Calling b.s. on the Park Blocks chainsaw plan
Here's a good summary of what its author is kind enough to call "myths" in the Portland City Hall plan to destroy the South Park Blocks. As you may have heard, the stately elms there are going to be chopped down, and two lanes of pedstrian space removed, to make way for yet more bikey shinola that nobody but 28 hipsters wants. Oh, and to the tune of $46 million.
In my dictionary, these "myths" fall under "lies," but let's not quibble. They're well worth noting.
They just can't seem to leave well enough alone.
ReplyDeleteThose trees were planted in the 19th century and envisioned as one continuous park running from North of Burnside all the way up to where PSU is now. Learned that in a great class at PSU back in the 70s called the 'Physical Environment of Portland" a class in the Geography Department that covered all aspects of our city, the geology, biology, and how a city impacts the natural world surrounding it. Do you know how many plants and animals were introduced to Portland by the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition? A lot.
ReplyDeleteThe Park Blocks were gifted to the citizens of Portland in perpetuity and the trees belong to all of us. They managed to escape Dutch Elm disease and should be treasured, not killed. You can bet Scam Adams is behind this, his favorite song is probably "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot". Time to run him out of town on a rail AGAIN.
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