Troy council delays vote on downtown Prouty Plaza design after heated debate over proposed water feature

Troy City Council on July 21 agreed to hold Resolution R402025 — an amendment to the downtown streetscape professional services agreement to add Prouty Plaza design work — for a third reading, scheduling further consideration for Aug. 2.

Council members and dozens of residents debated whether a small water feature proposed for Prouty Plaza should be included in the downtown streetscape project. Supporters said the water element is a modest, catalytic addition; opponents said consultants have not provided enough cost, maintenance or water‑use information to justify proceeding now.

The disagreement cut across council. Council member Westfall opposed the water feature, saying the proposal "lacks transparency, community input, and financial responsibility." Westfall told colleagues the water element was introduced late in the design process and that consultants had not produced complete construction, water‑usage or long‑term maintenance estimates.

Council member Schilling, chair of the Streets & Sidewalks committee, described the overall downtown project history and said the plaza addition is part of a multi‑year design effort; he told colleagues the plaza is roughly 60%…