News from a Sustainable Shelby

Chatting last Thursday night in the Bridges cavern with several people who were part of Sustainable Shelby's creation, I heard 2 pieces of good news:

• MLG&W is collaboratively and successfully resolving its issues with the Unified Development Code. As our utility was the only public voice of opposition to the UDC at the Land Use Control Board, this hopefully means passage in the near future of this progressive development toolkit.


• Rebuilding of the Greater Memphis Greenline's Wolf River bridge will start this fall and the Greenline should open, from Tillman to Farm Road, by spring 2010.

The Greenline and the UDC are just 2 of the many organizations and efforts that Sustainable Shelby has federated into a single plan. Movement sustainability comes from these orgs' independent devotion to an environmentally sustainable, urban future for Memphis and Shelby County. If the umbrella organization were to disappear tomorrow, the forward push into that future would not.

Public Input about Dis/Connections

From Shelby Farms Park Conservancy and the Greatest Memphis Greenline:

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Shelby County Government and Greater Memphis Greenline have announced two public input meetings for discussion of the design and management of the new urban greenway connecting Midtown Memphis to Shelby Farms Park.

• July 6 from 7pm-9pm at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Avenue.


• July 7 from 6pm-8pm at Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road.

The meetings will be an opportunity for citizens to talk about the opportunities and challenges that come with greenways and will feature national trails expert Robert Searns. Representatives from Ritchie Smith Associates, the trail designer, will also be present.

The greenway—a former rail corridor being converted into a multi-use path—will stretch from Tillman Street at Walnut Grove Road to Shelby Farms Park, connecting neighborhoods and providing a safe opportunity for people to recreate, commute and exercise.

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy will manage and operate the greenway, with support from Greater Memphis Greenline—a nonprofit organization whose mission is to collaborate in a public-private partnership with local government in the development of unused railway right-of ways and easements in Memphis and Shelby County, and to create a world-class recreational park/hiking-biking trail system.

And from the Memphis Regional Design Center:

Are you concerned about the designs of our highway interchanges?

Then plan to attend the

TDOT Public Hearing to review proposals for the I-55/Crump Blvd. interchange Tuesday, July 7th, 6 to 8 pm Central Station Corner of S. Main & G.E. Patterson

The redesign of the I-55/Crump interchange will have a major impact on the future of the Historic Marine Hospital, the National Ornamental Metal Museum and surrounding developments. Please plan to attend this important meeting that will clearly impact this important Downtown Memphis neighborhood.

There's a FAQ from TDOT on their proposed changes.

Greenlined!

Mark the County Commission's approving the purchase of the Greenline by taking a Google Earth based trip from Midtown to Cordova,



Or if you want to explore it yourself (without getting up), check out the route in Google Maps, or play with it in Google Earth.

3 observations:

1. the organization called the Greater Memphis Greenline seems marginalized in the recent progress. They have rated nary a mention in the most recent stories. Meanwhile, Shelby Farms is all over the story, as fundraiser and manager, after little mention before (other than as eastern terminus). Something is missing here. Perhaps, as the deal with CSX came closer, the quasinonymous purchase group called Memphis Community Connector gave their funds to Shelby Farms who in turn donated them to Shelby County. But why is Greater Memphis Greenline, after being the apparent public face for so long, now barely mentioned? Doesn't matter as far as Greenlining goes, of course, but the true story would help the next citizen activist push the boulder up and over the hill.
   


2. Fewer and fewer articles refer to it as "the Greenline". Recent stories have called it a walking trail or the CSX trail. On top of that, I've heard rumors that Shelby Farms will rename it. While I'm neutral about the last issue (if it is an issue), I'm not neutral about this (if it is an issue). Greenline is a great simple name. Greenline.
   


3. Shelby Farms' stewardessship could mean the Wolf River Bridge is repaired much more quickly, which would be a very good thing.
   
   
   
   
   
   Crossing the Wolf is the Greenline's premier "wow!" moment.
   

Greenline Update

Here's the latest word from the Greater Memphis Greenline's Bob Schreiber:

Our negotiating team again just recently met with a senior representative of CSX, in preparation for a final sale at a fair price. The CSX negotiators agreed that the best use of the space is for a trail. This is a large step forward for us. On the other hand, the value of the land is still a major sticking point. At the moment, there is a quiet period in negotiations which ends June 22. We will continue to put updates as they come available on our website, www.greatermemphisgreenline.org

CSX is clearing a swath in order to make room for their very large machine which pulls up their track. They have a senior arborist as a part of their crew, and they promise that they will take as few of the larger trees as they can.

They are starting on the North side of Shelby Farms, and will work their way West. They hope it should take no more than three months to have the entire line cleared. We hope to have completed the purchase by then, and have it given to the county, which will then issue the Memorandum of Understanding to us. There is a second machine which we hope to have in place as soon as possible which grinds up the gravel underlayment, crushes it, and tamps it down...and we have a useable trail. As soon as it is legal, we will begin scheduling cleanup days!

Since the negotiation period ended this past Monday, hopefully we'll hear some good news soon.

For those inclined, here's the decision that extended the negotiating period and my earlier recap of the issues.