Adopt a boulevard?

[DizzyEdge]

Does anyone know if one can 'decorate' or otherwise use city boulevards adjacent to your property as I've seen done in other cities? for example:

my pics







Not mine

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...77.49,,0,18.16

pwgreens.ca


Sadly I really can't find any photos that come close to what I've seen in the past.

[kw5150]

You can, but if they ever need to do some underground work you lose everything. I think it is still worth it though. I would do it for sure in front of my place if I had the money right now!

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by kw5150

You can, but if they ever need to do some underground work you lose everything. I think it is still worth it though. I would do it for sure in front of my place if I had the money right now!

I don't think it would really cost that much money, I'm just curious if it is technically against city rules.

[kw5150]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I don't think it would really cost that much money, I'm just curious if it is technically against city rules.

I would just do it anyway. Thats what those people have done and it seems to be ok. Just dont put up any kind of wall or hard surfacing and you should be ok.

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

We're having the curbs along the boulevard replaced in my neighbourhood. Some people have laid brick or stones down as a pathway from the street to the sidewalk. I noticed that the crews lifted a third of the bricks and put them aside for the excavating and forming of the curbs. Now that the work has been completed the same crew has carefully re-set the brick and stone back in its original order.

I think if the City had issue with this we would have heard about it during excavating or at the very least we would have had to replace the bricks ourselves. Given the care they took to return every brick to how it was says to me that the City gives its consent to using the boulevard how we wish.

...within reason.

s.

[kw5150]

Wow, that is very uplifting to hear. Send a thank you to the workers who obviously care about our city.

[DizzyEdge]

Reminds me, I was biking in my hood a few weeks ago and came across this:

[McPaul]

I call mile 114 of the Arthur Berkhardt Expressway...

[devonb]

I've heard mixed things about doing what you'd like with city boulevards. One person said that it was illegal and you could be asked to remove it or be fined if you don't. In my opinion, if I can be fined for not maintaining the property, then I can do what I like with it since it's my responsibility.

We put in a Nanking cherry and some plants around the old maple. It's pretty common practice here to personalize it.

[DizzyEdge]

The only thing I've found on the city website was that it was not allowed to plant "shrubbery or trees". I'm guessing what it comes down to is if they have to do work on the boulevard your bed of petunias isn't going to get in their way, whereas a large shrub or small tree might. I also expect even if there were fines, none would ever be acted on unless someone complained or they had to dig through whatever you had planted.

[freeweed]

Don't forget roots. I suspect much of the city land is underlaid with conduits of all sorts. They don't want you messing with that. Grass/flowers OK, trees/shrubs not.

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

Another thing to consider is that a tree planted on city property becomes city responsibility. If they didn't plant it they won't have it listed as a tree to maintain. And if it falls over 25 years later on someone's property it is the city that will be considered responsible (or irresponsible).

If you are interested in having a tree planted on the boulevard then the city has a tree planting program you can apply to. Call 311 and ask for information on the NeighbourWoods Program. The city supplies a tree that you chose and digs the hole, and in exchange you plant the tree and agree to water it for the next 5 years using a watering bag that you purchase for $30.

We got an elm but the people across the street got a few oak trees.

Good deal.

s.

[DizzyEdge]

^^ my street has a tunnel of elms, so my initial question was regarding more flower beds and the like, but good good info.

[kw5150]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

^^ my street has a tunnel of elms, so my initial question was regarding more flower beds and the like, but good good info.

"No shrubs" as an all-encompasing rule is kind of far fetched.
As long as the hight and spread does not exceed 600mm you are probably ok...... and that is also depending on the neighborhood you live in. There are certain eclectic neighborhoods that would allow most boulevard planting in an instant. Some other ones you would probably become the target of 311 calls against you.

But basically, you are liable to have the entire thing removed if you have utilities under and the city has to work on it..... Some places already have large shubs (lilacs,cranberry, caragana....etc) and in those areas it is probably easier to get away with larger scale interventions involving shrubs.

Flowers, ornamental grasses and small shrubs are probably the best to go with in some places.

[Radley77]

There is a planting incentive program (PIP) offered by the City of Calgary on a 50% cost-shared basis. They also provide line assignment so you don't have to worry about utilities.

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server....e+Program+.htm

I had looked into it, and would pay for it, but I'd prefer the entire street to be planted one type of tree instead of random mix. I don't know if this is feasible on a multistreet level given there are everything from SFH to condo's on my block.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Radley77

I'd prefer the entire street to be planted one type of tree instead of random mix.

Heh. Are you secretly a suburb developer? Cuz that's how they build the burbs these days, one type of the same thing over and over and over...

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Heh. Are you secretly a suburb developer? Cuz that's how they build the burbs these days, one type of the same thing over and over and over...

And in the old days

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...270.07,,0,4.27

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

And in the old days

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...270.07,,0,4.27

That's an obvious fabrication. Everyone knows Calgary doesn't have any trees.

[Radley77]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Heh. Are you secretly a suburb developer? Cuz that's how they build the burbs these days, one type of the same thing over and over and over...

haha, I wish, either that or I start by pulling titles and try to form some sort of street tree planting coalition, and then approach the city. Or plan C, become a rogue Johnny AppleSeed.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Radley77

haha, I wish, either that or I start by pulling titles and try to form some sort of street tree planting coalition, and then approach the city. Or plan C, become a rogue Johnny AppleSeed.

It would really be great, my own street looks similar to the link I posted above, and everyone is always all "ooooh aaaaah" when we drive down it, but the houses themselves are completely nondescript, it's the trees that make the street, and there's no reason to mimic that everywhere. I understand the desire for diversity, but the uniformity really is what makes the look great. Perhaps alternating between two species, one for every 2nd tree, would help satisfy some of that.