5 Comments

  1. By Ben Connor Barrie
    May 13, 2011 at 3:07 pm | permalink

    Cercis canadensis. Ironically it’s range hardly extends into Canada!

  2. By suswhit
    May 13, 2011 at 3:23 pm | permalink

    oh, that reminds me of those beautiful old dark-leaved redbuds in front of the library that they took out to make room for the crappy new trip hazard.

  3. By Donna Estabrook
    May 16, 2011 at 4:26 pm | permalink

    The redbud trees in front of the library were, indeed, beautiful and it is too bad that they are gone. However, when construction began on the underground parking lot, the wheelchair ramp to the library was blocked off by the fencing around the work-site. A new wheelchair ramp had to be installed. In order to make room for it (and not block the sidewalk) the large planter containing the redbud trees and other lovely plants was removed. The new ramp is not very attractive but I have never tripped over/on/off it. My daughter, who uses a wheelchair, finds the new ramp a vast improvement over the old one which was steeper and narrower and therefore harder for her to use than the new one. I have heard favorable comments from others who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs. So, there is a silver lining. I hope that when the parking project is complete that we can have as useful a ramp as we have now and some beautiful plants as well.

  4. By Tom Bayer
    May 17, 2011 at 6:59 pm | permalink

    I have pointed out the major problems and effective solution for the ramp ever since March 2010. I’m not laboring under the misconception that anything will be done until an unscrupulous, disabled person and their amoral lawyer stages a mishap and sues the city big time. I will then send a copy (which I originally emailed every AADL board member) to Ann Arbor.com.
    Arrogance by the Powers That Be will come back to bite them on some posterior body part.

  5. By Vivienne Armentrout
    May 17, 2011 at 8:48 pm | permalink

    The disconcertingly uneven and previously difficult to see stairs on the other side from the ramp have now been improved by the addition of a pair of railings. I’m glad they did that. I took the ramp today just in case.