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NEW TREES AND BENCHES FOR COLLEGE AVENUE
By Daniel Ferdelman, Chair, RCPC
Working together, City Councilmember Jane Brunner, Rockridge District Association (RDA) and the RCPC have come up with a plan to beautify College Avenue.
The College Avenue Committee for Capital Improvements (CACCI - pronounced kachee and formerly the UnderBART Committee), Chaired by Teresa Drenick and composed of representatives from RCPC, RDA and the community, have been studying improvements to the BART plaza for the past two years. The committee expanded its scope to evaluate improvements that will positively affect the entire length of College Avenue.
Typical evergreen flowering pear tree
planned for College Avenue (Pyrus kawakami)
Photo Ferdelman
At a general meeting last summer, residents selected five of CACCI's recommendations based on feasibility, cost effectiveness, and ability to be completed within a reasonable time frame. These were: Improved Commuter Plaza at BART, Street Trees, Tree Benches, Improved Benches and Tables at BART, and Multi-Purpose Kiosks. The CACCI group did additional outreach at the last Rockridge Kitchen Tour/Out-N-About in Rockridge - you may have seen our booth at Shafter and College.
Councilmember Jane Brunner's Office has gotten the ball rolling with a commitment of $150,000 to plant trees and install tree-benches along College Avenue. We have identified at least 20 locations for new trees and 50 locations for tree benches. The trees will add color and fragrance to the stretches of College Avenue that are currently hard and barren. The tree benches will look like the benches currently in front of Market Hall Annex. They will protect the trees and give shoppers and residents a place to rest on their strolls along the avenue. For me, the benches will be particularly helpful when on walks with my daughter in those times when I need to give her a bottle or adjust her position in the stroller.
Proposed tree bench for
College Avenue. Photo Ferdelman
We need your help to turn this vision into reality! We need local merchants and/or property owners on College Avenue to sign-up for a tree and/or tree bench. Signing up is easy - request forms are available from any of the people listed below. All it takes is a signature to request a tree or bench on the sidewalk in front of your property or business. For trees, you must also agree to water the tree for a year. After you sign up, the City will come out to inspect each location to make sure that it's a safe place to put a tree or bench before installation.
The CACCI committee and Jane Brunner's office will be doing outreach to the merchants and property owners on College Avenue in order to get everyone involved in this project. If you have questions or concerns please contact us.
Zachary Wald, Aide
Office of Vice Mayor Jane Brunner
Phone: 238-7013
zwald@oaklandnet.com
Sara Wilson, President
Rockridge District Association
president@rockridgedistrict.com
Daniel Ferdelman, Co-Chair
RCPC Board of Directors
Mobile: (415)385-1207
chair@rockridge.org
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