I from the start of all of this have never thought that the use of the the park, or numbers of people who use it in other words was good or that it is not a currently isolated spot. There are many things they city could do if they wanted to change that. I was trying to say yes it is coming but I will never say that it was the right thing to do, because it is not. I can also appreciate that the BWL is trying to offer something more than a naked sub-station on the highest hill along the north bank of the Grand River, isn't that nice of them. I will be going to the charrette of offer my view that at least it could be interesting to look at.
Just went and looked up the last charrette and saw that it was February 1st, I was just by the site and saw that there is already construction fencing up. I guess we're pretty much in wait and see mode now.
I was thinking the 22nd for some reason, I should have checked, however I have written twice and will again. I know it is inevitable and I may choose to move out of this neighborhood when my lease is up in May. It would seem that the Scott House vote was the final nail, for which they ran a campaign that was heavy on fear and sunshine promises mixed with dark threats. I am sure that people who live in other neighborhoods could care less about the little garden, and when faced with not enough electricity or higher rates they voted no. The BLW was myopic from the first day, only this site would do because they say so, their's was the only view that was going to happen, and all this congeniality was just a gesture to the fact that the park and utility are owned by the people of Lansing. In their offices with the door closed there was never any other plan, no Diamond REO site, no Townsend street GM parking lot, only this small piece of history and green. When I was young they would regularly televise an old animated movie about this little backyard with a garden, animating all the insects that lived in the garden. This peaceful little world was about to be destroyed as the lot was the site of a new skyscraper, it's about how the critters in that garden somehow try to save their world. The backhoe ripping into the grass really stuck with me, all the little animals running away if they could, their world crushed under huge wheels. In the movie they build a "new garden" on the roof of the sky scraper. I guess some one at the BWL saw that movie as well, but took a different view, the view of the builder. Good Bye little garden, Rest In Peace.
This story is so sad. I keep coming back to it in my mind daily. It is not the most popular park in the city, but that doesn't mean we should throw it away. Maybe it means that we should find ways to increase access to it, such as building a pedestrian bridge from the river trail to the park. Instead we are left with a power plant, which is pretty much the polar opposite of a park (at least as they have designed it, the Seattle park shown in previous comments looks like a fair compromise).
I've been quiet on this so I thought I'd share my two cents on it as well now. I was also very against this and discussed it with an electrical engineer who works in power distribution and is familiar with the area. To my surprise, because he also knows Lansing's destruction on historical structures and has a minor in architectural history, he actually sided with BWL. To him it was the only feasible site without costing an absurd amount to relocate infrastructure.
That didn't change my view on the whole situation, but it did reflect the fact that BWL may not be as evil of an entity as it seems with this situation. It will be a shame to see the house and sunken garden go though. I drive by it daily and seeing them start on the demo is upsetting.
With all that said, I do think with all the controversy and savings of using that location that they could have come up with a better design. While it is a large substation, they can be fully enclosed, or even done more creatively like the one in Seattle.
I don't want to keep belaboring this, but the BWL lied about so much with this project, that the excuse that costs would have gone up so much more at another site I am highly skeptical of at the very least.
They were saying underground infrastructure existed where it really didn't. They didn't produce any documentation on whether or not they actually talked to GM about the site south of the gardens. More than that, the empty site immediately across the street despite what they claimed is basically the same size are the amount of the existing garden complex they are going to use. Let's be honest about why that wasn't chosen: because it directly abuts an apartment complex.
If the infrastructure really is underneath Washington Avenue than they literally could have used either parcel...and still decided to use the garden site. I do believe this was about money, in a way. I believe that they knew they could basically get a city-owned site for free.
I am happy to see that I am not the only one who is sad and confused about this situation. How did this happen again in Lansing? I am all for progress but like I have said before, what are we getting for the sacrifice of our history and identity, a really great,huge wall. I have heard it all before.
I guess this is my BLW against nature update. I was again amazed at the size of the trees that are being destroyed by this utility cut project, this time at Potter Park. While visiting the zoo I noticed huge logs laying along the fence by the tracks, after having the first thought wow that must have been a big tree, I saw the tiny utility line they were clearing the beautiful trees away from. They left another row of deformed stumps that were once great trees. At the other site of destruction here in REOtown the whole river bank below the the sunken garden is covered with white snow bells, it's really pretty if you look past some litter. Might be the last year this happens.
Comments
I from the start of all of this have never thought that the use of the the park, or numbers of people who use it in other words was good or that it is not a currently isolated spot. There are many things they city could do if they wanted to change that. I was trying to say yes it is coming but I will never say that it was the right thing to do, because it is not. I can also appreciate that the BWL is trying to offer something more than a naked sub-station on the highest hill along the north bank of the Grand River, isn't that nice of them. I will be going to the charrette of offer my view that at least it could be interesting to look at.
Just went and looked up the last charrette and saw that it was February 1st, I was just by the site and saw that there is already construction fencing up. I guess we're pretty much in wait and see mode now.
I was thinking the 22nd for some reason, I should have checked, however I have written twice and will again. I know it is inevitable and I may choose to move out of this neighborhood when my lease is up in May. It would seem that the Scott House vote was the final nail, for which they ran a campaign that was heavy on fear and sunshine promises mixed with dark threats. I am sure that people who live in other neighborhoods could care less about the little garden, and when faced with not enough electricity or higher rates they voted no. The BLW was myopic from the first day, only this site would do because they say so, their's was the only view that was going to happen, and all this congeniality was just a gesture to the fact that the park and utility are owned by the people of Lansing. In their offices with the door closed there was never any other plan, no Diamond REO site, no Townsend street GM parking lot, only this small piece of history and green. When I was young they would regularly televise an old animated movie about this little backyard with a garden, animating all the insects that lived in the garden. This peaceful little world was about to be destroyed as the lot was the site of a new skyscraper, it's about how the critters in that garden somehow try to save their world. The backhoe ripping into the grass really stuck with me, all the little animals running away if they could, their world crushed under huge wheels. In the movie they build a "new garden" on the roof of the sky scraper. I guess some one at the BWL saw that movie as well, but took a different view, the view of the builder. Good Bye little garden, Rest In Peace.
This story is so sad. I keep coming back to it in my mind daily. It is not the most popular park in the city, but that doesn't mean we should throw it away. Maybe it means that we should find ways to increase access to it, such as building a pedestrian bridge from the river trail to the park. Instead we are left with a power plant, which is pretty much the polar opposite of a park (at least as they have designed it, the Seattle park shown in previous comments looks like a fair compromise).
I've been quiet on this so I thought I'd share my two cents on it as well now. I was also very against this and discussed it with an electrical engineer who works in power distribution and is familiar with the area. To my surprise, because he also knows Lansing's destruction on historical structures and has a minor in architectural history, he actually sided with BWL. To him it was the only feasible site without costing an absurd amount to relocate infrastructure.
That didn't change my view on the whole situation, but it did reflect the fact that BWL may not be as evil of an entity as it seems with this situation. It will be a shame to see the house and sunken garden go though. I drive by it daily and seeing them start on the demo is upsetting.
With all that said, I do think with all the controversy and savings of using that location that they could have come up with a better design. While it is a large substation, they can be fully enclosed, or even done more creatively like the one in Seattle.
I don't want to keep belaboring this, but the BWL lied about so much with this project, that the excuse that costs would have gone up so much more at another site I am highly skeptical of at the very least.
They were saying underground infrastructure existed where it really didn't. They didn't produce any documentation on whether or not they actually talked to GM about the site south of the gardens. More than that, the empty site immediately across the street despite what they claimed is basically the same size are the amount of the existing garden complex they are going to use. Let's be honest about why that wasn't chosen: because it directly abuts an apartment complex.
If the infrastructure really is underneath Washington Avenue than they literally could have used either parcel...and still decided to use the garden site. I do believe this was about money, in a way. I believe that they knew they could basically get a city-owned site for free.
I am happy to see that I am not the only one who is sad and confused about this situation. How did this happen again in Lansing? I am all for progress but like I have said before, what are we getting for the sacrifice of our history and identity, a really great,huge wall. I have heard it all before.
You may have already noticed but they have wrapped the Scott House in appropriate black. I am now just going to try not to look up there anymore.
I guess this is my BLW against nature update. I was again amazed at the size of the trees that are being destroyed by this utility cut project, this time at Potter Park. While visiting the zoo I noticed huge logs laying along the fence by the tracks, after having the first thought wow that must have been a big tree, I saw the tiny utility line they were clearing the beautiful trees away from. They left another row of deformed stumps that were once great trees. At the other site of destruction here in REOtown the whole river bank below the the sunken garden is covered with white snow bells, it's really pretty if you look past some litter. Might be the last year this happens.
And the Scott House comes tumbling down!