Secret Meeting?

We have received six email communications from MPCA management since the spring meeting date was set for April 27, but there has been no mention of this important event. I am shocked -- shocked -- once again to see that our leadership is behaving either arrogantly or furtively. I really thought that era was over.

Our by-laws require that the MPCA meet in April, holding an election to fill expiring terms. The rules also require a three person nominating committee (appointed from the general neighborhood, not made up of sitting directors) to have been appointed in January. This democratic procedure was often ignored by previous presidents. Last year a nominating committee was  appointed just a hair's breadth before the election. The committee did an excellent job and resisted pressure from Mr. Cartledge to control the outcome.

We haven't been told who has been annointed by Mr. Cartledge as his replacement, nor any hint of the agenda. The board is required to give a minimum of five days notice. They are not required to give notice only five days in advance. 

We have received three crime summaries; an announcement of a church event that has nothing to do with the MPCA; a half-hearted attempt at a park clean-up in conjunction with a volunteer effort organized by a nearby neighborhood and an environmental organization; and an "invitation" to attend the dedication of the PATH installation at Tanyard Creek Park. (That will be the subject of another post.)

PATH Visit to Memorial Park

I promised to write about the PATH Foundation visit to Memorial Park. Here is what I have learned about the event:

Executive Director Ed McBrayer did make a courtesy visit Thursday evening, March 20, at the invitation of the current MPCA president to meet with him and the path study committee which was created last fall "purely for... "information gathering" and (to identify) "options (if any)" according to the October 2007 Newsletter.

There were several members of the MPCA path study committee, and about a half dozen other people, who may have been there to check on what the committee was up to. However, it didn't become clear, because the minute one of them opened his mouth to ask something, the current president of the MPCA immediately that anyone who was not a member of the study committee should please "defer"--his word-- "to those who have done all the hard work." Too bad, as he later reflected; perhaps their input would have been helpful. There wasn't even the nicety of having people introduce themselves. It might have been revealed that several in attendance were members of the MPCA's Park Committee, who also have done a lot of hard work in Memorial Park, and for many years longer than the path study committee's brief existence.

McBrayer seemed thoroughly confused as to what he was doing there. He admitted he had been told over and over, going back to the early days of PATH, by both the MPCA and its predecessor, Springlake Civic Association, that PATH is not welcome in Memorial Park, and will never be accepted by the neighborhood. Anyone who has lived in these parts a while -- and been paying attention -- might be aware of this history.

McBrayer did mention that no sooner did he receive an inquiry from the current MPCA president about the possibility of putting a PATH trail in Memorial Park, that the letters started pouring in once again from vociferous, outraged opponents of such a project.

McBrayer was assured, however, by the current MPCA president that the neighborhood is overwhelmingly in favor of paving around the park, as evidenced by a comprehensive (sic) survey, in which the majority had indicated they were very concerned about the issues of safety and erosion.

There was a tour of the the trail. McBrayer addressed each area, suggesting what PATH would do to Memorial Park. It was incredible! One attendee actually thought he was having fun with them, coming up with the craziest, most outrageous ideas he could possibly think of, just to see if anyone would burst out laughing and say, "I get it, Ed! You're messing with us, right?"

First he said he'd get rid of the on-street parking from Northside to Woodley, have the concrete 10' or 12' PATH trail put partly in the street, narrowing Wesley Drive (thus slowing automobile traffic to a crawl). Getting City approval wouldn't be a problem. He would then pave a 20-car parking lot inside the park at the curve of Wesley near Woodley. (Losing maybe 1/3 acre of park and the trees there). The paved trail would continue to take over the street until it gets to the dip in the ground past Wellesley, where all the beautiful flowering willows now stand. Then the trail would go off-road from about Wellesley (with a granite wall next to it) until it eventually went behind the houses). He suggested homeowners could mark their favorite trees in that area so the trail could meander, and perhaps avoid losing some of the better ones. The paving must be at least 25' from the vegetation that grows within the stream bank.

Now for the best part. The ditch separating the open meadow from the woods needs a bridge two feet wider than the trail (who knows how high and long). Imagine it to be 14' wide! Right now there's a low spot next to a backyard fence, which is easy for most people under age 90 to hop across, especially when it hasn't rained for a couple of days and there's no water in it. Building an enormous bridge would require clearing out many trees and ground cover, bringing in lots of heavy equipment, and I imagine solving some engineering problems due to flooding and what McBrayer referred to as "mucky ground". (I wonder how many trees would have to be mowed down just to get the equipment to that area?)

On the other side of the bridge is wetlands. There is always standing water over much of the area, until the land rises steeply going up to the sidewalk on Howell Mill. McBrayer's solution? A raised wooden boardwalk spanning the field, twelve-feet wide, until it would join more concrete trail on the hillside, passing within inches of a private property line.

Maybe he was just pulling their legs, and maybe he wasn't. Maybe PATH would really want to spend a million or two to wreak havoc on a nice little natural green space for no reason than it's there. Or maybe they're looking to eventually join Memorial Park to the Beltline, and it would have to be a wide, concrete, multiuse trail. Memorial Park and the neighborhood would look nothing like it does now.

From all reports, even the members of the study committee were horrified. Hopefully, they realized the neighborhood won't accept this kind of devastation of Memorial Park. They seem to be back to beating the bushes for funding for some other type of pavement.

Word of warning when begging for money. There are going to be strings attached. There is no free lunch.

PATH Foundation Visit

The Gadfly has learned that PATH Foundation Executive Director Ed McBrayer came to Memorial Park at the invitation of the MPCA Path Study Committee last Thursday evening to discuss the possibility of a paved concrete PATH Foundation trail around Memorial Park! Such a project would make some big changes in Memorial Park and the entire neighborhood, but especially Wesley Drive.

I will post the details of this meeting as soon as I have all the information. I would appreciate any first-hand accounts of what transpired. Just email me. Thanks.

To: Odd Number Addresses on Wesley Drive

People who live on the part of Wesley Drive whose homes back up to the park were recently polled by a member of the MPCA's "Path Study Committee," or whatever it's called, to ask if they would accept a paved trail running behind their homes. I don't know whether the two households on Howell Mill who also back up to the park were asked. It hardly matters.

Those polled weren't given any specifications on the proposed trail or the process that would be required to install it. How wide would the trail be? What paving materials would be used? Where would it be placed? What kind of heavy equipment would be brought in to build it? How much grading would be done to the path? Would a bridge be built over the drainage ditch? At what point? How wide would it be? Would the trail connect to the sidewalk at Howell Mill, thus going within a few feet of the property line of 2487 Howell Mill? How many trees would be cut down altogether? What effect would this project have on flooding of yards and basements? When will the engineering studies commence and who is going to pay for them?

They were simply asked whether or not they were favorably disposed to a rather vague idea of some sort of surfaced trail behind their homes, or alternatively, a city-installed sidewalk on the street front (which as far as I know, isn't among the City's funded sidewalk plans). Perhaps it would be more useful for those homeowners to have a little more information on the consequences of a paved trail behind their homes.

Let's ignore for the moment the issue of flooding, although the land there is mostly flood plain, which has flooded many times in the past. Paving could exacerbate the problem. (But people can get flood insurance.)

Let's just look at one possible type of trail that the MPCA is considering, and actually soliciting: a concrete trail built by the PATH Foundation . If you don't know what this would be like, you have only to walk over to the intersection of Northside Drive and Woodward Way. Cross the street where Sagamore bears off from Woodward, and you will see a PATH sign, an enormous bridge and a 10' wide concrete path that meanders a bit over to Peachtree-Battle Avenue (including a second large bridge), where it meets an ordinary sidewalk. If you walk this trail, you will pass the back yards of several houses, including the new construction on Sagamore that has been on the market for many months. The trail runs parallel to its driveway. There is no landscaping to screen the house from the public path, and there is almost always standing water.

A few years ago, there was a forest there which shielded homes from Northside Drive traffic. PATH Foundation clear-cut a 50'wide swath (no, that's not a typo -- fifty feet) in order to bring in equipment and build what you now see. They replaced a few trees, but some of those died. PATH did not follow their own site plan, nor did they get approval for removing the trees. Many people think the result is an eyesore, and somewhat inane, that's still not the point.

Consider the possible consequences to your privacy and safety. For instance, one house that backs up to this PATH installation was broken into from the rear and robbed of more than $50,000 worth of jewelry, cameras and other items after the trail was open. The investigating police officer told the owners that "PATH is a robber's best dream."

PATH Foundation trails, according to their charter, must be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, multi-use (accessible to all non-motorized traffic, including wheelchairs, bicycles, skateboards and rollerblades). Such a trail must be wide, flat and smooth, requiring extensive grading. The dense woods that are now the view from your deck or patio will be reduced to something like what you see at Peachtree-Battle. You will have increased traffic behind your houses, as well as cars parked in front. There is certainly more liklihood of trespassers in back yards, as there is no visibility from the street. Our paid Security Patrol does not patrol on foot, so they won't be checking the area. Neither will on-duty police. Most of the joggers and strollers who use Memorial Park now are not even aware of that secluded area. Is a paved trail that helpfully directs everyone back there a good idea? Maybe you might want to install some serious security fencing.

PATH Foundation, which arguably does desirable projects in suburban and rural areas, and along abandoned railroad beds, but not so much in developed urban spots, is being vigorously opposed by intown neighborhoods they are proposed to enter, including Collier Hills, Peachtree Hills and in DeKalb County. The battles have been and continue to be rancorous, pitting neighbors against each other. In Memorial Park, our association was actually formed over similar proposals. We withdrew from Springlake Civic Association in 2001 over these very same divisions.

Memorial Park is not on the Beltline, which is partnering with PATH and the City of Atlanta, enraging people all over town for their dismissive attitude towards property owners. Memorial Park would be safe from PATH's ugly design and environmental insensitivity, if only certain Powers That Be would stop inviting them in with open arms.