came down to it my thought process was if these pillars make even one person feel like they can’t experience downtown Ames, to me the tradeoff is simple," Hauswirth said. "As difficult a decision as it was, airing towards accessibility and allowing people to experience the downtown area took precedence for me personally."

More: Pipeline company prevails over Story, Shelby county ordinances

More: Artist says Ames didn't reach out before deciding to demolish public art on 5th Street

Alternative options brought before commission

The city initially justified the demolition of the monuments due to their deteriorating condition in addition to their questionable placement.

Stallbaummer said she spoke with a representative from MB Masonry LLC in Des Moines, who felt the pillars were in good condition and only needed simple repair work.

The company would be willing to clean, tuckpoint and seal each base for $5,600. With promised donations of $2,200, the city would need to pay $3,400. Stallbaummer also felt confident she could gather enough donations to cover the entire cost.

She also spoke to a concrete cutting business out of Des Moines that could move the pillars to a different location for $6,000.

"If there were some that really had to be moved because that area is high traffic, fine, let's move them someplace else," Stallbaummer said. "But I really don't think demolishing all 16 of them makes sense. I think there's more ways to look at this."

The council has agreed to revisit the pillars at a future meeting. Some members of the public arts commission agreed to be present during the council's Dec. 19 meeting to answer questions.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames City Council hits pause on downtown pillar demolition