Ames Chamber of Commerce

Apr 27th, 2023

Lovely facility and helpful staff!
Oct 5th, 2022

Sep 25th, 2022

Lovely establishment
Jun 3rd, 2022

Just received another unsolicited copy of pat-ourselves-on-the-back Ames chamber "news." Addressed to "resident." I don't live in Ames, never will, it is like they are stuck in the 1950's as this mailer demonstrates - total lack of concern for resources or what people want - it is more what the businesses they represent, and the city they advise via the AEDC, want you to have. I have asked to be removed from the mailings before. Just stopped and started down franchise boulevard (South Duff) - a successful example of infrastructure heavy sprawl - such bad commercial/residential planning they had to extend Grand at the cost of $18M to mitigate it for a couple years. Very profitable for businesses, very expensive for residents. There is no significant commercial/residential along this extension to generate tax revenue to support it - it is totally subsidized/funded by residents and businesses in well-planned denser areas. Sprawl and poor health is very profitable - people want walk-able cities/COMMUNITIES and good healthy food - so many health harmful "restaurants" in this town to support caveman diets and keep the clinics busy. When business want to come to town they give them obscene amounts of subsidies that the existing older businesses don't need? If they are coming here to make money to siphon off local capital to companies out of town/state they should pay for the privilege not be paid for it. But that would slow the aggressive, community/health killing, cancerous city growth that is sprawl. I vote for that. Is the chamber talking credit for this health/planning, fiscal abomination? Their AEDC is the city advisor. This is as good as it gets? Now more of the same? I'm an architect, planner, consultant and builder and could do better than this half asleep - I don't do work here - my high-performance, affordable, highly disaster resistant, green building system I build all over the US is not allowed in Ames by code. The local good ole boys club sure doesn't want the competition - might have to learn something new. Working on moving out of state. So disgusted. Please stop sending me garbage in the mail and grow a conscience for the healthy city/food people want even if means a little less profit. I want stability and sustainability - are those bad words? The "sustainability consultant" the city hired advised spending our way to sustainability(?). Not one word about sprawl - the biggest factor in environmental decline. Hmmm? On my worst day I could do better and for a fraction pf the cost - never going to happen. Still trying to figure out what the city planning department does and where and when they went to school - LA in the 50's? Attached images - three are Ames code compliant because they are good and it is what chamber members build along with manufactured housing I think - two are not because they are bad - can you guess which ones? Mobile homes are not affordable or a good investment - do a five minute net search. They are being installed around Ames as a solution. Is this the city's planning idea or a recommendation from their consultant (AEDC)? Not sure - do these things get decided in the public realm? The development in Ames seems to take place in big single-zoned blocks for the most part - not walk-able/bike-able/eco friendly but easy to do and expensive to maintain at taxpayer expense. Very profitable. Is this what people want or another example of what the chamber/city partnership wants you to have? It is expensive, not sustainable, inconvenient and unhealthy from my research and observation - and I'll add ugly. The AEDC advises the city and the city develops in this manner - who gets credit for this? The city budget for sprawl vs people is staggering. I know who the chamber serves, I wonder about the city? The observable results are pretty sad - but it is what people have come to expect and accept. Profit over quality. Every tool leaves a mark. "Every tool leaves a mark." If the tool I used did this to my projects - I would use a different one. Ames could be a showcase for good planning and design.
Mar 10th, 2024