The Clarkdale Historic Preservation Commission held a meeting on June 6 to further discuss the proposed reconstruction of the town bandstand.
Clarkdale Mayor Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer attended and commented on her decision at the Town Council meeting on May 9. She mentioned that the bandstand needed updated lighting and electrical work, which were not included in the restoration bid. The restoration bid also did not include bringing the building up to code as a public facility, which it is. Had the town accepted the restoration bid, the gazebo could have been restored, but also could have no longer been used by the public.
“These findings confirm for me that my decision was appropriate,” Prud’hommeBauer said.
Addressing the question of why the council did not apply for a grant to cover the added costs, Prud’hommeBauer pointed out that there is never a guarantee that a grant application would be funded. She said that the town has always applied for grants, including for over $12 million in grants for projects this year alone. One of these was for a grant to replace the windows in the clubhouse, which was rejected.
“It’s definitely Clarkdale’s icon,” Prud’homme-Bauer said of the bandstand. “It’s a representation of who we are, a safe and comforting place we gather.” She also sees it as representing the future of the town’s vibrant economy.
Prud’homme-Bauer added that she was sad about how the reconstruction has become a divisive issue in the community.
“We have always been a community that can talk about issues openly and honestly,” Prud’hommeBauer said. “We need to honor community, each other and council. We need to heal the rift in our community around the gazebo … Please respect the decision of our Town Council and work together on our gazebo. I love Clarkdale.”
Community Development Director Ruth Mayday began her update on the bandstand by reminding the audience of the paradox of the Ship of Theseus. In this philosophical dilemma, a wooden ship has its planks replaced over time as they wear out. Once all the boards have been replaced, the question arises as to whether the ship is still the same ship or another ship entirely.
As the majority of the original materials in the bandstand have previously been replaced, Mayday pointed out, the question of its true historical integrity is already up for debate. It was originally built in 1915, moved in 1916, rebuilt in 1919, repaired in 1937, significantly rehabilitated in 2004 and repaired again in 2011. The same philosophical debate occurred at the time of the 2004 restoration.
National Park Service criteria for evaluating the integrity of a property for registration state that it “must retain the key exterior materials dating from the period of its historic significance. If the property has been rehabilitated, the historic materials and significant features must have been preserved.”
Mayday reviewed the information on the bandstand’s condition presented at the last Town Council meeting, with the addition of recent findings, including the discovery of extensive fire damage to the floor joists not seen by the commissioned engineers or town staff. Of the 12 floor joists, eight will need to be removed, with five of those having sustained heavy fire damage at some point.
The structural engineering report done by Frost Structural Engineering states that their given recommendations “are to bring the gazebo back to its original state and not necessarily to bring it into full compliance with current codes.” While the structure could technically be restored in accordance with this recommendation, such a restoration would not make it compliant with current building codes and thereby would render it unsafe for public use.
Otwell Associates Architects also examined the structure in 2022 and stated that they found it suitable for repair or restoration.
“The town is my client so I really can’t comment on whatever they are planning to do,” said William Otwell of Otwell Associates. “I haven’t seen the building in over a year … I’d imagine it’s in the same shape it was a year ago, but I really don’t know.”
Mayday said that the current bandstand’s undamaged rafters, copper ball finial, two front posts, four floor joists, center beam and corbels can be preserved and reused in the replacement structure.
On May 31, the town issued the contractor a notice to proceed. Construction is expected to begin at the end of July or early in August.
Matthew Guebard, vice chairman of the commission, asked why this information was not provided to the commission before the decision was made and observed that the process and flow of information between the town, council and commission could be improved to make better informed decisions.
Mayday replied that no one on staff had any idea that the gazebo had caught fire until about two weeks ago. She had checked with the police and fire department and found no records of any fire occurring.
Commissioner Michael Lindner said he believed that there was a deliberate attempt to keep this information from coming out.
“I am very much losing trust in this process,” Lindner said.
Commissioner Dan Biggins asked why the council didn’t consult the commission before making its decision.
Jim McPherson, president of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Preservation Foundation, has sent a letter to the town to request that the council reconsider its decision to reconstruct the bandstand.
The final item on the HPC’s agenda was the presentation of a pre final draft of the Historic Preservation Ordinance by Jon Froke. The purpose of the ordinance is to support the preservation of buildings, structures and sites identified in the Historic Resource Survey of Clarkdale and the National Register of Historic Places designation.
