In reviewing the development proposals the Council is poised to approve, I would like to register tepid support for the Fifth and Washington project and strong opposition to the Fifth and Water Street project.

I don't understand why out-of-town architects seem so wedded to the use of masses of blond or mud-brown brick facades in a town so clearly red-brick at its core. (Yes, there are unfortunate exceptions that stick out in the historic district, but can't we learn from those misguided buildings?) At Fifth and Washington this is slightly less objectionable since it is not in the historic core and will be somewhat related to the 5th Street Lofts.

The Fifth and Water proposal, like the Archer House site, sits at the gateway to the historic district. There should be a VERY high bar for a design that references and compliments the existing aesthetic. The preliminary drawings presented in this proposal would be a garish mass at a key entry point to the city. Not an acceptable design.