New native plantings and drip irrigation to be installed at PFD and Veteran‘s Hall.
At the March 6 Park Commission meeting, Piedmont Garden Club presented a check to the City for $5,000 for development of the native planting landscaping and irrigation in front of the Fire Department and City Hall. The check is to be combined with an earlier $5,000 PGC Civic Projects donation for the same project made in 2020. Almost as soon as the 2020 contribution was made, the pandemic hit and the work on the project was halted, and the City paused related expenditures. Now, by combining together the 2024 and 2020 donations, the City plans to move forward with the plan which will include the Vista Ave. planting area at Veterans Hall as well. Additionally, the planters in front of City Hall will be spiffed up with additional drought tolerant vegetation.
It is the 100th anniversary of the Piedmont Garden Club and the committee chose to complete this project in celebration of its centennial.
Background: The project had been requested by the Fire Department to help mitigate what has become a safety hazard. The existing vegetation limited the line of site for people approaching the Fire Department, and the ground level for the beds was a foot lower than the driveway making it difficult for the trucks to navigate around. The current vegetation will be replaced with California natives that are drought tolerant and more appropriate in size, and the drip irrigation to be installed will minimize water consumption.
This project has been scheduled to be completed by this summer.