Butterfly window gift doesn't fly with Pacific Grove City Council.

A large, half-moon shaped stained glass window featuring monarch butterflies failed to take off as a gift from developer Nader Agha to Butterfly Town on Wednesday, April 16. The Pacific Grove City Council unanimously voted to not accept the window.

Agha designed the window to fit in the half-moon shaped window frame featured on the front of the Holman Building in downtown P.G., about 30 years ago. When he sold the building he removed the stained glass piece and put it into storage.

Last year he offered to give the window to the city and pay for its installation but every potential spot for the large piece came with logistical issues, including how to protect the window from breakage and vandalism.

Agha and his supporters then set their sights on the half-moon window at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Museum officials have made it clear they don't want it.

Despite the rebuff, supporters, calling themselves the BBB, for Bring Butterflies Back, lined up to tell the council why they believed the city should receive the gift and display the window at the museum anyway. (P.G. owns the building; the museum is run by a nonprofit organization.)

The councilmembers agreed it's a beautiful window but they remained focused on the cost to the city in staff time and future maintenance. 

"I don't know if this is the wisest place that we can spend our money at this time," said Councilmember Tina Rau, referencing budget constraints the city is facing.

Councilmember Joe Amelio turned to a recent consultant's report that said the P.G. staff is stretched thin and not able to take on special projects. 

"This is going to be a project. We should not accept this," Amelio said.

Another concern of the council was a condition placed on the gift, that if the city did not display the window within five years, they would have to return it. Councilmember Paul Walkingstick pointed out that the city's policy on accepting art states that gifts must come with no strings attached.

The council voted 6-0 to not accept the gift, with Councilmember Chaps Poduri absent.