'Flowerclock' Proposed For City's Entrance

Fairhope, Al.

The Committee on Public Art (click) has proposed installing a 30 ' diameter 'flowerclock' in city right of way on the grassy incline at the SE corner of the intersection of N. Section St. and HWY 104 (adjacent to the St. James Episcopal Church).

The Committee proposes to donate $17,750 in private funds to the project; and the city would do the installation and continuing maintenance. The city's estimated start-up costs were about $33,000-- and then $14,000 per year thereafter.

Local artists are to participate in the design, which may, or may not,  be similar to the one exampled in the picture (above-right) provided by the Committee. The design would change yearly -- or at sooner intervals -- and consist of flowers, bushes and other vegetation.

Mayor Kant said he has been contemplating the project for "over 15 years" -- and people have been bringing him pictures of such clocks from "all over the world."

Kant: "We never got around to doing it ... think it would be something attractive coming in as the entrance to the community... ."

Councilmember Burrell: "... these are destinations ... on their own ... people come just to see the clock."

Kant: "Its a major tourist attraction in most communities ... another lure to bring people to town."

The matter was to be placed on the agenda for the next council meeting; funding to come out of  Public Works budget (2013, 2014)






Comments

Anonymous said…
Michael Jackson had one of these at Neverland Ranch. He also had a chimp named Bubbles.
Anonymous said…
Just one opinion, flowers yes, clock,no. Too much of a theme.
Anonymous said…
Do we really need to have another "flower bed" to maintain. I love flowers and have many myself,but the expense to take care of this proposed project is ridiculous. I am sure there are other things in the city that needs attention.
Anonymous said…
Please tell me this is a joke...
Anonymous said…
You know you are a redneck if.....
Anonymous said…
Kant afford a sewer plant but proposing this? Biggest fear it isn't a joke
Anonymous said…
A clock!? What is this, 1955? We needed public clocks back then. Now it would seem an anachronistic oddity. By the way, that intersection does not need the distraction a flowerbed clock would bring. What that intersection DOES need is a roundabout.
Anonymous said…
we need a sidewalk on 104 up there.
Anonymous said…
they proposed a round about 6 or so years ago...just the money the city spent on the plans (Volkert) was over $75,000. Had everything except dancing elephants....another unbeleivable waste of taxpayer dollars.
Anonymous said…
A sign of the times. Kant and Fidler are living in the 1950's follow the money....check who they buy their stuff from. They have a flowee consultant...joke.
Anonymous said…
No, here's how this works...if Sherry Sullivan wants a flower clock, the citizens of this town will pay for and get a flower clock.
Anonymous said…
It will run backwards after it is built....like everything else in Flowwwwwwwer towmn. But as long as the flowers are "pretty" we can spend all of the reserves set aside by te previous Council. Lone live the King.
Anonymous said…
That intersection is dangerous enough. I have never heard something so absurd....You have a toddler park in the middle of the fruit and nut section that has playground equipment that is unsafe from the 70's, need a new sewage plant, everything drains into the Bay because noone wants to pay to fix it and the Mayor thinks that we need something stupid as a flower clock so far out of town that noone cares......Looks like something is WRONG!