Central Canal Towpath construction work

[Donna Sink]

Sorry if there is already a discussion on this, I couldn't find it.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090824/LOCAL18/90824040/1001/news

I missed the meeting last night but Carol gave me a brief rundown. It sounds like the new canal banks are going to be reinforced gravel, we'll lose potentially lots of vegetation, and habitat for turtles and muskrats will be obliterated.

Did anyone go to the meeting, and does anyone know if there are plans to replace trees? Did they show any pictures of what our new banks and paths will look like? Are they proposing additional public garbage cans along the Westfield Blvd side (we need them!)?

[Amy Bridges]

I went to the meeting, but didn't take specific notes. I'll try to answer from memory.

The problems with the canal are apparently beginning to restrict water flow, and this could potentially impede service to the more than 600,000 people whose primary water source comes from the canal. At present there is survey work being done, and that is projected to be finished (I think) by the end of September. Many of the specific questions can't be fully answered without the survey details of the canal.

The trees and vegetation to be excavated exist in the canal "work zone" from the crown (highest point) of the bank on one side to the crown on the other side. They have photoshopped photos of before/after project completion, and they say there will be other meetings. Public garbage cans were not addressed. They have worked with DNR to talk about wildlife habitat, but muskrat dens and geese "slides" (I don't know the correct term for the damage geese do when sliding down into the canal) are actually two of the main causes of the overall damage (along with root overgrowth).

This is major, necessary work, according to the water company. Following the completion of the survey, work will begin, and they anticipate that it will be done by the end of 2009. This project is clearly on the fast track.

Personally, I see the necessity of the work. I'm not thrilled with the look of the geotextile fabric covered with large stone that will line both sides of the sloped walls of the canal. I think some of the comments last night were heard, and I hope they will look for ways to "soften" it. I think, in general, that the canal will look a little more like a working canal, and the excavation will not extend outside of the canal. I hope my optimism is justified, and I hope there will be meetings and other ways to continue to monitor the project (they mentioned the indianapoliswater.com site, but I can find no evidence of updates/photos on other projects).

[Donna Sink]

Thanks for the update, Amy. I hope there are pictures of the proposal out there, I'd like to see what it will end up looking like. I'll keep my eyes open for publicly published images.

I just love watching the muskrats, I understand if they are a problem, but they're so cute!

[Moira Dugan]

I'm concerned about this, too. I hate to think of what our lovely canal will look like all covered in stone, not to mention the wildlife we'll lose. I'm just hoping all options (whatever those might be- I'm no expert) were considered before deciding to remove all the grass. I'm worried it's going to change the whole look and feel of the canal and our neighborhood.

[Carol Isaacson]

I understand Veolia position, but their only concern was water flow, what they consider nuisance animals, and stoping erosion quickly and inexpensively. They do not care how it looks or the impact to the neighborhood or wildlife.

When someone questioned the possible impact on the turtles, they were shocked by the question and had had no contact regarding them. They only sited the Army Core of Engineers instructions. I saw no research of any other options.

There is no real business interest for them to "soften" the impact. And with how quickly the project is scheduled to start (Sept 09) and how little notice we were given, I doubt they will modify their plan just from the comments at the meeting.

The prosed is geotext fabric covered by large rip-rap from below water level up to 1 foot from the crown or the canal. Removal of any trees on the slope and removal or some other plantings especially near east side down by the Riveria Club area.

I think most of us love the canal, and for many was one of the reasons for choses to live in Warfliegh. I would hate to see this potential assest turned into an eyesore.

Below is a letter the one attending wrote to the Greenways President to try to get some assistance.
If you are concerned, I would encourage you to do the same.


Hello Mr. Klein,

There were 6-7 Veolia staff (including two people in Communications and Commmunity Affairs) at the absurdly-eleventh-hour and perfunctory community meeting last night, but no one from the city's Waterworks board or staff.

The community expressed great concern about the adverse impacts of the proposed bank stabilization work-- which Veolia is inexplicably attempting to push through as fast as it possibly can. There was no information provided about the environmental impacts.

This is Publicly-owned land and a popular "natural" greenway and recreational trail, as I'm sure you're aware in your role as president of the Greenways Foundation.

It is unaccepatble to leave these decisions exclusively in the hands of Veolia which has a significant percentage pecuniary interest, as I recall from the management agreement, in all construction work

Is there nothing that you or our Waterworks Board are willing/able to do to protect the public interest in the greenway from being sold down the proverbial river of ugly limestone rip-rap covering the banks top to bottom, as Veolia's renderings depicted? Surely there are design alternatives and best practices which could better provide for community aesthetics and environmental quality while also stabilizing the canal banks.

The theme for this year's Indianapolis Spirit and Place Civic Festival is "Inspiring Places". Sadly, as currently proposed, this project will instead spotlight the canal greenway, and the Midtown area, as a poster child for Decimated Places.
This City will be much the poorer for it.

[Heather Lusk]

The original message from Veolia via the mayor's office stated that they would provide contact information at the meeting. Did they do that, or state whom to contact with concerns about this moving forward? If not I'm going to get in touch with Catherine Moore on Monday.

[Moira Dugan]

Please let me know what you find out, Heather. We walked into Bazbeaux's this afternoon, and there's a large stretch on the north side of the canal between the bridges that already has stone covering it. I'm not sure if this is the way it's going to look, but I can guess it will be similar. It already looks really trashy with black tarp sticking out through the rocks in several places.

[Heather Lusk]

From the WNA meeting it sounds like that's exactly how it will look. When I walked across the canal tonight back from the meeting, I looked down at the long stretch of green grass and all the trees, and can't imagine how awful it will look with just rock. I'm going to make some calls tomorrow and make sure we have all the facts before posting here with action everyone can take. Unfortunately we have a very short timeline - sounds like they're scheduled to move forward in about two weeks. Stay tuned!

[Moira Dugan]

Thanks, Heather. Let me know asap what I can do to help! I'm so pissed about this!!

[Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp]

There's an article in today's Star
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090831/LOCAL/908310347/Some+worri...

It does seem like Veolia is on the fast track to line the canal with riprap...which is UGLY!!! and is not environmentally friendly...current thinking is that banks are best protected with plants rather than ROCKS!!! There has been NO public input on this plan.

Indeed, turtle habitats would be destroyed. Department of Natural Resources will step in and review if it gets a complaint. Will the neighborhood association file a complaing?