Like any good urban dispute, it seems simple enough on the surface. Along a stretch of golf course known as the Town and Country Club there is no sidewalk, but many people walk there. A well-worn dirt path to the bus stop seems out of place in the middle of the city, so paving it with concrete to look like the rest of Marshall Avenue is only logical. But is this something that the club should be charged $42,850 for – and be held responsible for keeping clean from now on? It won’t benefit them or their members, but this is how we build sidewalks in Saint Paul. A suit has been filed to stop it.
A court case over a sidewalk may seem trivial, but it’s a great illustration of how the public realm is a kind of neglected after-thought based on The Way Things Are™.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 