In 2010, President Brent Jackson and the Presidents Neighborhood Association led the charge to make changes along the 50 year old fence line along Highway 41. As illustrated by the pictures below, the fence and the fence line that separates INDOT property, the City of Evansville Property, and the neighbors that lived along Harlan Avenue’s property was in bad and dire condition. Working with neighbors across the neighborhood, especially those along Harlan Avenue, Jackson worked to make changes to these conditions
After many discussions, meetings and negotiations, INDOT agreed to replace the fence along a 1/2 mile strip between Covert and Washington Avenue’s in the Presidents Neighborhood. However, they wanted to clear cut everything to the ground. Leaving the neighborhood naked to Highway 41. The neighborhood association protested and in the end agreed to provide the service of removing the fence and select growth along Highway 41 in order to preserve a vegetative line along the highway.
After key neighbors removed and disposed of the fence itself, a call-to-action was issued by Jackson and a large crew, some from the Vanderburgh County Corrections, were brought in to cut and remove vegetation and debris from City and State property. Pictures of that below.
In total, Three (3) – 40 Cu Yd. roll-off dumpsters was provided to the Presidents neighborhood by the Department of Metropolitan Development and the Weinzeapfle Administration. One neighbor brought in a skid steer to assist with all of the debris removal. Those pictures can be seen below.
By the Spring of 2011, INDOT had replaced several of the fence posts and all of the fence along the Harlan Avenue alleyway.
The above pictures show a constructively different change of landscape. A change that could not have occurred without the collaboration and cooperation of the neighbors, the City of Evansville, INDOT, and President Brent Jackson.
These are the kinds of projects that needs to be done in many places throughout the City of Evansville.