Louisville Mojo: Are Those Rocks Legal at Furman and Taylorsville?

Realizing that my blog is going to go front and center on Louisville Mojo, I admit that this may be irrelevant to the majority of Mojo members, since my focus is my neighborhood.

But then again, a lot of people are receiving enjoyment from what I write, and I now have a good quality digital camera now, so let the muck-raking begin.

The problem I am muck-raking today is these big rocks in the garden at Taylorsville and Furman in the Highgate Springs Neighborhood Association garden. Fact: this garden is in a public easement. I noticed them this weekend.

These are a public safety hazard.

While I may be taking too much credit, within three (3) hours after my post about the sign and the garden, the "Luv-It Landscaping" sign was gone. Whether we were all thinking the same thing, or someone on the Highgate Springs NA board is a regular reader is only a guess.

Anyway, when the Highgate Springs NA was negotiating for Ellen Call's office to pay for the "sign" at the intersection of Furman and Taylorsville Rd, (we) were told by public safety officials that nothing could be part of the sign that was going to create a risk to traffic. Thus, no rocks or masonary-type fencing.

Thus the sign was supposed to be a breakaway sign--which it has at least twice during icy or snowy weather.

Ellen Call was nice to find money to fix it twice, which eventually meant a single face and not the old double-face after the second time due what I understood to be a funding problem.

Again, the sign with its little garden looks nice--don't get me wrong, but the rocks pose a liability. he rocks could be a barrier to protect the sign, but I question their appropriateness and legality given all the restrictions Metro Public Safety officials placed on the options when approving the sign in the first place.

Furthermore, the damage they could cause to a car not making the turn in icy and snowy conditions could be grounds for a liability claim. I shudder to guess who would be at liability?

Since they have not been posting their meeting minutes to their website, I could not tell whether they paid for the rocks or whether Brent's office paid for the rocks? My gut says that Highgate Springs NA did.

This is something for 311. I plan to make a phone call tomorrow.

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dennisc83 sun dec 13 2009 at 8:35 pm ·


	Don't really see that it matters. I live in this neighborhood as well. However, you'd first have to manage to drive up a 6-7" curb before you can even consider hitting the rocks...And of course, if someone crashed upon them in icy conditions it would be their own fault anyway (see reckless driving) for not driving at a speed appropriate for the weather conditions.

GtownGuy mon dec 14 2009 at 11:25 am ·


	I remember when Highgate Springs was a newborn infant. (My aunt & uncle took me to the Grand Opening.) Those original "trendy" California-style flat roofs were probably much more hazardous to the well-being of the buying public than these rocks - which fondly remind me of the existence of SNOW SHARKS.

diverdude mon dec 14 2009 at 12:02 pm ·


	With all the crime and suffering going on in this city, and growing in this area of the city, we are all of the sudden worried about some rocks. !st question i have is are they the size someone can pick up and throw through a window, very doubtful. Second questions is, why not use your energy and do something worthwhile for the community. Something this trivial is from someone that has no business owning acomputer and being allowed to comeup with goofy things such as this. Next you are going to want all the birds that fly over the area to carry poop bags so as not to get that area dirty,lol. They say it takes all kinds to make up this world. Those rocks are very nicelloking for what they are intended. You need to deal with real issue instead of creating problems.

Steve Magruder tue dec 15 2009 at 4:30 pm ·


	diverdude, all citizens have a right to have a say as to how their community is shaped. Whether you agree with it or not, Bon Air Observer stated her case about this being a potential hazard (and that's not necessarily trivial). If you think "more important" things need to be worked on, then work on them. To each his own.

diverdude tue dec 15 2009 at 5:44 pm ·


	Wow, seemsi have been madeto actually see the light, your right, there are more trivial things. LIke the 2l ittle girls that were run over by a criminal trying to evade the police, Not as important as the rocks, . Or the Guy that ran through the accident on preston hiway where a police chase followed with an officer being hurt and a man being shot, no, not as important as THE ROCKS. All i am saying is, if you want to do something about the way things are, do something important, like form a neighborhood watch group, how many times have you helped a neighbor in distress. How many times have you stopped on the troad to render aid to somone that you dont even know. BUt wait, maybe you have a personal relationship with those rocks, in that case i am sorry if i offended you by talking about how trivial the rocks really are to public safety. By no means should such a huge safety problem be ignored in this community, Maybe the neighbor hood association can hire a gaurd service to make sure that people are safe from this menace. Or maybe we can erect plaques to those

diverdude tue dec 15 2009 at 6:02 pm ·


	If anyone really wants to get involved in how there community is run or how safe it is, there are many organizations that have FREE training in each area that you may want to be involved with. The is a group called citizens corp that has need for people that want to help make a difference in there community, There are reserve medical corps, volunteers in policing, americorp, CERT team training, The whole thing in short is if you want to make a difference, you have to organize, develope a plan, and then carry that plan through. Anyone wanting any info on anything that can help there comunity i am always up for chat on that. I can talk the tlak, cause i really have walked the walk and still to this day continue to walk that walk, cause i feel that my actions will and do speak louder than any words that can be written. I have been a very active volunteer in community safety for well over 30 years now. and dont intend to give up until i am planted deep in the ground. I challenge Chuck and the NOJO group to form some kind of citizens group to be there in case of emergencies and disasters, They really do seem to care about the community. ALl anyone has to do is contact me, i am available and willing to help anyone, anytime, anywhere. So there i have placed before you the ideas, now who will act on them.

Steve Magruder tue dec 15 2009 at 6:21 pm ·


	diverdude, you're missing the point, I think. If you think more important things need to be worked on, then work on them! Don't p*ss on others' efforts just because you don't deem them "important". If you don't think they're important, then don't participate in that matter. (Note that there's nothing most of us can do about an ongoing trial. The system is doing its work without most of us, by design.) Sometimes I wonder if all the apathy that exists in this town is due to people acting you are right now, putting down someone when they dare try to care about something and do something about it.

Jimmy Upton #318682 thu dec 17 2009 at 7:41 pm ·


	Nobody cares about this because it is not news. I find it hilarious that someone has enough time in their life to stop, walk by, and snap pictures of a pointy rock. I support the pointyness of this rock and salute it for "sticking-out." I will take into consideration the complaint towards the defendant, in this case, "Rock" and offer a solution that will leave both "Bon Air Observer" and "Rock" satisfied. Solution: "Rock," you do not have to move an inch. You may continue resting there night and day, rain or shine. After many decades of rain and shine, you will erode and become less ....obtuse. "Bon Air Observer," this rock problem will solve itself, as you see, he is sitting outside. This menace to society will eventually erode away and become round, like so many other rocks you don't complain about; thus leaving all terrible drivers that swerve across the medians into island and other lanes of traffic safer. -Jimmy Upton

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