Жители Хьюстона требуют вернуть газон на променаде, замененном на гравий перед ЧМ

HOUSTON – Houston’s East Downtown Promenade traded its grass for decomposed granite ahead of the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest — and now neighbors want it back. Residents say the makeover stripped away one of the only green spaces in their neighborhood, and they’re demanding the city restore it. Ed Pettitt and Nguyen Le have been at the forefront of the fight, pushing back against the East Downtown Management District board, which has signaled the decomposed granite is here to stay. “We were promised all along that after the World Cup, it would be restored to a greenway even more lush than it was before,” Pettitt said. Le, who regularly visited the promenade with his dog, said the loss felt personal. “This is my solace. This is where Miss Ruthie and I found peace in the middle of a concrete jungle,” Le said. “I felt betrayed,” Le added. Dying trees, rising heat Residents’ concerns go beyond the loss of grass. Pettitt pointed to relocated trees that were promised to be replanted but are now sitting in planters around the corner and appear to be struggling. “The trees that they relocated, which they had also told us would come back and be planted, they’re now in these planters dying,” Pettitt said. Heat is another major concern. A heat gun test at the promenade showed the decomposed granite surface reading at 113 degrees, while nearby grass measured 98.5 degrees — a difference of 14.5 degrees. Drainage debate District officials cited drainage benefits as a key reason for keeping the granite surface. But a side-by-side water absorption test told a different story: nearby soil absorbed significantly more water than the granite, raising questions about whether the change was well thought out. “We can see the water pooling up from the rains we had this week. So, they did not do this with proper planning,” Pettitt said. District responds In a statement, the district board chair defended the decision, saying in part: “We’ll continue evaluating opportunities to increase greenery at strategic locations as our plans develop. Timing also matters: any planting done in the peak of a Houston summer would face severe heat stress and struggle to survive.” Le said he plans to keep the pressure on, using social media to draw attention to the issue. “Every time we walk — I will make a post about it. I will bring light on what’s happened here,” Le said. Pettitt warned that what happened in EaDo could be a cautionary tale for neighborhoods across Houston. “The whole city should pay attention to this, because if the East Downtown Management District can get rid of our trails, greenways, trees and grass — then this could happen in your neighborhood too,” Pettitt said.