A hot topic at a recent city council meeting has involved an area of Ames consisting of various historical homes.

Originally, the land was zoned for single families only, but the zone area was later changed allowing owners to provide space for more families per house.

The Ames City Council has debated whether the homes should continue to be divided among families or kept intact, thus preserving the historical value of the neighborhood.

Ames consists of landlords who continually seek new ways to house college students and renovating these homes may be a cheap alternative to building new apartment complexes.

However, Ames is not a static town and expansion through the construction of new apartment buildings should be explored before ruining a historical district.

The city should give students and families a place to live somewhere in town while leaving the historical district intact.