tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post2250179384134588065..comments2023-11-05T06:06:29.162-06:00Comments on Grand Forks Life: Where those new railyards could goGrandForksGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02315228631948799533noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-65561704823687168392009-04-23T14:00:00.000-05:002009-04-23T14:00:00.000-05:00GFGuy, this has been a pipe dream of mine as well....GFGuy, this has been a pipe dream of mine as well. You may know that an architect by the name of Scott Meland proposed this back in the late 90's. There are of course a ton of questions and it really is a pipe dream, no doubt about it. But, it would be a great way to connect campus and downtown, make the city more compact and livable and reduce sprawl. <br /><br />However, why does it have to Basement Chardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08966461191623005174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-65220844313528214902009-02-21T21:37:00.000-06:002009-02-21T21:37:00.000-06:00Matthew, thank you for the contact info. I am symp...Matthew, thank you for the contact info. I am sympathetic with your plight. While I can be somewhat of a hypocrite at times, there's always something we can do to conserve energy and simply stop wasting resources.Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10593220992346658172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-10916910468768452012009-02-21T09:29:00.000-06:002009-02-21T09:29:00.000-06:00I agree that UND could be a great deal more effici...I agree that UND could be a great deal more efficient in most ways. For example, EERC has motion sensors in the hallways to turn off the lights when nobody is present; the lights in my building are on so constantly (for absolutely no reason) that I've taken to hanging signs asking people to turn them off when they leave the room. I'm not that old, but I was at least taught energy conservation (Matt BKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12583564428711476409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-64411282700065896482009-02-20T13:37:00.000-06:002009-02-20T13:37:00.000-06:00My position about steam heating our campus is pers...My position about steam heating our campus is personal. As a fourth-year UND student, I've been in most of the buildings on campus for one reason or another, and for extended periods of time. I can conclude, without a doubt, that UND is wasting energy to heat it's buildings. Last summer I stayed in one of the residence halls on campus, and the heat was still flowing for most of the summer! Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10593220992346658172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-3164180268012940112009-02-20T00:16:00.000-06:002009-02-20T00:16:00.000-06:00I love the conversation here. I fully realize tha...I love the conversation here. I fully realize that this plan has almost no chance of happening in the near future. Still, I think it is very productive and beneficial to brainstorm about possible improvements to the city. A city that doesn't dream about the future is destined to have no future.GrandForksGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02315228631948799533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-38343687310035169612009-02-19T14:34:00.000-06:002009-02-19T14:34:00.000-06:00Wind energy isn't the complete solution either... ...Wind energy isn't the complete solution either... it's better as a supplement to the grid. Tech is out there to burn coal relatively cleanly (carbon capturing and sequestration)... it just costs $$$$ <BR/><BR/>Lets get some breeder reactors to heat up the water to steam ;)OUWxGuesserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01421934794137689382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-48666787831767924892009-02-19T14:06:00.000-06:002009-02-19T14:06:00.000-06:00Electricity is the future, if we can produce it re...Electricity is the future, if we can produce it renewably. It would take a large chunk of change to convert from central steam to electricity in every building, but wouldn't the simpler way be to convert the steam plant to use electricity to heat the water?Matt BKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12583564428711476409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-1513830343530435892009-02-19T12:51:00.000-06:002009-02-19T12:51:00.000-06:00I, in fact, do understand how coal is heating wate...I, in fact, do understand how coal is heating water and pushing it through the underbelly of this part of town. My suggestion was based on an eventual need to convert from non-renewable energy sources, to renewable. With the inevitable expansion of campus, we shouldn't just assume we can keep trucking in more rail-cars full of coal to heat it all. Currently, no, the cost of conversion probably Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10593220992346658172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-14132493703005921052009-02-18T23:51:00.000-06:002009-02-18T23:51:00.000-06:00Logan does not obviously know how the steam plant ...Logan does not obviously know how the steam plant works, nor the wide reach it plays in heating buildings. Tearing down the steam plant would just be the start... you would then have to convert every building on UND campus to be electric heat, along with the EERC, ALtru, and Lake aggissiz/school for the blind.<BR/><BR/>Thats alot of conversion that is not cost effectiveMeesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00331858304495439907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-62615338028747411602009-02-18T15:05:00.000-06:002009-02-18T15:05:00.000-06:00Plus the wind farm could take care of the pigeons ...Plus the wind farm could take care of the pigeons that M.H. despises so much. Hah.OUWxGuesserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01421934794137689382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-44404852731896981722009-02-17T15:48:00.000-06:002009-02-17T15:48:00.000-06:00A underpass could be built on US 2 near the airpor...A underpass could be built on US 2 near the airport, and if the tracks go from the south, that eliminates the awkward crossing in EGF.Jordan Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04839653658382619896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-77508742834466301612009-02-17T13:16:00.000-06:002009-02-17T13:16:00.000-06:00How is a wind farm going to generate the the therm...How is a wind farm going to generate the the thermal energy necessary to heat UND much less Altru, Agassiz school, the ND School for the Blind, and the EERC?Still Fighting Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16960034667243295134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-61898122711215045382009-02-17T13:01:00.000-06:002009-02-17T13:01:00.000-06:00If they ever did get it moved, tear down the steam...If they ever did get it moved, tear down the steam-plant while you're at it and put a wind farm in there, with green space on the land. That would be a terrific sight, landmark, and tourist attraction. Plus UND wouldn't need to burn 7 rail-cars worth of coal a day!Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10593220992346658172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-10596033065985272932009-02-17T12:28:00.000-06:002009-02-17T12:28:00.000-06:00But you're ignoring two major problems: what are y...But you're ignoring two major problems: what are you going to do with highway 2? Building an overpass near the airport may pose a problem with Federally-mandated clear areas and certainly it's going to be a major undertaking to build an overpass where it rejoins in EGF, especially considering the proximity of the parallel track to the highway.<BR/><BR/>The fact remains that it's not bad how it isStill Fighting Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16960034667243295134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-38881615911981777552009-02-17T11:56:00.000-06:002009-02-17T11:56:00.000-06:00The existing spur from the tracks following US 81 ...The existing spur from the tracks following US 81 following N 42nd could be used for access to the UND steam plant. What about the old railroad grade north of the airport/south of the sewage lagoons? If you put the river crossing just south of the new drainage ditch along 20th Ave S and connect to the track that already exists part of the way out there, that could function as the spur as well, Jordan Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04839653658382619896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17454417.post-15903026136036772612009-02-17T10:13:00.000-06:002009-02-17T10:13:00.000-06:00Couple of problems I can see: 1) BNSF will still n...Couple of problems I can see: <BR/><BR/>1) BNSF will still need to run a spur into the existing yard for the steam plant and the other businesses in that area. Unless, of, course, you want to pick up the tab to move them, too. <BR/><BR/>2) I don't know what the status of the wetlands to the north and west of the airport are, but my guess is they're protected and you're not going to have a lot of Still Fighting Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16960034667243295134noreply@blogger.com