The Fountain of Light sculpture is back. I think this is a very attractive and beautiful sculpture in the format of the approximately 10-foot-tall model shown in the Sept. 25 issue of The Times. It would look quite attractive on our fair Avenue in front of Town Hall.
And I agree with Carol Caroll that the sculpture (although on a smaller scale) would further establish the town’s identity with our signature fountain. But 50 feet, or five stories? An entire story taller than Park Place? That is a massive structure that requires serious engineering, coordination and planning, and a significant, deep foundation to withstand the very heavy wind loading of our monsoons.
And such a huge, lighted, colorful and artistic likeness of our fountain would absolutely rob the centerpiece of our town of its importance and allure. Like Joe Bill, I also applaud those trying to do great things for our town. But we don't need a second fountain. I am glad the artist is willing to scale down. A 12-foot-tall sculpture would look beautiful in our grassy median at Town Hall and 20 feet would be more than generous. Any more than that, I feel would rob our town’s fountain. The shorter height may dispense with potential violations of Dark Sky Community standards as well.
Let’s not try and ramrod this through for the town’s 50th anniversary. There is no rush. Haste makes waste. And let’s not spend hundreds of thousands in the meantime trying to accommodate this sculpture. As many have pointed out, we are on a tight budget.
