Fate of historic arch rests with divided council
Published 4:46 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Jessica Keller, The Courier-Herald
Whether to expand and rebuild the Wilkeson Arch was the question before the Wilkeson Town Council last week, and members waded their way through another twist in the already controversial issue.
Three councilmembers - Dale Perry, Jean Finney and Jim Walker - voted to expand the Arch by 10 to 12 feet. That would satisfy a state Department of Transportation line-of-sight requirement in order to rebuild the Arch at the Hill Street site using FEMA funds. Councilmen Jerry Loran and Terry Endsley voted no, in favor of scrapping the rebuilding plan if the arch is to be placed at Hill Street.
Loran and Endsley have been proponents for getting the Arch rebuilt at its original site at Brierhill Boulevard, a decision popular among many town residents.
During the public session of the meeting, people voiced support for not rebuilding the Arch if it doesn't go back in its original site.
Wilkeson resident Laurine Peloli said the Arch, if extended, would not be the landmark the town has known and been proud of. She was among those who said the Arch should not be rebuilt, unless it's built just the way it was and in its original spot.
The issue was raised by Mayor Doug Paulson, who said the Arch, if placed at the Hill Street site, would not meet the DOT's line-of-sight requirement from the driveway of a nearby house. The DOT, he added, will not bend on their requirement.
Paulson told councilmembers their options were to vote to pick a different site or widen the arch about eight feet to the outside sidewalk. Paulson said if the council chose to widen, it would require additional engineering and additional funding. Finney, Perry and Walker approved that, as long as it did not exceed $500; Loran and Endsley were opposed.
Paulson also said the town might also have to pay to raise utility lines near the site, which FEMA would probably not pay for. He said, while he has not received exact costs, raising the utility lines could cost approximately $3,000. If the town had to move power lines, another possibility, it could cost $15,000 to $20,000.
Before making their decision, Finney pointed out she spoke to somebody at FEMA, who said the town is running out of time before FEMA takes back the funding it is providing because nothing is getting done.
She said the town didn't have time to find an alternative site and get drawings done, or the town was going to lose the funding. If something gets started, however, she said she was told the town would probably receive one more building extension. Otherwise the town has two months to build the arch.
"I say if it means not getting the arch back or widening the arch then we widen the arch," Perry said in support of the expansion.
Loran, however, said the town should tell FEMA to keep its money, that the city doesn't want it, and that the town will raise its own funds and put the arch back in its original spot. He said FEMA is forcing the town, through time constraints, to rebuild where the town doesn't want it built.
Perry pointed out that the original spot doesn't meet the line-of-site requirement, but Loran argued if the town stood united and voted to put the Arch back at its original site, then it would be possible to get DOT to waive its requirement.
Finney said Wilkeson should not return the FEMA m oney, and was skeptical of Loran's suggestion the town would be able to rebuild using its own funds.
Jessica Keller can be reached at jkeller@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald
