Is Half The Dirt Better Than All The Dirt?

By Lana Stein

Summer 2004

Bus shelter at Waterman and Skinker, with MetroLink noise-under-ground advertising, as discussed by source caption. Photographer not credited.

Historical Summer 2004 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

In order to ensure honesty in communication, please understand that I have been very involved in this story.

When trucks filled with dirt began running north on Des Peres, I became very concerned about the noise, the uncovered dirt, and the shaking that my house experienced.

I initially called the Metro (formerly Bi-State) hotline.

My call was returned the same day.

I was told basically to grin and bear it because Metro would open the Des Peres cul-de-sac and there would be trucks going up Des Peres till at least the end of October. Although the person on the phone was nice, I didn’t believe I or my house could take the constant truck traffic.

The next day I called Alderman Krewson.

She said she would set up a meeting to discuss this.

The following week on Wed. we met at the Street Dept.

In addition to myself, SDCC President Joe Keaveny and Transportation Chair Dan Schesch were there to meet with the Streets Director, 4 people from Metro and one from Tarlton, the firm constructing the part of the MetroLink extension by our neighborhood.

We from the neighborhood protested the heavy and dirty truck traffic.

We were told that there had been a delay in the relocation of utilities; the contractor had gone ahead with pylons near Skinker, which meant that dirt from the tunnel excavations could not be hauled out the Parkway onto Skinker.

We questioned this strategy but to no avail.

The folks from Metro and Tarlton showed no sympathy with our concerns. Lyda suggested using Washington U’s land just south of the Parkway.

They said it would be very expensive and Wash U would not agree.

I left this meeting very disheartened.

The next day, as I had no meetings or classes, I was going to a ball game with several friends.

While getting ready, I found out Lyda Krewson was on my street watching the trucks.

She had been following them. Also, miraculously Jaime Allman of Channel 4 appeared and did a story with great visuals about the dirt, the trucks, the routes. Krewson, Msgr. Polizzi, and I all contacted Mayor Slay about the trucks.

He had a meeting in his office that afternoon with Larry Salci, head of Metro, Lyda Krewson and others.

After considering the situation, the Mayor decided to side with Krewson and the neighbors and see that the trucks went south on DesPeres to Lindell and then over to Skinker. Alderman Krewson also asked Chancellor Mark Wrighton of Washington University about the possibility of having the contractor take the trucks out to Skinker over the land owned by the university on the southeast corner, adjacent to the construction site. Chancellor Wrighton said yes and stated the university’s desire to work with the neighborhood in finding a solution. Metro, however, stated rather quickly that the “overland” solution would cost nearly $ 3 million dollars additional, and that rather too logical solution died on the vine. Judge David Dowd was approached for a temporary order.

The Caitlin track (Lindell) then asked to become part of the case. Judge Dowd, after listening to various lawyers, decided there should be 2 routes available to Metro: Lindell and DesPeres north to Delmar.

We were ready to testify as to the condition of Des Peres, how close the dwelling units are to the street, the number of children playing during the summer. Since there is a sink hole on Des Peres now, on the east sidewalk side, between McPherson and Kingsbury, we wondered if the street could handle 100 trucks going and then coming back 6 days a week.

As the situation now stands, a settlement has been signed, and the results will be in evidence very soon. Is it fair?

I let the reader judge. (Metro coverage continued on page 4.)