Broken clock tower gets the boot

The times they are a-changin’.

At least at the Bank of America on Continental Road and La Canada Drive, known for its landmark outdoor, four-sided clock with hands perpetually stuck at 11:20.

Workers started to take down the four clock faces Sunday, leaving gray relief circles in the pink stucco clocktower. A spokeswoman for BofA said there was no money to repair the clock, and it was decided that the tower would be stuccoed over in the original coloring.

“Given the current economic environment and the need to strike the right balance with critical expenses, we have been prompted to make some difficult business decisions such as reducing or eliminating some projects — like replacing the clock,” said Brittney Sheehan, senior vice president of media relations with Bank of America, in an e-mail.

“We certainly value our relationship with Green Valley residents, and based on customer feedback, we are in the process of removing the clock entirely, and making sure the finished product is more consistent with the building’s original architecture.”

The makeover was instigated at the urging of the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council’s Planning and Architectural Committee, member Susanne Blodgett said. She said the committee has been talking to the bank’s property managers for several years about fixing or replacing the clock, at the request of residents who complained.

“We sent an official letter requesting that they do something about it,” Blodgett said. “People complained, so we started a dialogue. As much as we can be, we (the GVCCC) are the voice of Green Valley.”

Blodgett says the clock has been broken for at least five years, working at sporadic intervals, but never for long.

But resident Jack Malcolm, who has written several letters of complaint to the Green Valley News, says the clock hasn’t worked properly for about 15 years.

He says he’s happy the clock has been removed because the incorrect time could cause problems for residents with memory problems or those easily disoriented.

“That clock has confused us for years,” he said.

Sheehan said the changes to the clocktower would be completed before the end of the week.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726