Overton Park Drainage Basin Update

According to the Flyer's website, the Vollintine Evergreen Community Association had some interesting discussions with city planners at last nights community meeting about the proposed Overton Park Detention/Drainage Basin. Here's the gist of things straight from the Flyer site and Mary Cashiola's "in the Bluff" blog.....

Last night, city engineer Wain Gaskins told VECA members and citizens concerned about a detention basin in Overton Park that the city was evaluating other alternatives. The proposed basin is to alleviate flooding in nearby Midtown neighborhoods.

However, Gaskins also said that people had several misconceptions about the detention basin. For instance, it "doesn't collect debris the way some people think it does." And that the Overton Park greensward already has an 18-foot elevation difference.

He also noted that Second Presbyterian Church's soccer field is a detention basin and they haven't had any problems with it.

Residents at the meeting were not convinced by his assurances.

One asked about the depth of the Second Pres. basin. Gaskins replied it was three to four feet. Another detention basin at CBU is going to be six to eight feet deep.

Another resident asked whether the field would just slope down to the 18 feet or if it would be an 18 feet deep bowl.

"We do have to shape some sort of bowl to detain the water. However, it's a huge bowl. It's so large you might not even notice it being a bowl," Gaskins said.

Judging from its reaction, the crowd was pretty sure they would still notice it.

The city is still in the planning process for the basin, and both VECA and Park Friends, Overton Park's advocacy group, have asked to be involved. The proposal would have to be approved by the City Council before it would be implemented.

Councilmembers Jim Strickland and Myron Lowery both attended the meeting.

Before Gaskins and other representatives of the city spoke about the project, Sierra Club representative James Baker said the proposed detention basin in Overton Park did nothing to create or reinvest in the public realm or solve the underlying problem of storm water.

"At best, it's a bandage that covers a festering wound," he said, "not anything that heals it."

Don't Text and Drive in Memphis!

This article just appeared in todays MBJ. Looks like texting while driving in Tennessee is about to be punishable by law! Check it out....

Legislation to ban “texting while driving” was approved by the Senate Transporation Committee this week.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, prohibits sending or reading text messages or emails on a handheld mobile phone or personal digital assistant while operating a motor vehicle.

“This bill will send a message that it is not safe for drivers to text and drive on our public streets,” says Tracy, who is chairman of the Transportation Committee. “Over two-thirds of those under the age of 24 who were polled have admitted to sending text messages while driving. That is a very scary proposition for the safety of our roads. Studies show that drivers of any age who text behind the wheel swerve out of their lane, with many running into head-on traffic. This is a basic safety measure that aims to protect the drivers and all others who travel our roads.”

Violating that law would be a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of no more than $50. The legislation, SB 393, would take effect July 1 if approved by the full Senate and House of Representatives.

Lobster King closed

I'm sad to say that Lobster King has closed. I wanted to eat here so many times and it looks like I have missed my chance. I never heard anything but great reviews of this place and if the awesome Viet Hoa market next door to it is any indication, then this would have been one of the most unique and special meals around. 

The CA reported this morning that the awesomely authentic restaurant has closed it's doors because of the owners mother's declining health. The owner has closed so that she has more time to take care of her mother, and while this isn't another "local restaurant's business dries up in these tough times" type of scenario, it's just as much of a loss for the restaurant community just the same. 

Read the whole article .

Overton Park, soon to be a drainage ditch?

A lot of stuff has been going around lately about the Overton Park controversy. I wanted to address it and summarize how completely idiotic this new proposal regarding the park is.

The Memphis Flyer recently had an online article going over some of the details. Basically, a creek/drainage ditch in the park, Lick Creek, was concreted over some years back and ever since then it's cause some major flooding issues in the surrounding Vollentine and Evergreen areas of midtown. The runoff and rainwater now flows through the creek at a much higher speed and there is not natural obsorbtion of the water or any natural prevention to slow it down. So now the same brand of engineers that thought that this concrete ditch was a good idea have come forward with a plan to put a drainage basin/pond in the middle of the greenspace in Overton Park. This would act as a storm water detention basin and would more than likely quickly fill with stagnant water, trash and put off a great smell to all those who ventured too close.

I love how the Flyer article qoutes some people that had serious input in the initial Overton Park plan in the 80's, the same group that concreted over the problem ditch. The people in the story now act as if it's not their fault and talk about how they would think that there must be a different approach than the storm water pond. The woman is even qouted as saying that the Lick Creek concreted ditch was a bad idea and that it could be brought back to it's natural state. After she was on the committee to originally pave it?! Gimme a break. This is typical Memphis.

Get it together and do something to save the park!!! VECA (the Vollentine Evergreen Community Association) is hosting a meeting Wednesday, March 11th, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss possible solutions to flooding, as well as the city's water quality, in general.

If you can't make that, then call your City Councilman, Congressman, or Senator. 

Don't let another Midtown space get trashed!

The picture below is of the aforementioned creek before it was paved over. Maybe this is a model for the future?