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| Timber lined shaft dug to water main in Union Terrace |
Allentown City Council recently approved two park items funded by the Trexler Trust; Improvements to both the Franklin Playground and the Fish Hatchery. Both involved payments to vendors repeatedly used by the departed park director. Meanwhile, the iconic WPA structures continue to crumble throughout the park system. Although this blog, through the recently formed Allentown WPA Association, informed the Park Department of the conditions at Union Terrace, nothing has been done or scheduled. This summer, Shakespeare will be performed on the Terrace Stage. Last year, I documented the WPA condition there in a post entitled
Tragedy Play At Theater.
Shown above is a project by the city water department. A cast-iron water main runs under the Terrace, feeding the West End from the water plant on Martin Luther King Drive. A private company will reline the existing 30" main, dating back to 1905, with a new plastic liner. The Terrace was built over the main in 1937, and was the last WPA project completed in Allentown.
During storms months ago trees fell into the Little Lehigh in the Parkway. Still there. Weeds and vines have taken over portions of the bank that at this point may be impossible to ever correct and meadows are barren of grass from constant city employee vehicular driving. Cars even drive down the small hillsides near a young grove of trees adjacent to the new restroom, sure to kill. People park wherever they wish and oil changes and car repairs are a frequent occurrence. Radio blasts can be heard 1/2 mile away, although illegal according to city ordinances. Oh, and as for that one-way only current traffic plan, Duck!
ReplyDeleteGee, that whatever that is in the photo looks neither charming or natural.
ReplyDeletePoor once-proud Park system but I guess those are the breaks in the City With No Limits.
Any floating construction bonds in that well there?
FOCUSED ON PHANTOM PROGRESS
Waste of money. Don't create sustained economic growth, have to constantly be maintained. If you care so much about them, start a foundation and fund them with private money. I would not vote to fund this stuff since we have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. All these projects should be shelved and the money should go to paying off our debts.
ReplyDelete@7:23, i assume you're referring to the wpa structures. here in allentown we get no vote about anything. as an anonymous person, you don't even get a say; you have to identify yourself to speak at public meetings.
ReplyDeleteWas EXTREMELY pleased to see the restoration of Trout Creek!!! People need to realize that with all the building that has taken place a buffer zone on stream banks is critical to prevent flooding! City pools and state & county parks should be used for family recreation and these stream banks should be left untouched!
ReplyDelete@8:33, i disagree. one side of the creek could be a no mow zone, or a checkerboard design could be employed. i believe that it's important, for both recreation and appreciation, for kids to have easy access to the stream's edge. first and foremost, these are city parks.
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