Every day I learn something new. I talked to some landscape/walkway specialists, and I was told that decomposed granite is what was used to pave one part of the new “walkway” recently installed by the city. One thing is for sure—it can and most often does get mushy when wet. Maybe the city can put up a sign warning people not to walk in that area on rainy or drizzly days as the stuff sticks to shoes. Also, the fine gravel will stick to paws of dogs (or other animals I guess). I shuddered to think what my beautiful high heels will look like if I end up walking there. How about the shoes of visitors to the many festivals, including Pageant of the Masters? All nicely dressed, they park their cars (if they can find a space) and will to walk to their events with yucky shoes with little bits of gravel sticking to them. Also, don’t know what happens if someone in a wheelchair or other walking support implement uses this area to walk through. I’m confused, that was the intent; wasn’t it to encourage people to walk?
Perhaps the designers and those that molded their thinking don’t wear heels or shoes (walking barefoot is not good either), weren’t planning to walk there, or were going to use the sidewalk (which has loads of walking space—so why walk on the granite?). The life span of the granite depends on several things, but typically it has to be resurfaced every five to nine years—more expensive than concrete in the long run.
By the way—whoever designed the handicap spot in the new lot—the curb on the passenger side is high so it might be difficult for someone to get out of car, navigate the curb, and get into their chair or walker, as there is no space between the parked car and the curb to bring the chair close to the person needing it. (This was offered to me by someone who had to move their car because they could not get coordinated in that narrow area). I guess we needed to narrow the spot so that we could grow more plants and accommodate the curves in that area.
Ganka Brown, Laguna Beach
