An initiative to beautify Campustown has recently been made by the Campustown Student Association, a newly established organization on campus committed to improving this high-traffic area.

Plans to initiate projects to improve Campustown have been brought up within the Government of the Student Body prior to this semester. 2007-2008 GSB president Brian Phillips and vice president Ian Guffy, senior in computer science, stated in a previous Daily article that cleaning up Campustown would be a high priority within senate for that term.

However, Nancy Carroll, parks and recreations director, said she was not aware of any prior interaction between GSB and Ames City Council to initiate Campustown improvement projects.

This year, with the newly developed Campustown Student Association, initiatives to beautify Campustown are likely to be made. The association is comprised of about 20 students, mostly residents of the area. At a meeting on Thursday night held at Stomping Grounds on Welch Avenue, members discussed prospective project ideas to improve the aesthetic quality of Campustown.

Projects the organization are working on include Campustown district flags on Welch Avenue and installing flower baskets on the light posts. The organization has held discussions about the addition of art into Campustown, possibly in the form of a mural designed by an ISU student.

The organization plans to take these project ideas to GSB to request funds. They are also seeking help from Ames City Council to fund parts of the project, specifically the hanging baskets.

At a Student Affairs Commission meeting held on Thursday evening, Campustown senators Lauren Suerth, senior in community and regional planning, and Chandra Peterson, sophomore in political science, presented an additional Campustown improvement endeavor to the commission, which included members of Ames City Council.

Suerth and Peterson composed a working proposal for an Ames Adopt a Street program. This program requires one student organization per month, to “clean up the University impacted area” of Campustown — which includes non-commercial business streets spanning from Lincoln Way to Knapp Street, according to the proposal.

The association plans to seek funds for this program through Ames City Council. The final cost of this project has not yet been determined, but will include expenses for materials such as garbage bags, gloves, safety vests and signs to promote the Adopt a Street program. The association deemed organizations such as Circle K and fraternities and sororities as potential organizations interested in the Adopt a Street program.

In response to the amount of trash accumulated in Campustown, specifically litter from cigarettes outside of bars, CSA researched the possibility of purchasing ashtrays to be placed outside of businesses. Suerth and Peterson said they researched this possibility and found that despite what they had previously believed, businesses are allowed to place ashtrays outside of their establishments. The association also wants to discuss the possibility of businesses cleaning up the outdoor portions of their properties after the weekend.

“Businesses should be responsible for their section,” Suerth said. “They’ve been removing the snow but they should also be accountable for trash.”

City Council will be involved with further developments on the program in addition to the construction of a new Campustown Court.

Carroll said the construction of a new courtyard area located on the corner of Welch and Chamberlain is “a done deal — it’s been approved.” City Council recently approved this project and will seek funds from GSB as well as the university. Ames City Council will also fund part of this project.

“They’re going to renovate everything,” Carroll said of the new Campustown court. Carroll said limestone retaining walls will be constructed and instead of wood tables, there will be “several limestone blocks to sit on grouped together.” There will be a post in the center of the area with a canopy attached. Flowers will be added to the area as well. The project is projected to cost a total of $68,000.

Carroll said she believes this is a worthwhile project for the city, GSB and Iowa State University to fund together.

“A lot of people come by, Welch Avenue is a busy area with people being in Campustown and using the bus system,” Carroll said.

Proposed Campustown improvements

Beautification

— Replacing Campustown district flags

— Hanging flower baskets from street lights

— Adopt a Street program

— Mural in the Campustown area

Parking

— Making Welch Avenue a one-way street to increase parking space