Gresham's mayor wants outside living room gone

GRESHAM, Ore. - Outdoor sculptures that make up a living room setting no longer have a place at a TriMet transit mall in Gresham, according to the city's mayor, Shane Bemis.

The sculptures, created in 2001 by an artist who has since moved away, have become a magnet for cigarette butts, garbage and crime, says Bemis.

And the mayor is not alone in his thinking - neighborhood associations, business owners who don't like the look of it and police who say it draws a bad element are all in agreement.

However, there is a lengthy public process to go through before anything can be done - a process that is not without obstacles. TriMet's policy is that once art is put in place, it should stay put for 10 years. And federal law offers the work and the artist protections.

Bemis wasn't expecting such problems, but says he won't give up.

He did say he would be happy to remove the artwork temporarily to try to clean up the problems in the area, but TriMet says that won't happen unless Bemis participates in the public process.