Objections to the pond

Here are some of the reasons I have for opposing the use of the entire field at 43rd St. E. and 19th Ave. S. for a stormwater runoff pond.

1. The pond would take away one of the few remaining open spaces in our part of town.
2. The nearby parks - Sibley and Hiawatha - are overrun with children on some nights and on weekends, the demand for open space is so high.
3. The water runoff problem has been largely fixed and additional ponds don't seem necessary as we haven't had significant flooding in the areas adjacent to the field. Some flooding at the corner of 44th and 19th does occur, but perhaps the remedy is to enlarge one of the existing ponds just inside the golf course from that location?
4. The city is now experimenting with pervious surfaces, making water ponds less necessary.
5. City residents are building rain gardens and installing rain barrels, making water ponds less necessary than they once were.
6. The city's own stormwater report out last month said there are no "hotspots" anywhere in the city.
7. The field would be put to better use if it hosted a bike path connecting the path that ends on the north side of Lake Hiawatha to the path along Minnehaha Creek.
8. The field would be put to better use if a section of it hosted a community vegetable garden, helping us connect with our neighbors while offsetting the rapidly rising cost of food.

A pricy pond

The city wants to build a holding pond for stormwater runoff on the field at 43rd St. E. and 19th Ave. S., a field the neighborhood uses for recreation.

Something worth knowing:
The cost of maintaining a pond each year: $18,344, according to the city's 2008 stormwater management program report.

That's per pond, per year.

The city has 16 ponds already.