When I first saw this on Tuesday, I thought to myself, “The city should do this more often.” For the small investment of $40K to selected competitors, we will probably get some innovative designs, save money, and encourage artistic competition.
If there is one thing I know about designers and artists, they love to compete, and they love to outdo each other. In a traditional sense of the RFP process, sometimes those bids go to the ones most connected and have insider information. What happens is we probably don’t get the best design, because we stifle creativity.
For years the city has used the same contractor over and over for these projects. I’m not saying they suck, but if you don’t know what other people have to offer, how will you ever know?
Of course, I am not naive, the selection process will probably be chocked full of backroom deals, and we will probably end up with the same contractor.
I challenge the city to post images of the submissions online and have residents vote on the final four. I think this would even the keel and be a wonderful way of having the public participate in the process. Great ideas die in the dark.
What about a coyote by-way? I am not talking about a path for USD as they head north to beat State. Rather, a by-way to keep the other type of coyotes out of the city.
In recent years, moose, elk, bears(?), mountain lions, and now coyotes have begun to approach our great city. Even the animals at the Zoo are obviously in revolt and in action. Thus, it’s best we build by-ways to protect the citizens from these encroaching critters.
( – and Woodstock adds: “Yep, flooding, fundamentalism at city hall, and a Zoo revolt, and then the next thing you know the animals start showing-up looking for an ark”….. (“T.J., take the pick-up to Menards!”….))
Once again the Parks Department is in search of paving with more concrete. Why does Don Kearney hate green grass and would rather have concrete?
As Joni Mitchell sang:
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin’ hot spot
They took all the trees, put ’em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ’em
Hey farmer, farmer, put away the DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees, please
Late last night, I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
I said, don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
The story of our Parks and Rec Department?
I do know with ADA regulations you do have to provide the legal requirement of appropriate concrete sidewalks in public parks. BUT I agree there could be a good balance of natural trails and landscaping. I wish they would have done that with the River Greenway instead of Rome Part II.