Council approves request to paint planter boxes on square

The Red Oak Arts Destination group is looking to make some visual improvements to the downtown square.
At the Red Oak City Council meeting on May 2, Phillip Lamb spoke before the council, and said he and other members of the group wished to paint the bare concrete planter boxes on the corners of the square.
“The group is made up of citizens of Red Oak who are interested in public art for Red Oak which will also help with tourism for Red Oak,” commented Lamb.
Lamb added Red Oak and art have gone hand-in-hand from the beginning, as the community was the known birthplace of the art calendar, which started in the late 1800s in downtown Red Oak.
We believe continuing with artistic expression throughout town will honor our heritage, as well as being a pleasant experience for our residents and visitors,” said Lamb. “In other areas where similar types of planter boxes were painted, a year afterwards, traffic had slowed down, and made the area safer for pedestrians and locals. That’s not something we knew when we started this, it was just something we found out.”
According to Lamb, in preparation for large mural installations in Red Oak, the group has researched paint projects for long lasting murals, and could also be applied to the painting project on the concrete planters.
“We have murals in Red Oak that are more than a decade old, and you can’t even tell they are anywhere close to that age. With the technology that is changing paints, that should go on and on,” explained Lamb.
The planter boxes would first be painted with a concrete primer, and the proper appropriate paints for exterior painting. Only the outside perimeter of the planters would be done. Also, no money was being requested.
“We are not asking for funding from the City of Red Oak. We would take full responsibility of the paint and of the upkeep on that portion of the planter,” advised Lamb.
Lamb also told the council that multiple building owners and business owners were asked for their opinions on the painting, and all of those asked voiced their approval of doing the painting work.
Councilperson Jeanice Lester thought the project was a good one, but hoped that the group meant what they said.
“I have that little nag, where I hope you do what you say you’ll do and maintain them, because five or 10 years down the road, if someone doesn’t take responsibility for them, you know what’s going to happen. I’m hoping that, truly, you guys and gals will take care of them,” commented Lester.
Lamb assured Lester that there would be no problem maintaining the boxes.
Councilperson Brian Bills asked  if there would be some local approval for what was painted on the boxes. Lmb assured Bills that the art would be done by local artists.
“It will come to the ROAD group, and we’re the ones that would approve. Nothing will be painted on the boxes that is not politically correct. All the planters will have a slightly different design, but all of it will be appropriate for Red Oak, We’re not doing anything wild, we’re not doing anything like old advertising, we’re just keeping things simple,” Lamb stated.
Bills asked if the designs would be permanent. Bills said it could be changed if necessary.
“If we start having a fading issue 15 years or so down the road, we can simply paint white over it and paint over it again. It takes time to do it, but it can be done,” Lamb said.
Bills said he had been to several seminars that focused on public art and murals, and did agree that public art and murals were a known draw to the community.
City administrator Brad Wright asked if the benches adjacent to the planters would need to be moved. Lamb said he didn’t anticipate a need to move the benches, and the paint behind them would be a simpler design due to the fact that the planter would be obscured by the benches.
David McFarland, President of the Historic Commission, said the city had entered into a grant agreement to revitalize the town as a historic place, and asked whether the painting went against that vision.
“There’s some question on who’s the authority to approve this, and I think typically, in most communities, the Historic Commission approves or disapproves this type of thing. I also question whether the planters can hold the paint. I think it will become a serious maintenance issue,” McFarland commented.
Lamb reiterated the ROAD group would take care of maintenance and repainting. Also, Lamb felt the planters, and the surrounding bricks, were not historically designed, and therefore were not historic to the Red Oak downtown.
Bills and other members of the council were in agreement, that the planters were separate from other historical landmarks in the downtown.
“I appreciate Dave McFarland’s point, but if we stuck with everything historic we’d be parking horses and buggies down there,” stated Bills.
The council unanimously approved allowing the ROAD group to paint the boxes.