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| photo by Tami Quigley |
The top photo shows the Robin Hood Bridge, before the Wildlands Conservancy demolished the little folly Robin Hood Dam, just downstream beyond the bridge. The dam was only about 10 inches high, and was built as a visual effect to accompany the bridge in 1941. It was the last WPA project in Allentown, and considered the final touch for Lehigh Parkway. Several years ago, the Wildlands told the Allentown Park Director and City Council that it wanted to demolish the dam. The only thing that stood between their bulldozer and the dam was yours truly. I managed to hold up the demolition for a couple weeks, during which time I tried to educate city council about the park, but to no avail. If demolishing the dam wasn't bad enough, The Wildlands Conservancy piled the broken dam ruble around the stone bridge piers, as seen in the bottom photo. I'm sad to report that the situation is now even worse. All that ruble collected silt, and now weeds and brush is growing around the stone bridge piers. I suppose the Wildlands Conservancy considers it an extension of its riparian buffers.
The Wildlands Conservancy is now going to demolish Wehr's Dam at Covered Bridge Park in South Whitehall. The township commissioners are cooperating, by having a grossly inflated price associated with repairing the dam, to justify a disingenuous referendum. Sadly, by next spring I will be showing you before and after pictures of that crime.
top photo by Tami Quigley
above reprinted from August 2016
UPDATE: To everyones surprise, especially the Wildlands Conservancy and the South Whitehall Commissioners, the referendum was approved by the voters this past November. The Wildlands Conservancy and the South Whitehall Commissioners are now conspiring to have the dam demolished anyway, by exaggerating its problems with the Pa. DEP.. Although, I have documented the communication between the Wildlands, State and township, the Morning Call will not report the conspiracy. As for Lehigh Parkway, the Wildlands Conservancy should be made to remove the former dam ruble that is despoiling the vista of the Robin Hood Bridge piers.
Ambience has been destroyed by the smell literally and figuratvely! At least they fixed the wall with lick-em stick-em and it is a good match yet will never last the test of time like the original wall.
ReplyDeleteAs mr. Fegley stated yesterday who else is watching these historic treasures? to answer that there are many but they are in fear for there life because of the backers of these purposful neglect destructional dynamics.
I can not let the computer sign anonymous!
There's corruption everywhere in government.
ReplyDeleteTake my city - Minneapolis in the past 5 years we have had two publicly financed sports stadiums - Twins ($700,000,000) and Vikings ($1,100,000,000 - yeah $1.1 billion).
But get this:"the city charter bars public funding for professional sport facilities beyond $10 million without a public referendum, but state lawmakers this year effectively overruled that requirement with language in the stadium legislation."
In the past (2000's) Minneapolis residents voted no to the stadiums. If 'they' don't like the democratic outcome - the politicians will find a way around it.
Good luck in draining your swamp.