Supposed Rain Garden Asset a Mess in Dundee

Many hundreds of thousands of dollars were recently spent to improve the street-scape of the central Dundee business district. Streets and sidewalks were improved. Multiple large trees were torn down and new saplings planted. There are new benches to sit on. A huge rock adorns one public area, as if it is something important? It certainly does not indicate anything of significance!

A key feature of the project was a supposed rain-garden, at the northwest corner of 50th Street and Underwood Avenue.

It is a forlorn and though not forgotten, continues to be a spot amidst the Dundee business district to mess with, since its final condition has not yet been met, though there have been many different things done to achieve some a whole bunch of nothing.

Looking now at this itty-bitty space at the intersection, there is nothing more than a bunch of landscape chips, a pile of dirt, a piece or two of plywood covering a hole, and an orange barrier fence and cones with OPPD lettering indicating they are there for purposes of the Omaha Public Power District. On the adjacent sidewalk, there are marks for utilities. Work was done to provide a new power connection cabinet for the nearby traffic signals.

There are no plants growing, except for one weed. It is no sort of a green space. There is, alas, no way that this place is contributing in any sort to reducing storm-water runoff, as intended by a plan presented and accepted by residents.

It seems somewhat disingenuous that the City of Omaha paid some contractor to construct a feature that is not actually in the condition as indicated by published plans. There was supposed to be a variety of plants, including,

It is not certain if and when this will occur, and this feature will become an asset to the central Dundee business district.

View on November 1st.

Swift Watching at Dundee Streetscape Dedication

On a fine October morning, many more than fifty people gathered at the corner of 50th Street and Underwood Avenue to recognize the completion of the Dundee streetscape improvement project.

Politicians talked. A local activist expressed their view. Contributors associated with the local utilities company, other contributors, etc. were also recognized by speakers the four primary speakers at the podium.

Above it all, the skies were a barren blue. Chimney swifts — the original bugeaters — coursed hither and yon up there following their natural proclivity to snag an edible morsel.

Several newly installed metallic benches have been placed at this corner. On this Thursday morning, there was the first instance when a local bird enthusiast sat down on one of these benches, and looked at the swifts in the skies above central Dundee.

Win Finegan, a local resident, was the first to appreciate the swifts as seen from these new Dundee benches. There were more than ten obvious to a watcher with the knowledge to see them going around the dome of the sky. She rode her bicycle to the morning's event. Also noticed, was one Turkey Vulture floating above the scene. Robins and grackles were also about.

During the morning, work was still underway on creating the rain garden at the same corner which will add additional flora diversity. The new trees put in place are now rather scrawny.

Win Finegan gazing up at the swifts overhead, from the comfort of one of the new streetscape benches.

The crowd at the dedication ceremony. More than 60 people attended.

Mary Romero speaking, and in the background, from right to left: Jean Stothert Mayor, and City council members Chris Jerram and Pete Festersen. New bicycle racks are visible in the background.

Mary Romero on top of the new landscape rock, that is now part of the corner setting.

Birds Surveys for Dundee Streetscape Project

Three bird surveys were done to ensure there were no active nests removed due to site preparation work associated with the Dundee Streetscape Project.

The primary survey occurred on April 9th and 10th, 2013 and was done by an associate of Alfred Benesch and Company for the City of Omaha Public Works Department.

During the visits, the 29 trees marked for removal along North 49th Street, Underwood Avenue and 50th Street were checked to determine if active nests were present.

If a nest was identified, it "was observed for any bird activity inside or around it," according to survey reports provided to the Public Works Department.

Bird nests, similar in size and construction, were noted in five trees. They were "confirmed inactive for multiple reasons such as lack of bird activity around the nest and no birds observed within the nest, especially during the colder temperatures which were present," the first report said.

Species present on the two days of the initial survey, were the House Sparrow, House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, Common Grackle, American Robin and Downy Woodpecker. A singing Northern Cardinal was heard in the vicinity.

Following the visit on the 10th, the survey contractor recommended that the marked trees be removed within a week.

Due to a delay in the removal effort, a third survey was done on April 15th, when 22 of the trees were again surveyed. Only the House Sparrow, Common Grackle and American Robin were observed.

The bird nest survey was done since the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as well as a State of Nebraska statute, prohibit the taking of an active bird nest, eggs or young.