NU broke ground approx 10 days ago and the "scheduled remodelling" of the West Lot has progressed substantially. That long awaited (and often objected-to) 7-ft high cyclone fence has been erected, around the entire perimeter of the entire West Lot - from Central to Isabella and Ashland to the west alley. The powers that be for NU and the City of Evanston cut down any and all trees & brush (much of it an eye-sore to be frank) from the 4-foot "parkway strip" east between the alley and the parking lot tarmac - from Livingston St (the homestead) south to Mustards. The same will happen for the strip north of Livingston to Isabella this week. Piles of excess dirt (NU had atttempted to raise a 3-ft dirt berm or mound on the strip with bushes of its own planted to stop erosion several times in the past - and all failed miserably) and the cut-down foliage are piled high on the tarmac basically on/around the "Family Tailgate" area (in prep for haul-away, I suppose). I've owned the property at the corner of Livingston and Eastwood since 1984 and always had a view of "The Collesium" interrupted by this tree line - some trees having grown some 40 ft tall or more - and it's all no more. And it looks so different... and strange. The city also cut all the trees and brush from the west side of the alley as well... so now there is an unobstructed view of the alley and the newly erected cyclone fence - an equally strange and eerie sight since the view was always masked by many over-grown and under-maintained flowering elderberry bushes and its own huge tree line as well for those 49 years. Now it's all open and to be sure, it's not a "pretty sight." In fact, my initial description/reaction of the uninterrupted line-of-sight rom by back yard to the fence could be summed-up in a single word - antisceptic. That original tree-line gave my backyard enclosed look that was rather "homey". Now that's all a memory - along with unwelcome recollections of those inebriated louts (mostly visiting fans) using my garage as their own personal pee-wall.
The ongoing plans call for NU to extend the parkway strip another 5-6 ft into the parking lot side (making the strip approx 8-10 ft wide) and to plant shrubs and smaller final-growth trees on this new parkway strip after the strip gets its finishing touches via a concrete sidewalk and a flanking curb to hold it all in. That newly planted vegitation will diminish the eyesore sight of the fence somewhat from the NU side of things looking west, but nothing is to be done regarding any re-planting for the cut-down foliage on the properties adjacent to the west edge of the alley - so the eerie antisceptic visage will remain for the foreseeable future.
So life goes on; and the only constant in life is change. And this one is quite something odd to behold. The inconvenience of walking around the fence has yet to be experienced... but it's gonna happen and that item too will take some "getting used-to."
In the meantime, decades-long perennial parking pass holders, many of whom have become dear friends over the years, have been shuffled and re-shuffled by the NU athletic office power brokers - many of which, now, have lost the priveledge of spending $25 buck-oes for the convienience of using the lot on game day. And like a kidney stone, the sting of this inconvenience will pass as well. All in the name of progress
The ongoing plans call for NU to extend the parkway strip another 5-6 ft into the parking lot side (making the strip approx 8-10 ft wide) and to plant shrubs and smaller final-growth trees on this new parkway strip after the strip gets its finishing touches via a concrete sidewalk and a flanking curb to hold it all in. That newly planted vegitation will diminish the eyesore sight of the fence somewhat from the NU side of things looking west, but nothing is to be done regarding any re-planting for the cut-down foliage on the properties adjacent to the west edge of the alley - so the eerie antisceptic visage will remain for the foreseeable future.
So life goes on; and the only constant in life is change. And this one is quite something odd to behold. The inconvenience of walking around the fence has yet to be experienced... but it's gonna happen and that item too will take some "getting used-to."
In the meantime, decades-long perennial parking pass holders, many of whom have become dear friends over the years, have been shuffled and re-shuffled by the NU athletic office power brokers - many of which, now, have lost the priveledge of spending $25 buck-oes for the convienience of using the lot on game day. And like a kidney stone, the sting of this inconvenience will pass as well. All in the name of progress
