Main Street Flower Bed Project

Project Plan: 

• Footprint: The city recently announced our intent to take over the flower beds on the north and south sides of Main Street between the west side of Jefferson to Broadway.
• Color Scheme: Similar color combinations on both the north and south sides will be used, but different plant varieties will be used because of the difference in the amount of sunlight each flower bed receives.  
• Plants and design: A combination of perennials in three colors will be planted in each bed. Not all beds will be arranged in the same pattern as beds are of different sizes and widths. A variety of plants used will be pollinators.

 

April to Early May Timeline: 

• The city announced on April 6th our intent to take over the flower beds and began notifying business and property owners.
• Understanding that shop and property owners have been allowed to plant beds at their discretion for several years. Property owners may want to keep special plants, bulbs, etc. The city wanted to give property owners plenty of time to retrieve and re-plant them in other locations or put them in pots. The city asked that property owners remove plants and flowers by the end of April.
• Hanging baskets growing in a greenhouse all winter were re-installed along Main Street the week of May 3rd. 

 

May to Early June Timeline: 

• When we are safe from the last frost (first to middle of May), bed preparation and planting will begin. Street department staff will begin on the north side of Jefferson Street pulling any plants that remain in the beds, raking out remaining mulch, and lowering the dirt level to make sure it's lower than the sidewalk.
• Plants removed from Main Street beds will be re-planted by the city maintenance team in other locations if they can be used. 
• Once all plants have been re-planted that are usable, remaining plants will be taken to the city garage where they will become available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. The city will announce when and where plants become available. *Some plants may be damaged when removed.
• Representatives from Patterson Nursery will begin with any further preparations on the beds and begin planting individual beds.

 

Maintenance Plan: 

• Street department staff will water beds and hanging baskets several times a week.
• As staffing allows, continuous weeding will be part of the continued maintenance.
• If business or property owners want to partner, they can adopt the bed nearest to their property and help keep it weeded.

 

FAQS: 

Why is the city only maintain the beds in the business district? The beds between Jefferson Street and Broadway are considered as a test area. Staffing constraints and funding availability only allow us to start with a small footprint for this year.

Will the city maintain the beds outside of the business district in the future? The city is starting with an area we believe we can reasonably manage. If we can manage this project with our own staffing and volunteers, we plan to expand the footprint farther west on Main Street.  

Am I able to plant my own flowers on Main Street? Property and business owners are always welcome to plant in individual planters in and around the entrance to their properties.

Will the city be making arrangements to beautify other areas of the city? In addition to the Main Street beds, the following areas are also planned for this summer:

• Pots around the Broadway Fountain.
• Large planting bed on the north side of Broadway & Main Street intersection.
• Large planting bed in front of the cupola in the city parking lot at Main & Poplar.
• New landscaping and plantings were created and installed last fall in this same Main Street parking lot after it was paved. The new landscaping was installed the length of the Poplar Street edge and down the center between east and west parking areas.
• New planters have been ordered to be placed in front of the wrought iron between the brick columns in this same parking lot. These will be planted in a way that will create a nice line of sight across the front of the parking lot and be easy to maintain. The new planters are sturdy, double-walled construction, easily cleaned up in case of graffiti, self-watering for up to 4 weeks, self-winterizing, and designed for urban landscapes.

Is the city using a local landscaping company? The current administration is committed to buying local and will open other opportunities for local landscaping companies to participate if they want to submit a quote for services. Other areas we will eventually focusing on are: 

• Riverfront flower beds.
• Individual beds located at various parks and common areas throughout the city.
• Sunrise Golf Course