WIUM Local
(2008-09-12)
Design standards could be established for Keokuk's downtown district.
Joyce Glasscock with Main Street Keokuk says the idea is not to require that every building look like the buildings surrounding it.
Instead, she says design standards would create a consistent appearance for the downtown and preserve the base of the community.
Glasscock says the guidelines could also encourage investment because a developer would know how the downtown would look in the future.
Glasscock says a small group of volunteers has spent months reviewing design standards from across the country.
She says a recommendation could be presented to the city by the end of next month.
Meanwhile, the Keokuk City Council has agreed to allow a business owner to move forward with a downtown construction project that does not appear to meet city code.
Larry Roberts received a special privilege from the city for the outdoor beer garden he is building in the 1100 block of Main Street.
The designation was needed because the roof, which is already in place, is not flush with the neighboring buildings.
Several council members did not want to punish Roberts for a construction mistake while others worried about the precedence being set by the move.
If the special privilege had not been granted, the city could have forced Roberts to trim a foot off the edge of the roof or tear it down and start over. © Copyright 2009, wium
