Neighborhood Bulletin Board
Over the last few months we at INC have been churning up an idea for a bulletin board. It is really simple, at the bottom of the page leave a comment. You can write about events in your neighborhood or concerns that you would like to share. You will be prompted to share your name and email address. Please leave your full and real name. It will appear after the comment however your email address is private and will not show. If you would like to be notified of follow up comments please check the box. This is a trial and we hope it works
The Overland Park N.A. would like to invite volunteers to paint murals (by the numbers) on the sidewalls of the Evans Avenue Overpass. Our lead artist, Michele Brown, forms the art’s outlines and finishes our painting contributions. Due to CDOT’s considerable work on and by the bridge, we have been on hold during the summer months. Apparently feeling some remorse, CDOT and Public Works has extended our right to work on the bridge until year’s end. They even threw in some power washing and prep work. Yea! We have blocked out Oct. 14th, 15th and 16th (Fri.-Sun) for full days’ painting. On these days, a tent will be staffed by the north-eastern foot of the bridge to accept sign-ins, give out paint, brushes and assignments. There will be free breakfast burritos, sandwiches and drink given out to volunteers; along with friendly encouragement by us at this tent. We already have H.S. students and Sheriff volunteers. We can use many more hands to help in the painting of murals meant to slow and calm the passing motorists and walkers alike. The Evans Ave. bridge is 3 blocks west of Broadway and 2 blocks east of the South Platte river. Join!
City Council to look at Mayor’s budget…….time to re-direct some of the Mayor’s pet projects and supply funds for Council offices back into their districts. It’s OUR money and our Council Members belong with those who voted for them. Let your Councilperson hear this loud and clear.
As Councilwoman Mary Beth Sussman has reported in “The Mirror” (The Voice of Mayfair) “We have to build pipes up here (I assume she’s thinking of Mayfair) as we have no spaces for daylighting our underground streams (sic) because of the built environment.”
Sussman’s statement assumes that the value of her district far out weighs the lower end of the drainage where people are trying to play golf. In those neighborhoods, we must assume, there is little of value because the city plans on running it (above grade) through the park and down a parkway instead of underground in pipes.
I am aware that it would be foolish to try to pipe a hundred year flood all the way to the Platte through existing neighborhoods and under open space. It is even impossible to pipe the one hundred year flood that hits even the high grounds. It is better for the water quality and the land to run all the overflow from the 100 year flood which over flows our storm sewers above ground through vegetation. Even through District Five. I find it difficult to see the difference between a parkway on 40th Avenue with a ditch and a Parkway on Sixth Avenue or Monaco with a ditch. Or between the City Park Golf Course and City Park itself with a detention pond and Crestmoor Park with a detention pond..
While the size of the detention pond on the golf course varies between 17 acres (first announcement) up to 115 acres (latest crazy claim on FaceBook), it can only be useful if it is below the level of Duck Lake and deep enough to hold all the water which will be sent its way by that part of District five which is “too developed to be usable for storm water storage.” At 45 acres (the last estimate by the city) I was told it would have to be “ten feet deep to accommodate the flood coming from District 6. Draining a 450 acre-foot lake will only take about 6 hours according to the city spokespeople.
Because the planners are telling us that cars are on their way out. They’ve certainly done all they can to prevent the use of cars here in the inner city. With cars gone, opportunities for storing flood water will be everywhere. Think of all those vacant parking lots.
I think somebody needs to think harder.
Great way to stay in touch, thanks INC. Now back to the Biblical 100 year flood, I am thinking of the 3 year flood when we voters “flood” the poling places and vote a bunch of people out of office. Too bad the last council people did this underhanded deed to we citizens who are left with their “11th Hour vote” Hope some are happy back in “WYOMING”.