Beechmont Neighborhood Association

A story about Southern Parkway

Who's in charge

Concerning Southern Parkway: the Parkway is not an ordinary street. It is a municpal park. a linear park. The rules for it are not the same as the rules for a street. It is not an easement. It is owned in fee-simple title by the city of Louisville and therefore is the property of all it's citizens. Those who live along it's borders have no more rights in it than any other citizen. It is a recreational passageway which happens to serve as a transportation corrider. It is under the control of the Dept. of Parks. It is a National Register Property, having been designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, recognized as the father of Landscape Architecture in this country, and completed in 1893.

Many of our citizens use the Parkway for the recreational value it offers. That is why we had all those stake-holder meetings a few years back. That recreational usage was almost destroyed by the abuses( many of them Parking) along its corridor. It has been a many year effort to give it back to the people. For that reason , the Olmsted Conservency, a non-profit agency formed for the purpose of restoring and protecting the public works of Olmsted in this city, has been working on a phamphlet listing the rules and regulations concerning the Parkway. We still do not have that.

Meantime the problems go on. New people moving in along the Parkway have not been involved in this long journey, for the most part. They seem to view the Parkway corridor as an extension of their yards or an auxiallary parking lot, neither of which it is.


We have a valuable asset in the Parkway. It is extremely fortunate that we have it in our neighborhood. It can give us a little clout with other things that are going on around here, because it is a park and it is on National Register. In the meantime, we can enjoy it's restored recreationl quality in a way that was not available for years.

Public Works role

Point of Information: When the model block project (4500 west side)
of Southern Parkway was finished, the residents wanted to know what they could do about parking for special occassions. ( I know this story because I was there. I orchestrated the recaonstruction with the neighbors at the request of the then alderman, David Banks) The answer was to apply to Public Works for a permit to park on the asphalt. It wasn't long before Mary Lou Northern made that request for her brother"s wedding and it was granted. I believe there was another occurrence. Works issued printed permits that were on every windshield. At least one resident walked the Parkway to check those permits to be sure they were valid.

This block was the first full block to be completed. With the finish of other blocks that prohibitted parking, and there were diverse reasons for that, the practice was carried on down the Parkway. At no time to my knowledge, was a permit given that gave people the right to park on the Parkway grass.

Now, why was Public Works given this job if the Parks Dept. is the custodian of the Parkway? I would think that the Parkway being a designated right-of-way by City ordinance is the reason. Works has had the responsibilty of taking care of the Parkway's right -of - way status and that includes signage and the asphalt service drives. They have done a great deal of the renovation work and they are the responsible party for capital maintenance of the right of ways. especially in the main roadway, except where State highway 1020 runs from Harlan Ave and Wayside Park to Woodlawn, where it turns left and goes over to Third. This is the responsibily of the State Highway Dept. as is the Watterson interchange. The parkway has a non=revocable easement over that section and ordinary maintenance is the responsibility of Dept of Parks. There seems to be a grey area as far as capital maintenance in this section and that is apparently why it got into such a dire state of raggedyness. Thanks to a State grant from Senator Dan Seum and Mark Conders liason role in the area, that is finally being rectified.

So now you have it in a nut shell. If anyone can add anything to this please do so. In the meantime, remember, it has taken a lot of dedicated and concernerned citizens to bring the Parkway to it's present state of upkeep and usefulness. Linda Daniels, Bernie Roach, Jeanie Conder regularly walk the Parkway, picking up the trash that careless motorists litter it with as well as the debris left from wrecks when the people involved do not clean up. This past year these three dedicated citizens walked the Parkway and took an inventory of the trees, identifying those that should be in the maintenance plan. there have been many more like them and there are many more unsung heroes doing their share to keep the Parkway in it's Parklike ways, whether it be picking up trash, removing illegal yard sale, real estate, or any other kind of sign that unthinking or uncaring people tack up on the trees or stick in the ground. I see them daily with their plastic bags, stuffing them full of garbage, and now that we have finally gotten trash containers that are presentable, stashing them and pulling out a new bag to fill. I thank you one and all. I am no longer able to do that and I appreciate it that those that can, do.

This summer, the recreational traffic on the Parkway has been heavy and heartwarming. Whole families go down on their bikes, pushing trams, pulling wagons, sailing on skate boards, roller blading, singly or in pairs, walking running or just strolling. It is s steady stream past my window and it goes on nearly 24 hours. I would have given my right arm to have had this facilty when my children were little. We didn't even have contious sidewalks that one could safely push a tram down We can not let this wonderful Parkway get away from us. We must continue to work and insist on its upkeep.

I have been asked by at least one board member as to why this kind of
volunteer help is needed. Don't we pay taxes? Oh yes, we do, but they are apparently not enough to keep our Parkway in decent shape without the volunteer effort. If you don't believe me, go look at Alogonquin. Or what was Northwestern, if you cn find it.

Elizabeth Rieber, Historic Preservaion

Parking Regulations

With the problems we have had with parking, especially in the east side of the Parkway, A change in responsibilty
has taken place. Works is no longer issueing parking permits for special occasions. Parks is, through the Olmsted Conservancy. so if you need more parking that you own property will provide, Please call the Conservancy and request a permit for the occassion you will need to park in front of your house. Permits for each of your guests will be issued.

Thank You

Email us
emrieber@hotmail.com