Group wants to add planters, flowers to downtown New Albany

Discussion

October 23, 2012

Group wants to add planters, flowers to downtown New Albany

Keep New Albany Clean and Green would foot costs

By DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Tue Oct 23, 2012, 09:26 PM EDT

NEW ALBANY — Keep New Albany Clean and Green wants to install 82 planters in the city’s downtown business district at no cost to the public.

During the New Albany Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Tuesday, Keep New Albany Clean and Green Vice President Jerry Finn said the organization is looking at a nine block area of downtown to place the planters.

“We think it will be a really nice addition for the bicentennial,” Finn said, as New Albany will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2013.

The planters will feature pansies and winter kale in the fall, and an array of flowers in the spring and summer, Finn said. The nonprofit organization has raised funds to foot the cost of the planters and is getting a good rate for the boxes from Grant Line Garden Center, Finn continued.

Though there would be no cost to taxpayers, the organization needs the city’s approval since the planters would be located on public property. Finn added Keep New Albany Clean and Green would also like to plant flowers around the bump-outs and traffic islands downtown.

“We’re hoping downtown merchants will get involved in this and others as well,” Finn said in regards to the maintenance of the planters.

The board elected to table the request until city officials could review where the planters will be located. The New Albany Tree Board is expected to examine the plan as well.

Finn said Keep New Albany Clean and Green is planning a beautification day in November, and would like to have the planters installed to coincide with the event.

He offered downtown Louisville as an example of how flowers and other vegetation can spruce up the appearance of a city.

“We think it’s really going to dress up downtown,” Finn said.