Comments on: South Siders to be used like lab rats

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:10:20 +0000

If the question is whether to use non-permeable concrete or permeable concrete, that’s one thing. These people have standing water in their front yards because there is no sidewalk/gutters. They need drainage.

By: Eyebrows McGee

Eyebrows McGee — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:51:20 +0000

“Instead of a real draining fix, they want to let the flood waters seep into the ground. Through concrete. Well, they will â€œsee how it works.â€”

This is fairly state-of-the-art in dealing with drainage. Groundwater is GOOD. (Excessive) Runoff into rivers is BAD. We don’t want it to drain AWAY, we want it to drain DOWN where it can filter into the aquifer.

In states that are either water-scarce already or that have serious runoff problems, there are often already state laws or zoning laws in place requiring new big-box-type stores or mega parking lots for shopping centers have permeable concrete. (Typically the zoning laws say “you’ve got to soak up X amount of rainwater and can only have Y amount of runoff, you figure it out.” and you can build smaller lots or deal with certain retention ponds or rain cachement areas or permeable paving or whatever you want.)

We considered repaving our driveway permeable, actually. I’m kind-of jealous they’re getting permeable paving.

By: kohlrabi

kohlrabi — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:52:32 +0000

The PJStar article said plenty of money is already spent on the 1st District (which includes Downtown and the southside) sidewalks. Lumping downtown and the southside makes things sound rosier than they are. If they break out how much of the 1st district sidewalk funds went to downtown business district – I know CAT had a sidewalk request funded in the last couple fo years – how much is being spent on the southside?

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:19:04 +0000

They are fixing sidewalks? That hasn’t been established yet. All they have done is come up with a plan that MAY not fix the flooding problem.

By: C. J. Summers

C. J. Summers — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:27:45 +0000

So, you’re unhappy that they’re fixing the sidewalks at city expense?

By: pops

pops — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:55:34 +0000

Its the whole idea of putting nice wheels on a shitty car, don’t you think?

By: Mahkno

Mahkno — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:30:46 +0000

Wouldn’t brick be cheaper in the long run?

You can reuse the bricks after you work under the roadway. The perviousness of brick roadways is well proven and established. Yes, brick roadways DO reduce runoff and help improve ground water levels.

Investing in concrete… even a more exotic concrete seems shortsighted. Perhaps they forgot the huge spike in concrete prices not so many months ago? There is a strong likelihood those prices will return when the economy recovers. Concrete is better than asphalt tho…