Madison councilman wants to shut down ‘underground city’
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A Metro councilman wants to shut down a major storm water structure that runs under Gallatin Road. He says it doubles as a homeless hangout and attracts pan handling and other problems.
The city says they are aware of his demands, but blocking off a major storm water conduit is a bad idea.
From street level: you’d never know it was there, but go subterranean, past the signs, under the barb wire, through the cut chain link fence, and you will find a massive culvert that runs under Gallatin Road.
It’s here that Madison City Councilman Mike Craddock says a homeless problem exists.
“In the heart of Madison, we got a box culvert and we have people living here. It is like a city under there. They are hanging wash up on rocks.”
Messed up cameras don’t find evidence to that extent, but we do encounter ample grafitti, bottles, and evidence that people frequent this man made cave.
Messed up cameras encounter a man walking down the street who has seen people come and go from the culvert:
“Someone might go down there and drink a beer,” He says.
Winnie Williams owns this women’s clothing store that sits almost directly on top of the hidden culvert. “Those homeless people out here are killing business, always asking for favors,” she says.
Ms. Williams says if it would minimize pan handling near the store, she would eagerly embrace a grate at the entrances of the culvert.
“If they put up a gate, would that change where they come from and where they live and how you do business,” I ask.
“Yes, that would help.”
“What is your biggest fear?” I ask.
“My biggest Fear?” Craddock says. “The city doesn’t pay attention to details we got these little situations left undone and they grow and grow and grow they become bigger problems and them someone gets hurt.”‘
“So when councilman Craddock and the other councilman tell me that they have spoken to you, You did listen? It is just not a good plan?,” I ask Sonia Harvat who represents Metro Water Dept.
“We are listening. We can’t close that off. It would cause more hazardous issues.”
Metro Water Services says grates at the entrances would trap debris and potentially cause flooding where none currently exist.
“It is a social issue, maybe a neighborhood issue. It is something that our storm water is meant to flow and the last thing we want to do is possibly trap a homeless person in there that was asleep when it started raining that would be terrible,” Harvat adds.
“So why do I want to spend tax payer money to put up that grate when it is just homeless people down there,” I ask Craddock.
Craddock says: “If someone is hurt we are liable for that.”
Storm Water officials say this is a community problem, and a Police issue..
Metro Police confirm they actively patrol this location. They know of the panhandling complaints.
Though they say, homeless people are not responsible for the majority of crimes in the neighborhood.
Just saw your piece on the 10pm news. I found it shameful that people refer to “the homeless problem” in the same way they would refer to a rat problem or a bug problem. These are people–human beings–who have nowhere else to go. They need our help to get back on their feet (whether that means job training, drug rehab, or psychiatric care), not to be driven from place to place just so we can pretend they don’t exist. The problem is all of ours as we perpetuate a social system that allows certain people to just fall through the cracks.
The majority of) homeless people don’t want help, they want hand-outs. I have spoken to many of them and they don’t work because they can, and do, make more money panhandling than they can at an honest job. As long as our tax money goes toward keeping them revolving through places such as the Mission, they aren’t going to want to work anytime soon. I say revolving because the support they are supposed to receive at the mission (for example) is only putting them back on the streets, where they choose to be. I know there are homeless people who are sincere in wanting help to get off the streets but I don’t think drug rehab, job training or anything much is going to change a person’s mind who doesn’t want it changed. And while I don’t like to lump everyone in the same category, my own witness to homelessness has made me a bit jaded.
Now, as for this problem with the culvert, why can’t they have someone (who is already working for Metro public works dept. or water dept, or something similar), go and clean this out when “trash” gets built up. If it is cleaned before a grate or gate is put into place, there shouldn’t be that much trash to have to clean anyway.
And where, exactly, is this? I grew up in Madison and have never heard of it.
“Now, as for this problem with the culvert, why can’t they have someone (who is already working for Metro public works dept. or water dept, or something similar), go and clean this out when “trash” gets built up. If it is cleaned before a grate or gate is put into place, there shouldn’t be that much trash to have to clean anyway.”
During a storm, debris is swept through the culvert by the rushing water caused by the rain. If a grate is put in place, all that debris that would normally go through the culvert and out the other side gets stuck on the grate, causing the storm water to back up and potentially flood the area, instead of being washed away downstream.
Like the water dept said, it’s a neighborhood/police issue. Unless you want to stop building bridges as well, since that is another hang out for the homeless. The problem isn’t the culverts, bridges, or other homeless “hang-out” areas, it is not having the resources to take care of the homeless, and also some of the homeless not wanting any help to begin with.
Yes, Vessel, I understand how the trash would sweep down into the culvert. What I meant was put a grate on BOTH sides of the thing. Pick up the trash from one side before it sweeps down into the ditch, then what does get swept down, could be cleaned out easier. I don’t see it’s that big a deal, really.
I don’t think you are quite getting what I am saying. I’m not talking about trash and debris that are lying near the culvert. I’m talking about trash and debris that are no where near the culvert farther upstream that gets washed down into the culvert from the nearby woods, businesses, and neighborhoods that will get caught in the grates DURING a storm causing it to flood the surrounding area. While it is easy to pick up trash and debris around the culvert, it’s not so simple to pick up trash and debris that is half a mile away from it that might get washed into it DURING a storm. Cleaning out grates on a regular basis costs more money and manpower and does nothing to stop debris getting caught in them DURING a storm and potentially flooding the area.
Well, I do get what you’re saying. I still don’t think it would be that much trash during a storm but who knows? Anyway, I get your point and thank you.
Homeless people do want help. But they have had many bad experiences with people who say they will help the homeless, but really are up to something else. It is very hard for the average homeless person to trust people. There needs to be a source of real help made available to the homeless. That is something that Nashville, and really, the whole country lacks.
By the way, Mr Messed Up. Why not do an expose’ on all the homeless service providers who don’t really provide the kinds of services they advertise. That would be a good story.
Block it up and divert the trash and overflow to Michael Craddock’s yard.