Wednesday, April 14, 2010

[Title Omitted]: April 18th, 2010


[quote from the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi" and 
YouTube link to music video omitted]

The following photographs of my location are taken through the window of my room in Eigenmann. The first was taken at the beginning of the semester, the second was taken Wednesday, April 14th, 2010. This past week the area has been fenced off and will remain so throughout the construction of a parking lot, being built to accommodate the residents of the new Ashton Student Living Complex across the street that is set to open this coming fall. The current staff parking lot on the south side of Eigenmann is being expanded to meet the parking lot in the back of the building and will cover the entire area within the green fencing in the second photograph. Before. Source: Rebecca Mandell 1/10
After. Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/14/ 10 
The area following just along the river has been sectioned off, all of the trees within the area have been torn down and chipped, and the grass has been torn up or covered as machines redistribute dirt in order to level the area. The neighboring tennis court fencing and basketball hoops have been torn down and the nets removed.
Before. Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/8/10
After. Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/14/10 

The below photographs better show the impact of the construction on the area. The water level in the stream has dramatically decreased and the amount of trash has increased as well as the debris in the river (disturbed dirt, collapsed river banks, and twigs from the removed trees). The second picture is a view of the construction zone from Union Street and the path of the river as it follows the area towards the street. I spoke with one of the construction workers at the site who told me that pipes will be put underground in the place of the river which will then be paved over, allowing the water to continue to run underneath the parking lot. The water will then empty into the existing drainage system that runs below Union Street (see the third photograph). Burying the stream will entirely ruin the habitat that the water currently provides. It will no longer be a stream but a buried drain. Sunlight will be unable to reach the water therefore lowering the temperature and affecting the animals that currently live within the waters.
Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/14/10
Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/14/10
Source: Rebecca Mandell 4/14/10

Although Indiana University may see this project as an overall improvement to the campus I most certainly disagree. For the residents of Eigenmann, the area was one of the few common areas for Eigenmann residents to gather, and was the only area located outdoors. It provided green space that was utilized year round for casual sports and other outdoor activities in the spring and fall. It created a "backyard" environment for students to relax in as well as a convenient outdoor location for floor events and organized building activities such as barbecues and Outdoor Adventure safety briefings (the office is located on the ground floor of the the building). There is still a very small area of green space remaining between the building and the existing back parking lot, but I believe that with such expanses of pavement surrounding the area, it will be overwhelmed and no longer provide a comfortable outdoor environment, as well as enough space for previously mentioned activities.

If I we're in charge of improvements to the area I would focus on enhancing the recreational uses of the green space and encourage residents to spend time appreciating the area. To reconcile the need for additional parking spaces I would request that the university construct a multi-level parking garage in between 10th Street and the SRSC to house the vehicles of residents in the Ashton Student Living Complex. To improve the area for recreational uses, I would recommend to those in charge of Eigenmann landscaping responsibilities that they remove the abandoned paved area and fill it in with grass. I would also recommend the construction of a fence along the edge of the parking lot as well the placement of several garbage cans along the fence on the side of the parking lot. This would cut down the amount of trash blown into the area from the parking lot and also define the space as an area of its own and not just a cut through. I would also introduce a picnic table or two into the area near the shade of the large tree to promote use of the area and suggest that the decrepit tennis courts