After a flood of Burien residents attended the May 21 Burien City Council meeting to say they did not care for the proposed Town Square tilted sculpture, some Burien City Council members surprised everyone. They made reference to the fact they do not personally know art and they, in essence, trust the judgment of the Burien Arts Commission.

The public was reminded of the lengthy process Burien Arts Commission members went through to be appointed to their seats. It was commendable to hear Burien City Council members say they are not going to vote against the art piece just because they do not personally like it.

In summary, they seemed determined to not allow their lack of artistic knowledge or personal preference sway their vote. Still, there was somewhat of a missing factor at the meeting.

Discussion ranged from how it looks to what it supposedly represents to safety issues. There is another factor as well. How does it feel? I am not an authority on art either, but my common sense factor (if not my intuition) tells me when something feels wrong, is hideous, or is just plain out of sorts.

We can follow the old adage: if something doesn't feel right, it probably is not right! If a pleasant afternoon in the Town Square amid the art sculpture makes a family feel it is visiting an industrial area, we don't have quite the right feel.

Does it encourage pride in our city? Will parents enjoy sitting by it or will they be more concerned that their children not hurt themselves? Being "family-friendly" is important. When people are already saying, "Meet you at the town screw," my common sense has to ponder what would motivate people to set our beautiful city up for such ridicule.

It is a great concept to design this art from history. Realistically though, how many visitors to Town Square and special events and ones who spend their money in our local businesses will be history buffs? Are they going to look at the public artwork and know it symbolically represents Gunther's Observation Tower that was built in the Gregory Heights neighborhood in the 1930s?

I may not be an expert in art, but having invested years in this community I should know by now what makes our community glow and its residents feel comfortable and proud. If the recommendation the Burien Arts Commission made is not the proper one, something should be done to remedy the situation. The fact this many people are showing up at Burien City Hall and sending tidal waves of e-mails is a big red flag.

Councilmember Gordon Shaw commented that he could not believe the emotion associated with this. I can. It is the love people have for their city. They nurture Burien and want it to be nice for generations to come. This love can even transcend to a piece of art that will grace downtown. Isn't this wonderful that so many people care?

Perhaps our City Council needs to respectfully be reminded that if action is taken based upon what is best for Burien, this will be an easy vote. Common sense is a wonderful thing!

The citizens of Burien are saying loud and clear that they are rejecting the Burien Arts Commission's recommendation. It is not that citizens do not appreciate the hard work that has gone into this, or the artist's talent and skill. It does not mean the Burien Arts Commission did not do its job, or the artist, Dan Corson, did a bad job. It is just common sense. It just means the final product is not a "good fit" for Burien.

Joy Henley

Burien