Sarah Fitzpatrick-Heinz

Member since October 15, 2024

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Sarah Fitzpatrick-Heinz2 years ago A glance at google maps shows how little business and many apartments (flat roofs) use rooftop space. I know it likely isn’t cheap and roofs have to be reinforced to put things and people up there but I think roof top gardens that are also useable spaces. I’ve also seen something recently about vertical gardens on outside walls. It helps cool the buildings and less air conditioning is needed. The Plaza, UMKC, downtown, schools etc…It’s only getting hotter. Yes we have lovely parks and BLVDS but we need to really integrate shade and green space throughout all the business districts so it is less concrete jungle. For example the Main St bridge crossing Brush Creek may as well be in southern Johnson county. Brush creek would look much nicer if they went with hanging vines and less of that garden bed look. Build wire arches and tunnels to grow vines (Maybe also way more pedestrian bridges and yes i’m including Brookside Blvd.) It’s unfortunate they diverted the actual brook to the sewer.In San diego they grow that beautiful vine over ugly cement walls on their freeways…it has red blooms. Not sure of the name but we have it in our back yard. we have tons of vines and ivy that grows well here. Also alley ways can be covered with wire to grow it. Little coffee shops can be put in those spots. We need way more shaded outdoor useable space in our commercial areas. It can be done in so many unique and fun ways but please encourage it. Let’s make the city a giant urban garden. Pedestrian walkways and sidewalks can be covered in areas so we can grow little nature tunnels. Light water misters would also be nice. I swear i heard Atlanta has them. And way more rain gardens esp on the strip of grass by the sidewalks. Homeowners need to consider dif material or not one giant piece of concrete for a driveway. If utility companies like water, electric and gas (and the city maybe )could provide rebates, charge less (or charge people more by the foot for massive slabs of concrete and asphalt (esp business) or help with the cost of plants and better greener ways to build drives and parking lots. (God if parking lots aren’t the ugliest things around. The little sad islands aren’t fooling anyone. There must be a better way. Dual usage??? I’ve seen some also used as community gardens with wood planters, but we need to think outside the box on those. Just think of what an eyesore Ward Parkway Mall is or the Costco and Home Depot? The buildings are hideous and the parking lots are as well. They are sweltering monstrosities in the summer. There must be better ways. Businesses get tax breaks too which sickens me but i digress…however considering that I think not being ugly and also a major source of runoff when it rains that pollutes our streams and rivers should be discussed with existing eyesores and new ones that want to come in. And that would include green roof tops and vertical planting on their walls. Another thing the water company needs too charge more for folks who have the drainage go straight down their drive to the storm drains. A lot of house flippers do that bc it costs less. Also more use of native plants which I do see more and more and it’s very pretty. Moss instead of all lawns and grass.and of course as i said vines to cover ugly parking garages and walls Way more trees. I could go on and on. That and use some of our blvds for community gardens. It’s just grass sitting there. And plant for all seasons.There are so many different ways and types of of gardens and landscapes. It dosent all have to be so prim and proper with flower beds and grass. I’m just thinking I guess hanging gardens, mediterranean styles.The plaza could use more of that and less boring flower beds. (They are pretty but mix it up. Let’s live in a garden city not always have specific spots and beds . A big hedge maze would also be cool to put somewhere and more ponds with moss. Maybe let citizens esp those of us living at home or renting which garden some of the grassy blvds just sitting around. I bet people would come up with some really great and unique gardens. Everytime they tear down some beautiful old building that was left to rot they tend to take out the trees and foliage and put up that southern Johnson county blah!! It’s awful. So yeh, Im on a tangent but we need to think outside the box on plants bc they help with heat and with water runoff. And we need to am for not just one or two styles of landscaping and gardening. Yes it is pretty but boring and rain gardens are a must. And more swings and play equipment for adults. Roanoke Park has a cool playground and a secret swing set that sit high so adult can play. Less exercise equipment in parks. Let adults have our own playgrounds. And cool seating that swings and you can lounge on. Just think of all the variety of gardening and landscaping that could be done. We fine one or two things we like and then everything has to look like that. I know Im on a tangent but light pollution in this city is outrageous. You look up to the night sky and see nothing. And i think it’s unfortunate bc seeing at least a star or two makes you contemplate your place in the world. there are easy fixes one is making it so all the street lights or most of them are covered on the sides and point down and also passing sow thing that says porch lights and all other lights on your house are certain watts and also are covered on the sides and point down or encouraging people to turn them off when everyone is in for the night. Use little twinkle solar lights. but it sucks. I understand peoples concerns in the dark but there has got to be a way to compromise. They added a street light to my street which was absolutely unnecessary. I used to love as a kid when the one right outside would burn out and the city would take like years to come fix it. But it seems really messed up that we have essentially ruined night for the many people who like it. It is natural and part of nature. I would love to see ordinances passed on the ones owned by the city and the ones people have all over there house. wattage, covered on the sides, hell make the street lights motion activated.

Sarah Fitzpatrick-Heinz2 years ago By THOSE i mean the ones that me and my friends and most people I talk too have shot up like weeds. They are everywhere including the suburbs. They have commercial space on the bottom and apts above-39th and Stateline, 51st and Main, 51st and Oak, Over by At Luke’s, over in Waldo. They are hideous. I might hate them less if they weren’t being built where an old lovely building was torn down. Sometimes a building in good condition. Sometimes not, tho certainly find it suspect that the areas where the buildings were so poorly maintained are places on or right off the plaza. Couldn’t keep up the buildings even though landlords could charge ridiculous rent?!? It would be nice if the city would look into that bc we have lost gorgeous buildings where the landlord is just refusing upkeep. Not to mention the old school buildings like Bryant we have just rotting away all over town. It was a lovely school .And it’s not okay in any neighborhood. It’s a shame whether it’s the plaza or not. We are ripping our history down. They finally tore down that old church on the Plaza. I love it when the star writes an article which they did about the old Paseo high school a while back. I’d forgotten how angry people were about that and the article talked about regret.Of course they tore it down and then like twenty years later we lament it in the paper. They may as well do it for that old church on the plaza. Just write it now and publish it in 25 years when we wish we hadn’t done it. They are also gutting house all over the city. House flippers leave an old exterior outside and a JOCO hell on the inside. They rip all our old houses down to the studs and these aren’t people who are wanting to live there and raise a family. I may hate it but it’s your house and there is a difference.It’s companies coming in and kind pretending they are going to live there, they ruin it and leave. It’s just a shell. And of course it’s companies bc no one can afford a damn house or rent for that matter. I voted years ago to revamp the downtown. Didn’t realize at the time my tax money would go to fixing up an area I will never be able to afford. I worry about the fixing up they are doing off Paseo bc it’s is near downtown and I believe it deserved to be fixed up (I want all the neighborhoods in tiptop shape) but I’m very distrustful that they will price everyone out. It’s not okay. It needs to be addressed as does some kind of rent control. We have empty buildings people can’t afford and empty pretty old rotting buildings just rotting away and homeless people living in parks,on benches, under bridges and under passes. That is for another comment thread. what i will say is could they not at least use nicer brick for these hideous weed apartments. The brick part is even ugly!! How do you mess up bricks? and maybe paint them some thing other than beige. . They are are just god awful to look at but make them fun vibrant different colors ( and mean actual colors blues and reds and something vibrant and fun. Maybe paint designs around the windows, some accents something but I think the city and neighborhood associations need to put there foot down. That they need to make them some how somewhat pleasing to the eye and unique as you can with a cheap building that’s built to last only thirty years or they can’t build them. Honestly we need to be thinking long term. We can’t keep building trash that rots has to be torn down. All we do is talk in the country and this world. We could be a city that actually tries to build quality things. repair old things and work on a sustainable city. Wouldn’t that be something different for a change. All of the things we know need to be done and changes we have to make as a species on a massive scale, what if we as a city actually came together and we did it here. Actually became a community again and said we are gonna try. and not just with this stuff but to actually take care of each other, the “least”among us and have pride in the stuff we have built and be that change. That i think would be cool. hard work but we could be a proud American city