New construction of a large parking lot at St. James Methodist Church is but one example of the city of Greenville’s poor planning policies, and betrays the Sunday school lesson to do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Neighbors were told that trees would be left in place to maintain greenery and conceal pavement. Instead, church leaders clearcut more than a dozen mature trees. Though meeting minimum city landscaping requirements, the site will be barren and sterile.
Gone are lush residential views, and habitat for endangered bluebirds and other wildlife attracted by the adjacent greenway park. Many congregants find the added parking unnecessary, given the abutting parking lot, a new handicapped lot and ample street parking. Since leaders refused to install semi-permeable pavement, the lot increases stormwater flooding, a persistent city problem. It will worsen the urban heat island, make summer heat less tolerable, increase energy use for air conditioning and thereby accelerate climate change.
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Comments
Clear Cut has been issue for many years thanks to the council
Agree with this "Neighbors were told that trees would be left in place to maintain greenery and conceal pavement. Instead, church leaders clearcut more than a dozen mature trees. Though meeting minimum city landscaping requirements, the site will be barren and sterile." Think about years ago how our city based on requirements to not clear cut on a given date, allowed removal of trees on Arlington and the land was "raped" by builders especially Bill Dansey due to the ordinance of quote "protection" of trees by builders at a later date. So what happened were the "Bill Dansey's" of the Greenville mentality decided to clear the land before it would be an issue. We lost lovely trees and habitat for birds and other creatures based off of greed. Nothing has been built in these areas but now what was a beautiful corridor is a barren beast and by the original builder was established as a neighborhood with lovely "country living". Yeah right now looks like a pathetic overgrown (thank God some smaller trees and bushes grew back, but the Oaks, and other trees are now long gone)! area of shrubbery. Those who purchased the properties were sold a bill of goods, and lost the barrier of sound, enjoyment of wild life, only for what? Let's just clearcut the whole city of Greenville and call it Concreteville!
Much ado about nothing
There wasn't much flora or fauna that this bunch decries on that lot in the first place. A few scrub pines, a grassy area and few insignificant bushes. In fact, a house and yard once was on that lot. I can hardly see getting all worked up into a froth like this over a little bit of nothing. If we were talking about old growth forest, that'd be one thing. However, we're talking about a pretty vacant lot in a residential area. Nice try ladies. Next time, lay off the minosas before writing this kind of screed.
I was agreeing with you until you started with the
"accelerate climate change"...........now I doubt evrything you said!
*lADIES--surely you didn't
*lADIES--surely you didn't think these people would honor such an agreement. even the most well intentioned people will change their minds if certain facts are later met with opportunity.
*this article sounds like a bunch of environmental radical women got together at lunch to compile this bunch of junk. they probably like AL GORE!
*i like trees and i'm sorry they cut them down--for SOME of the same reasons in your article.
*i recongnized some of the group names--downtowners--been one myself--but not one who wanted the taxpayers of greenville to spend ??????????????????of taxpayer money to re-vitalize the downtown area.
Church Parking
I agree ladies.
The church need to be taxed in order to replace the trees
and wildlife habitat destroyed by their parking lot.
Who do they think they are anyway ?
Misplaced anger
So, you're mad at the city because the church cut down trees?
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