The LSJ's story on this, today. No new news aside from the preservation community formally coming out against the plan. The BWL is awfually dismissive of them, which wasn't unexpected. Seems this was already cooked before they offered to to "public comment."
They said we get to pick some of the wall treatments. It kind of reminds me of when they build 496 and Logan, it really did not matter what was in the way. I am not going to chain myself to a tree [others might] but they really can't move a garden without destroying the whole bio-culture, all the little critters that live there in the soil in the trees and underbrush will die in the process, the soil it self will die, which is very sad to me. The BLW is acting like no one even knows about that little garden and we won't miss what we did not even know we had. I think people around here will miss it.
I don't like the attitude of the BWL here. They should've anticipated that people wouldn't want riverfront parkland at a major downtown corner turned into an electrical substation. The more I think about it, the less I like it and the more surprised I am that they even attempted to propose this.
It would be really great if they put in the park and trail improvements without the sub-station. If the city would build say a cool little glass coffee/tea house overlooking the garden right along MalcolmX, make the Scott house an international youth hostel [where you need a foreign passport to stay] hook that up with nice walk ways to Washington and Capitol and down to the river trail,this would totally animate that park with people and activity and actually connect REOtown to Downtown. I have been thinking a city owned concession on the river trail where you could stop on the trail and have a drink and a snack would be nice. The Japanese Tea House in Golden Gate Park is a simple little building in a garden, all they serve is tea and cookies, it is a stop on all tours of San Francisco. People love that place. I wonder what people there would say if they wanted to build a sub-station on that garden? I think we could love our gardens as much as people out there do.
Another site that is already owned by the BWL which would be large enough for this propose is the "pole yard" and dump next to the river trail at Pennsylvania Ave , it would be even closer to the REOtown plant on an already industrialized "free" land. Maybe that area in the flood zone? . I will write the BWL again.
The City Pulse has a great article and editorial on the substation in the garden. I do not understand why they seem so determined to build this huge ugly thing there, and not even listen to what people have to say. It really does remind me of the times when they were tearing everything down in the 60's and 70's, there was just nothing to be done about it, history and sentiment are not part of the calculation. It was and is a very powerless feeling.
Wherever the mayor tells them to be. This is a done deal. They didn't just come out with full-on mock-ups and plans without this thing already being in the bag. Any changes - if they consent to any, at all - will be cosmetic.
I was slightly encouraged by the questions the county commissioner was bringing up. The point about where to site the substation, and why every other site was rejected. When was this all planned? I am like him, the full fledged plan was the first time I heard about it. I have only been back a short time, were there any public hearings on this? It seems kind of strange the GM sites were dismissed. Hasn't Lansing given GM all manner of tax brakes, and doesn't GM get it's power from the Lansing Board of Water and Light? They own huge empty parking lots to shift employee parking. It does not seem to me that they tried very hard to get GM to give back or sell a small amount of land.
It could seem sinister in a fictional story. Some evil planner at the BWL, who's office overlooks the coal yard, he hates flowers, trees and pretty little gardens. He laughs with glee as the backhoe digs into the carpet of green grass. Who is this guy? How can we stop him?
Comments
It would be really great if they put in the park and trail improvements without the sub-station. If the city would build say a cool little glass coffee/tea house overlooking the garden right along MalcolmX, make the Scott house an international youth hostel [where you need a foreign passport to stay] hook that up with nice walk ways to Washington and Capitol and down to the river trail,this would totally animate that park with people and activity and actually connect REOtown to Downtown. I have been thinking a city owned concession on the river trail where you could stop on the trail and have a drink and a snack would be nice. The Japanese Tea House in Golden Gate Park is a simple little building in a garden, all they serve is tea and cookies, it is a stop on all tours of San Francisco. People love that place. I wonder what people there would say if they wanted to build a sub-station on that garden? I think we could love our gardens as much as people out there do.
Another site that is already owned by the BWL which would be large enough for this propose is the "pole yard" and dump next to the river trail at Pennsylvania Ave , it would be even closer to the REOtown plant on an already industrialized "free" land. Maybe that area in the flood zone? . I will write the BWL again.
This site reminds me in many ways of the Turner-Dodge site. What a shame to be putting a substation here :(
....and the fake engagement just adds insult to injury.
It could seem sinister in a fictional story. Some evil planner at the BWL, who's office overlooks the coal yard, he hates flowers, trees and pretty little gardens. He laughs with glee as the backhoe digs into the carpet of green grass. Who is this guy? How can we stop him?