No, this is not about vampires (although in a way it is, too) - anytime we think of the changes wrought by McMaster in the name of parking, we need only to look across the creek to get a reflection of what was.
Above is the scene west of McMaster's parking lot (obviously not taken in winter) - this is what is buried beneath the fill and the pavement that elevated McMaster's parking lot above the floodplain level, taking away that natural diverse function -- and replacing it with a place to store cars.
Even recent positive developments creating a naturalized buffer between cars and creek can't address the fact that it is all done atop the fill that keeps the land above the flood levels.
Floodplains are important ecologically special areas and habitat. So the buffer is better than pavement, but it's not the real deal in terms of what the area was before, and with the right conditions, could be again.
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| March 2011, McMaster Parking Lot M |
Until that day, we are thankful for positive developments, and thankful too that across the creek, there is a largely undisturbed reflection of what was.
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Here's another mirror scene that doesn't quite add up: http://youtu.be/j5lU52aWTJo
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