'Burying Asbury'

Brian Grantham/Planet Money Flickr pool

Refilling the basements in Olathe, Kans.

Brian writes:

After I dropped my step-son off at school, I noticed the basements, that were dug in the late last summer, were being re-filled. The outlines of the basements had matched the town-homes in this subdivision (Asbury), consisting of mainly retirees.

My wife (now pregnant with our second daughter) and I were very happy to see the basements dug last summer, as it meant that the sidewalk would be completed: we want the sidewalk to eliminate our need to walk in the street during our family walks.

The developed lots had sidewalks, the undeveloped ones did not. The main road has several curves, and we were excited about these lot's development since the lack of a sidewalk on either side of the road forces us onto the road at a curve.

We live in Olathe, KS, a exurb of Kansas City, very close to Garmin's headquarters. In fact, we often see their employees walking to work.

When I moved here, my uncle boasted that KC was recession-proof. His logic centered on the broad base of industries in the city: as one industry faltered, the affected would pick up work in the unaffected industries. And we seem to be in the center of his logic: while to the South they are filling in holes, to the North, they are building a strip mall. The construction is on the path of those Garmin employees.

I thank you for all of your hard work on your podcast. When things seem tough, remember you are helping families like mine sort through disappointments like uncompleted sidewalks. Yeah, a minor creature comfort lost in a swirl tragic economics; but a big safety concern for a family walk.