My 1937 house - and why they want it down

[Fletch]

The City of Ames, Iowa, where I grew up, wants our 1937 International Style house, which my family has owned for 36 years, and 7 other houses nearby torn down to put in a left turn lane at a busy corner.

I won't get into great detail now (that's what's been making me put off posting this), but the spearheads behind the plan are local real estate powers, anxious to keep development going in Ames and a little ashamed of some of the older, more walkable areas of town, a city manager who has been converted, and a precocious 24 year old traffic manager apparently anxious to pad his resum?©.

The letters to the local paper have been running about 10 to 1 denouncing the project, but the city council is nowhere near a re-vote on the issue.

My family and I have met with two architecture professors from Iowa State University and the local historical society, all of whom think that there is a good chance the house meets historic landmark standards. It was designed and built by an engineer with US Gypsum, and was apparently the first house in town ever to use wallboard. If Ames needs federal money for the street work, they must prove that the house is not historically valuable in any of several ways.

The man who built the house was sick with TB at the time and hoped to retire there with his family. He lived there only about two months and died, not yet 40, in 1938. This was his dream home, and about all that is left for anyone to know he was ever there.

The other 7 houses in the area date mostly to the 1920s and early 30s and are more typical in design, but what all have in common is that they are homes in a proud, old-growth, family-oriented neighborhood that is getting the stinkeye from the local power brokers, probably because it makes the 3500 sq ft crackerbox mcmansions they're putting up in bean fields look a little bit sad.

http://www.city.ames.ia.us/ for more on the street project.

I'm going back next month and see what more can be done.

 

[ohairas]

These issues sicken me to no end. A few years ago I watched a darling old home dozed caddy corner to me, so that the bank could build a parking lot.. (you know the song...)
Well, they've yet to even put the lot in! :rage:
Another home was dozed in my home town and they didn't even let anyone in to salvage out any fixtures, trims, ect. The house had a great library and other beautiful features.

I wish you all the best and hope you win. If worse comes to worse, I hope they at least MOVE the homes. The town I live in currently has moved a few when they widened our main road from 2 to 5 lanes.

The house is awesome and I enjoyed reading about it. Would like to see more pics! That's something about the wallboard...

mcmansions

ROFLMAO!! UGh... I hate those trophy homes!

Nikki

 

[panamag8or]

To the Editor


I live near the 13th Street and Grand Avenue intersection and travel through or around it multiple times a day. It is a disaster and has been for years.

Both my wife and I have had to sit through three cycles of the lights on several occasions. Eighty seconds is one thing, but at more than five minutes, I lose my patience. To avoid this, I take shortcuts. Depending on the direction, I avoid the hell that is 13th and Grand by going on Wilson, Harding, Murray Drive, Northwestern or any other street. I can tell you that during the busy times, I almost always save several minutes by doing this.

In the next few years, the city will be adding a pool and a mall that will significantly increase traffic at this disastrous intersection. Now I ask you how many traffic cycles do you want citizens to sit through - four, six, 10 - before action is taken.

This being said, I think the city would need to displace only a couple families, at most, if they would show some flexibility for once and allow those that choose to have the street much closer to their front doors. Only a few blocks away at Sixth Street on Grand, some houses are only 5 to 10 feet from Grand.

Well, it's time to go home. That means I have to go through that stinky intersection.

Scott Nichols

So, in order to get to the Wal-Mart 3 minutes faster, this guy would displace families. Why not just use the shortcuts, and leave the homes alone? People like that really chap my a$$.

 

[Starius]

I'm really sorry to see this. I went to college in Ames. Its a really nice town and most changes I've seen over recent years have been for the better... but this certainly is not one of them. There usually is a strong movement to preserve historical buildings there, I hope that effort prevails here too.

 

[Diamondback]

So, we're talking about uprooting people just so some sniveling little yuppie-scum can shave three lousy minutes off his drive? GRRRR!!! People like this really rip my skivvies...:rage:

"Fire-mission" time, people, as we say on the gunboards. Ames, IA is guaranteed no tourist dollars from me, ever, if they do this. If we have everyone we know bombard them with disapproving message-traffic, and contact the relevant office to try to get this house on the National Register, then it's a Federal felony if they try to demo it!

Gimme a few days, and I'll see if I can draft a sample letter and post it.

Folks, my apologies for the attitude, but people like the scuzzballs behind this really hack me off.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

When my mom, born late 1930, saw this picture of this house she said "That's a house I like, that's one of 'my' houses." I agree. Is there something we can do? Write a letter, sign a petition? Please let me know. I knew you grew up in Ames, Fletch, but I had no idea you grew up in a house as cool as this. When a tanker filled with gas blew up on a busy street here a few years ago it damaged houses. One of the ones decided to be saved was a 1930s house. Saving houses has been done, there is hope.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Even if the street had more lanes, eventually the traffic would build up because more and more drivers would start using it. There's no sense in expanding the street. I hope your home and the other homes stay put. Widening the street won't make any difference and would mean losing a friendly neighborhood and neighbors.

 

[Air Boss]

Progress???

This seems to be happening more and more - all in the name of progress. We always have chioces in life and you can chose to complain about the drive or you can enjoy it. The destination will be there so why not relax a bit? Put in a CD (music or book), or chat with your family if they are in the car.

You would think that city councils would be looking for ways to wean us off the automobile, like walkable parts of town, rather than making another turn lane.

 

[Atomic Glee]

Even if the street had more lanes, eventually the traffic would build up because more and more drivers would start using it. There's no sense in expanding the street.

Exactly. Expanding roads rarely makes any sense, because of "induced traffic." People see the bigger road, decide to use it, and it winds up even worse than before the expansion. Not to mention that bigger roads just encourages more auto-centric development, making traffic even worse.

One of my favorite quotes about this "induced traffic" phenomenon goes something like this:

"Widening roads to control traffic is like loosening your belt to control weight."

 

[LizzieMaine]

Just about everything that makes me want to completely turn my back on today's culture can be boiled down to the image of a whiny Type-A guy in a custom-edition Passat fussing and fuming and stamping his kiltie-loafered foot because he's *inconvenienced*. The world would be much better off if the parents of guys like that would have taught them that NO, YOU AREN'T THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, but I guess that's too much to ask.

Good luck, Fletch. You are fighting the good fight.

 

[Smithy]

This is exactly the kind of thing that gets my blood up as well.

All the best Fletch, hope this nonsense can get turned around.

 

[ohairas]

The world would be much better off if the parents of guys like that would have taught them that NO, YOU AREN'T THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Good luck, Fletch. You are fighting the good fight.

:eusa_clap
Nikki

 

[akaBruno]

Up here in Sioux City, if they want your property and you won't sell... they condemn it and take it at what they consider fair market value.

If the house is of true Historic value you may look into moving it to another location. It would be sad to see it torn down.

Bruno

 

[Nashoba]

I'm with you on this one fletch, if there's anything I can do (from TN ) let me know.
My husband and I moved to the small town we live in for that reason. It's a small town. Progress is hitting us hard too and while most of what they're building over are old farmlands, we're seeing the open space and rural feel of the town slowly dissapear. 2 years ago when we moved here there were 2 grocery stores on one side of town and one on the other and a small family owned hardware store with a mish mash of other stores. Today we have a Lowes AND a Home Depot, the family hardware store has closed and they're building two more grocery stores as well as a Super Target, a JC Penny 3 restaurants and a bunch of outparcels in what will eventually become a shopping strip mall bigger than the one 15 miles north of us knows as Cool Springs. While I'm torn on having to drive half an hour to town in either direction for things and being able to go a short distance, it's breaking my heart to watch all the open fields dissapear.
It's been said already and I'll say it again. You're fighting the good fight. I hope you win.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Fletch, it's an all to common sight these days to rid the old and beautiful and replace with the new, ugly and cookie cutter. Or for "progress" I hope you win this one and I have everything crossed for you. There was a beautiful turn of the century home in the street where I grew up in Sydney and recently it was torn down and replaced by a Mc Mansion. Why did the people buy such a house just to tear it down [huh]

 

[LocktownDog]

Its all the damnable pencil-pushers who view nothing but blueprints and nonsensical paperwork and never seem to take into account how their insane decisions actually affect real living people!

Richard

 

[CherryRed]

Just about everything that makes me want to completely turn my back on today's culture can be boiled down to the image of a whiny Type-A guy in a custom-edition Passat fussing and fuming and stamping his kiltie-loafered foot because he's *inconvenienced*. The world would be much better off if the parents of guys like that would have taught them that NO, YOU AREN'T THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, but I guess that's too much to ask.

Good luck, Fletch. You are fighting the good fight.

Well said Lizzie! I second that.

 

[carter]

Fletch,
Having spent nine years of my youth in a house built by my dad only to have it disappear under what is now Interstate Hwy 81 in the Shenandoah Valley of VA, I can totally identify with the residents of your fair neighborhood.
Having read the editorials and articles in the newspaper, it appears that there is a more conservative approach to be taken on this issue. Have you proceeded any further on the Hostoric Landmark front?
When I read that a Super-Walmart is coming, I wondered how much of this pressure is generated from that quarter. These folks have deep pockets and it takes a very united community to resist them. However, you can win. It happened just a couple of years ago in Dallas when Highland Park and University Park, two bedroom communities surrounded by Dallas, successfully derailed a Walmart in their area. This was coupled with a years-long resistance to widening Mockingbird Avenue. There is heavy traffic on Mockingbird and it is a pain to wait sometimes but at least the architecture and scenery are nice.
So many fine old homes are being torn down for the French-Country look in new construction and faster access in Dallas. Frankly, we all need to slow down and become less acquisitive.
Also, is there an election any time soon? If so, put your votes to work. Maybe it's time for a change at City Hall!

 

[Tango Yankee]

Fletch,
Also, is there an election any time soon? If so, put your votes to work. Maybe it's time for a change at City Hall!

In Portsmouth, the county seat of the county I live in here in Ohio, they seem to have recall elections on a regular basis. They've recalled a couple of mayors as well as a number of city council members. I've been told that one mayor was recalled because he offered tax incentives to companies to move here.

Good luck to you, Fletch! A recall likely isn't viable in your situation, but hopefully public opinion will be.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Benny Holiday]

It's the same disgusting story everywhere. Here in Sydney, the developers are trying (and succeeding) to tear down every house that's built on a proper building block (550-700 square metres or more) so they can build 6 tiny townhouses to replace it. Worst case I've seen recently was a row of Federation houses built at the turn of the century being fenced off for demolition on the Cumberland Highway at Northmead. Fifty metres down the road are a bunch of flats under construction where several historic homes have already met their fate. It's a disgrace.

I wish you all the best in your fight against these parasites Fletch. I'll be following your progress with great interest. We're all on your side here!