Work has been completed to remove the cladding from the metal skeletal structure of the arches above Pelham Town Square.
Concerns about the stability of the structure arose last November, when strong winds caused at least one bolt to shear off, leading the Town to close the roadway underneath the arches to undertake a safety inspection.
The original 2012 arches were made of wood, and were not designed to be a permanent fixture. A windstorm in 2019 brought part of them down, leading the Town to demolish the remainder.
Local service clubs, led by Fonthill Rotary, then undertook a fundraising campaign, and privately engaged a designer to create a structure that would endure for decades. The Town of Pelham was not involved in the design. Ownership was transferred to the Town in 2023 for a symbolic $1.
A January staff report to council recommended installing 48 brackets to reinforce joint connections and provide structural redundancy. This cost of up to $25,000 doesn’t include the $6,000 already spent by the Town after November’s incident. In addition, the review suggested removing the arches’ cladding in order to reduce wind load.
That wasn’t enough for Ward 3 Councillor Bob Hildebrandt, a former engineer who voted against the options.
“I’m not convinced … they’re safe at the present time,” Hildebrandt said, instead recommending a further review of the structure. “I think it’s essential we have a peer review.”
Public Works Director Jason Marr disputed the idea the arches are unsafe, saying that an inspector reported satisfaction with their condition.
Ward 1’s Wayne Olson voiced concerns as well, asking the Town’s engineer to conduct a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).
“We’re lucky we found out about it with the one bolt,” Olson said.
While the Town asserts that the arches are safe as they are currently constructed, a further staff report is coming to council on next steps to ensure the structure's longevity.
In the meantime, the starkly industrial-looking curves left standing above Pelham Town Square bear little resemblance to the original graceful 2012 design, prompting some to wonder whether further spending on them is money better allocated elsewhere.