By LOIS THOMSON

The proposed mural for the side of the Ben Avon fire building may be squelched before it gets off the ground.

At the April meeting, Robin Siddoway, along with Kim Wynnyckyj, approached council with the idea of having a mural approximately 10 feet high and 20 feet wide painted on the side of the building facing Dalzell Avenue. They said the cost would be approximately $1,800.

At Tuesday's meeting, Siddoway told council that aside from getting sample images to put on a petition for people to sign, nothing else had been done, i.e., fund-raising. She added that the group proposing the mural would like to get residents together to discuss what they would like the mural to represent about Ben Avon.

However, council member Judy Konitsney, who had been absent from last month's meeting when the subject was brought up, asked if a vote should be taken as to whether to continue. She said she would flat out vote no to a proposal of having a mural painted on a government building. Rob Galbraith agreed, saying it would be difficult to please everyone as far as the composition of the mural, and that "it has the potential to be a lightning rod."

R.J. White added that as many as a couple of dozen residents have approached him, saying they are opposed to the idea. He also said that he has seen some murals in other communities that look nice, but he equated them with neighborhoods that need revitalization, which Ben Avon did not, he said.

Council member Sue Weiss, however, said she was not opposed, and that she supports the arts.

Konitsney reminded everyone that if council decided to go ahead with the mural, bricks on the building need to be repointed, and also that the mural would need to be maintained.

"Who pays for that?" she asked.

Siddoway said the paint is guaranteed for 25 years. She then asked if they should not go forward with the plan.

Weiss made a motion to proceed with pursuing community approval for the mural, but nobody seconded the motion. Galbraith finally made the second so council could vote, but the motion failed in a tie vote, with council president Lloyd Corder, Michael Bett, and Weiss voting in favor, and Galbraith, Konitsney and White voting against. Brian Tokar and Mayor Robert Jones were absent.
Siddoway asked if another vote could be taken in the future and council said yes, that because the motion had not actually been voted down, it could be brought up again. Bett told her to encourage residents to let council know how they feel about the mural.