Westfield's proposed towers: iconic or extravagant?

WESTFIELD – The twin towers planned as a grand gateway to this Northside Indianapolis suburb are meant to represent an icon of Westfield's past — lanterns that lit the way for runaway slaves during the Underground Railroad.

But at a price tag as high as $3 million, the proposed 100-foot towers have already become symbolic of something else: the internal struggles of this former Quaker community as it considers the role it wants its government to play in the explosive growth to come.

Two years after the designs were drawn up, the Westfield City Council in June had a public hearing in anticipation of putting the towers to a vote Monday. But this week, Mayor Andy Cook said the vote was on hold until the city could collect more public input on the project.

The Westfield Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton County tourism officials have endorsed the effort as a way to brand the city and attract businesses.

Some residents are enthusiastic about the towers. Others are receptive, but question the design. The harshest critics see it as reckless spending by Cook and the City Council.

Iconic, historic, modern

Planned for the corner of U.S. 31 and State Road 32, the towers are designed to pay homage to the town's history in a modern way.

Designed by architects at the Indianapolis firm RQAW, the idea came from a city planning group known as the Grand Junction Task Force. The goal: create something unique to catch the eye of drivers as they barrel south on U.S. 31 toward Indianapolis.

But the towers represent more than an elaborate highway billboard. Supporters envision them as Westfield's version of iconic art structures around the country, like St. Louis' Gateway Arch, Seattle's Space Needle or the Washington Monument — albeit nowhere near their scale.

"This project will be impressive, memorable and will place Westfield on the map," said Joe Plankis, a resident who at first opposed the towers but said he now was convinced of their value.

They arise from a traditional base, made of brick, concrete and limestone masonry. At the top, metal cylinders lit with LEDs blossom from the structure like torch flames, meant to represent the lantern in the window that signified a safehouse in the Underground Railroad. The remote-controlled lights will come in an array of colors that can be tailored to certain events — say, blue for an Indianapolis Colts playoff game, or red and green for Christmas.

The design aims for a mix between old and new, at a time when Westfield itself is in transition. But some residents argue that it's too modern, and too futuristic. Indeed, to passersby the towers are more likely to invoke Tolkien or science fiction than a rustic lantern from the 1800s.

"I'd like something at a smaller scale that brings out more of a history instead of a modern look that might be out of date in 30 years," said Westfield resident Brian Morales.

Spend or save?

The concern over the towers' cost reflects a broader debate over how the city should spend $44 million from the sale of its water and wastewater utility in March.

Of that, the council has set aside $25 million for infrastructure projects, to be spent over the next few years. Cook says when $6 million in federal grant money is added back in, the city will have about $25 million left to spend.

"We are paving streets; we are putting in the roundabouts. We can afford it — that's the point," Council President Jim Ake said in defense of the towers. "What we have here is a wonderful product, but we need to make the world aware of what we have."

Cook said saving the money could be fiscally prudent, but the city already has more than $7 million in its reserves. He likens public projects to investing in the city's future property tax growth.

"We want to keep a healthy savings account, which we have," Cook said. "We oddly have these funds that we need to re-invest, but we need to re-invest them in smart things — things that we know will give us a return on our investment."

Because it's one-time money, Cook prefers to spend it on one-time projects, instead of recurring expenses like police and fire employees who will need to be paid long after the money runs out.

Of the remaining $25 million, $2.5 million has been promised for a new high school stadium. The towers, with bids ranging from $2.4 million to $3.1 million, would leave the city close to $20 million to work with.

Detractors question whether it's a responsible purchase so soon after the city took on $60 million in debt to build the Grand Park sports complex and renovate the city's downtown.

"Westfield will continue to grow with or without these towers," Morales said. "It's great that Westfield has the money, but that doesn't mean you have to spend it."

This fiscal conservatism goes hand-in-hand with Quaker values.

At the hearing, JoAnn Edwards, a Quaker and 53-year Westfield resident, read aloud from a book that she said captures the essence of Westfield culture.

"'(Westfield) has never been a place where the alleged political policy of dollar before the man or commercialism before the soul has been the paramount issue,'" Edwards read.

She added: "We do carry a — not a concern — but a hope that the founding fathers of this community would be respected as we go forward in what we're doing."

For now, city leaders will hold off the vote while they try to make their case. Although the Indiana Department of Transportation is putting in foundations for the towers as part of U.S. 31 construction, Cook said the council could still back out and find another use for the platforms.

He couldn't give a firm timeline on when a vote might occur.

"We'll just see how public opinion goes," Cook said. "I don't want to go off and do something that the public doesn't — for the most part — support."

Call Star reporter Brian Eason at (317) 444-6129. Follow him on Twitter: @brianeason.