Proposed design standards for the possible site of a new Ames mall were met with both support and concern in their first public presentation.

The steering committee charged with creating design standards for construction at Interstate 35 and 13th Street — where a new mall could be built — presented its preliminary plans to the community Monday night.

Committee members Jim Cooper, Jim Gregory and Jeffrey Johnson led the presentation for the Gateway Overlay District. It was the first time that the public was able to give comments or ask questions since eight design focus groups began meeting in early June.

The recommendations are available online at the Ames City Government Web site,

www.cityofames.org, and include priority votes from the committee members.

“With voting, most people tend to think of winners or losers, but it was really an effort to decide the preferences of members within the community,” said Matthew Flynn, director of Planning and Housing.

After the presentation, community members voiced concern over redundancies in the design standards and several audience members expressed concern about how the Ames City Council will interpret the ideas.

“[Redundancies exist because of] time constraints. When we found ourselves there, we didn’t have time to go back and make changes,” Cooper said. “There are some implied priorities here that we’ll just have to make sure stay stressed.”

Other audience members criticized the Ames City Council, arguing that the committee should have been given six months instead of two to complete the recommendations. A repeated concern was that repeated information left some shared interests with many design standards to prioritize.

“If the design standard was not supported, it wouldn’t be there in the first place,” Cooper said. “[Ames city staff] were present for all discussions and meetings so we hope they can find a way through it. All design standards will be carried over to the City Council, so none will be eliminated.”

Audience members repeatedly thanked the committee for its work and the quality of the recommendations. Jean Goodwin, assistant professor of English at Iowa State, commended the committee for including a public space for free speech in the recommendations.

The recommendations will be presented to the Ames City Council 6 p.m. Sept. 14 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. The steering committee will meet again in late September or early October to discuss the public’s input.