Brays Oaks Goes Back To The Stone Age

Beautification supplies:

Trees -- check.
Shrubs -- check.
800-pound boulders -- check.

Yep, the Brays Oaks Management District decided that putting humongous boulders at ten of the area's main intersections instead of actual street signs would be a good idea. The boulders do have 'Brays Oaks' sand-blasted into the stone, so technically they do help distinguish the district. But honestly, a big-ass rock with 'Brays Oaks' on it isn't the same as a little sign that says 'Main Street.' And we're guessing that street signs would be much cheaper.

Now, the Brays Oaks Management District can put anything they want on their esplanades, so if they want boulders, boulders it is. But here's some stuff the district probably didn't consider:


1. Running off the road and into a tree is usually better than running off the road and into a boulder.

2. Boulders are easy targets for graffiti, shrubs and tress not so much.

3. It's really hard to have a picnic under a boulder; under a tree is usually much better.

4. In twenty years, the boulders will be pretty much exactly as they are now. Trees, on the other hand, would be well on their way to maturity, providing a green corridor to ride along. With trees, one day you'll have old growth beauties; with boulders, again, not so much.

The district has put money for more boulders in their next budget, and plans to beautify parts of Gessner, West Bellfort and West Airport are already in the works. So, if you're ever in the area, keep an eye out for a four-foot-tall, 800-pound rock. It's a street sign in disguise.  

-- Olivia Flores Alvarez