Mayor Pawlowski, the last thing Allentown needs is another park. In all due respect, I forgot more about the park system than you ever knew. There are endless items throughout the system that are in need of repair. The most used pavilions in the city, in Cedar Park on Honochick Drive, are in dire need of roof shingles and paint. Yes, I know that they are scheduled for replacement, but that is the story of the park department and the city, since your arrival in Allentown. Defer maintenance, and build some new feature. I know that maintenance looks boring on a resumé. The repaired wall in Lehigh Parkway does look good, but you're only fixing it because it's a retaining wall, and it must be repaired to reopen the road. It was deferred maintenance that caused the problem in the first place.
Anyway, back to the incinerator parcel. I know it adjoins the Basin Street parcel that you should have never bought from Abe Atiyeh. Making a new park out of the incinerator and Basin Street is just cover for one of your political maneuvers. How sad that you're sucking in the new park director on this transparent scheme. But, she's a big girl, and should speak up about priorities.
p.s. You should speak to Scott Unger, he may need that bridge to bring the choo-choo back to S. 10th Street.
I thought the exact same thing when this post hit my own FB feed. I wonder if the Wildlands Conservancy is already looking for a grant to grow some weeds?
ReplyDeletemomma@1:50, i saw a letter to the editor today about the weeds. with the barriers wider than ever this year, i can only assume they have already trained the new park director.
ReplyDeleteThere use to be park tables at the corner of Ott Street in Cedar Beach by the bridge. Nearly every single day on the way home from work I would see people (Hispanics) enjoying them. Several years ago they were removed and weeds (riparian buffers) replaced them. Parks are to be enjoyed by everyone. It appears this location like the NIZ are meant to be used by the more acceptable in the city's eyes just like the former free Fountain Park pool's usage.
ReplyDeleteBTW: The wife said a lot of the Cedar Beach playground toys no longer work when kids push the buttons.
lvci@3:32, there's a bench by creek in view of the park department office at 30th and Trexler Blvd. while they do not cut a path to it through the weeds, they are cutting paths into the buffers, so that the new trees are not overwhelmed by the weeds. the new trees, rather than being planted along the creek to prevent erosion, are being planted further out, to mark the new barrier borders. the Wildland Conservancy is dictating these policies. the new park director was hired by fran dougherty, as were the previous two. with him gone, and pawlowski going sooner or later, i hope she will step up to the plate, and put the parks ahead of the Wildlands Conservancy
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