Des Moines' Snookies sign gets knocked down, but could get up again

Snookies' beloved sign that was downed by a driver, and then grounded by red tape, is a step closer to rising back up — this time as a historic landmark.

Driving the news: Des Moines' Landmark Review Board recommended the City Council approve designating the ice cream shop's neon sign as a "local landmark" Tuesday.

Flashback: A driver hit the sign just hours after Snookies closed for the season in October 2020.

• But the sign, which was attached to a pole, no longer fits city code. In 2014, Des Moines banned new pole signs, saying it made streets like Merle Hay Road look like "clutter."
• By designating the sign built in the 1980s as "historic," Snookies could put it back up without violating city code.

What they're saying: "When the gentleman took his 2003 Honda Odyssey and took out that sign — it was kind of a blow," said Leslie Hunter, whose family owns Snookies. "A fitting end to the 2020 season."

Your take: We heard from a lot of you who cherish the sign and some who questioned if it's truly a "landmark."

• "It should be allowed to go back in the same place it's always been! Not that we don't know where Snookies is, even without the sign!" — Rochelle Zimmerman of WDM
• "Forcing it down is ridiculous. It was there before nearly anyone in the neighborhood or certainly the zoning law." — Michele Jones

What's next: City Council members will consider the board's recommendation. They haven't yet set a date to do so.