A few years ago, new and young visitors to the park would have no idea that a magnificent miniature bridge crossed a spring run to the Little Lehigh. Certainly, such a stone construction wasn't necessary to cross the 24 inch waterway. It was built in a era of masonry art, fueled by the Great Depression, and funded by Roosevelt's WPA. Over the last decade, budgetary cutbacks and environmentalists demanding riparian zones, justified allowing it to be consumed by brush and saplings. In 2010, I persuaded Mike Gilbert, park department manager, to partially clear around the bridge. Although a tree now blocks its southern approach, the bridge has been given a reprieve on its destruction.
reprinted from 2012
ADDENDUM JULY 18, 2022: While it has been another decade since I had the miniature bridge uncovered, I'm sorry to report that the WPA structures still remain a low priority with the city. While the wall into Lehigh Parkway has been restored out of necessity to retain entrance to the park, neglect for the other structures continues. I will continue to publicly complain about this shortcoming in the city's vision.
ADDENDUM JULY 7, 2025: Since I started campaigning for the spring pond and miniature bridge, it had been cleared twice...Once by by the city in 2010, and several years later by Friends of Allentown Parks, under Karen El-Chaar. A couple months ago, I again campaigned for the structure with a person influential with the park department. I'm happy to report that the miniature bridge has been cleaned up, along with one side of the spring pond. Although the stones lining the pond have not been cleared off, I'm grateful for the work that has been done, and hope that it remains on their schedule.
Glad to hear that the city has cleared of brush for the third time in the last 15 years, but that’s obviously not enough. It doesn’t seem like it would take much effort by the Parks Department to run a mower down there every time they mow, and it would likely make it go faster. If only the city cared.
ReplyDeleteWhile we’re talking about that area of Lehigh Parkway, I walked from the parking area of the next bridge downstream from the Robin Hood Bridge, to the Stone and Log House and back. Here are my observations:
1). The ONE trash can in the parking lot where I parked was overflowing at mid-day on Friday. Was the can emptied the day prior to the holiday weekend? Was there a large group of people who used the park that day and filled the container? Was there anyone on duty over the holiday weekend to empty the containers? Surely a high park usage should have been expected, and additional trash barrels should have been put out. Grade: F.
2). The signs at the Robin Hood parking lot regarding loud music are being ignored, as I could hear it from about a half mile away on each side. It seems odd that this isn’t being enforced since the police academy is right upstream and there is no shortage of police in the area. But hey, this is Allentown. Grade: F
3). The large double stairwell along the large wall (near the main entry) is in terrible condition. I can understand that contracts take a while to put out, but there are YEARS of neglect as far as repairs there. Grade: F
4). While I can TRY to understand the neglect on specialized maintenance, I cannot excuse the leaves that are on the stairs. These are LAST YEAR’S leaves, and the only specialized equipment needed to clean the leaves is a leaf blower or rake. Surely the Parks Department can handle that. And I’m not nitpicking about the leaves. There are enough there to fill a pickup truck (at least). Grade F-
5). Numerous puddles remained in the grass areas on either side of the bridle path. A competent administration, with a competent Parks Director would recognize that these are low spots that need to be filled in, so that water can properly drain after a storm. Grade: D
I’ll stop there and won’t even comment about the weed walls.
anon@9:07: repairing those landings on the double stairwell has been a mission of this blog for many years. Unfortunately, the landings have started to dip down, and are damaging the steps below them. It's a much bigger job now, which is par for the course with the park department. Where do they get the ignorance to add features (skate park, basketball court) while neglecting existing structures?
DeleteThis whole matter of Allentown neglect of traditional maintenance obligations outdoors trouble me, but it seems all too common these days.
DeleteI once encountered a wise saying by someone else. That was “humans are the only creatures who foul their own nests.” There’s some truth here. But, why? Neglect leads to failure, a loss of original purpose. A lack of care for how we present ourselves to others.
I should tell you, I live in a well-to-do suburb of Allentown now, after living in Allentown for my first 45 years. Even here, some homes valued at $1 million dollars plus, no longer attend to regular landscape maintenance. Somewhat shabby to passers by. I just don’t get it.
Decline is a certainty over time, unless WE get involved in keeping it at bay. Is it a shortage of money, or laziness?
Nobody holds anyone to any standards, which just lowers the quality of life throughout the city.
DeleteI drive through the city over the same potholes that I’ve been driving over for the last four years; see the same dead trees waiting to fall on cars or people; and past the same unkempt properties that cause multiple issues (litter, noise, etc) in my neighborhood. And there seems to be a lot more people that must love the city’s “riparian buffers” to the point that they’re now growing them in their own yards! But again, nobody from the city seems to notice them.
If I can see these things during the few trips I take around the city, why can’t city employees see them too? Is it just a lack of attention to detail, a lack of caring, or deliberate neglect?
That question is especially relevant to our mayor, who claims to run and bike around the city yet never seems to notice ANYTHING. Being out and around really doesn’t mean a damn thing if he’s not going to fix any of the problems he sees (or should be seeing).
Where do they get the ignorance to add features (skate park, basketball court) while neglecting existing structures?
ReplyDeleteIs it ignorance or arrogance?
My suspicion is that there is grant money involved with skate parks and basketball courts, while there isn’t the same funding for maintaining what you already have. There’s certainly not as much publicity for maintenance.
That said, I think there’s also a certain amount of arrogance among some that they can “improve” the existing park system. They can’t, but I suppose if you put anything in a world-class park system it will seem like you can take credit for it. And it pads one’s resume for the uninformed who will think that you’re responsible for all of it when you move on to your next job.