By Anne W. Semmes
Greenwich Avenue, that centerpiece one-way throughfare sloping down in the Town of Greenwich, is now much enhanced with richly planted curbsides, all positioned for pedestrian safety. So tells James Michel, the Town’s Commissioner of the Department of Public Works (DPW). Those curb extensions are “reducing the walking distance by close to 50 percent or more of how long a pedestrian is in the roadway when they’re crossing the street,” told the Commissioner. Surely thus allowing greater pedestrian safety with the Avenue flow of traffic.
The curb extension idea arose a decade ago, said Michel. But, when “COVID hit, there were some changes to the way that we saw traffic. That’s when outdoor dining got introduced as well. So, all these different aspects were looked at and incorporated.” A grant was obtained for “improvements to the intersections of Havemeyer, Arch Street, Fawcett and Grigg,” said Michel, “but following resident feedback we needed to go a different direction, we needed to return all the money. So, all the improvements were funded through the Town of Greenwich taxpayer dollars.”
A total of 19 curb extensions would be built by the FGB Construction company, bringing those planter areas, said Michel. “We worked with the Parks Department to determine how do we want to plant these areas.” Note that Tree Warden Greg Kramer had begun planting willow oaks along the Avenue in 2020. Helped along by tree donations from the Greenwich Community Foundation, there are now a total of 38 willow oaks, reported Kramer. “Willow oaks are refined and elegant in leaf form yet still possess the sturdy stature and strengths oaks are known for,” he shared.
The first curb extension planting project began at Elm Street in 2020, said Michel. “We had a landscape architecture firm do a design of that intersection.”
Probono landscape designers step forward
Then up stepped interning landscape designers from James Doyle Design Associates located on Greenwich Avenue wanting to create a design for those multiple Lewis Street curb extensions. Allowed to proceed by the Town landscape designer Justin Quinn would oversee the interns, with intern Alex Bowler promoted to take over the project – now completed. “We planted two beds on every corner of the intersection,” told Bowler.
“We decided to remove the roses and liriope,” said Bowler. “Our beds feature purples, pinks, white, and light blue flowers. And in the winter the bark of the Cornus sericea (Red Twig Dogwood ‘Arctic Fire’) shrub will turn bright red and shine through the snow. We chose plants that would look nice year-round… We also made sure that the cultivars we chose won’t get as large as to not block the sightlines of the intersection, which was a big design factor for us.”
Finding some extra space, Bowler told of their adding yuccas to their planting beds. “The unique color and texture of the green and yellow variegated leaves of the yucca works well with our softer plantings and offers some more continuity between all the other beds on the Avenue.”
More good fortune arrived with an April visit from JoAnn Messina, board chair of Greenwich Green & Clean (GG&C) and its executive director, Kanako MacLennan to offer Commissioner Michel “any assistance needed along Greenwich Avenue.” “We had previously partnered on the hanging baskets,” told Messina. The Commissioner welcomed GG&C’s partnering interest in the designing and planting of those multiple curb extensions.
“They said they had a fairly limited budget for it,” said Michel, “that they were going to look for potential volunteers to help with the plantings themselves.” Coincidentally, a new board member of the GG&C was landscape architect Kim Conte. With Conte representing her and late husband John’s landscape architecture and engineering firm Conte and Conte, she offered to design the remaining curb extensions – probono!
Kim Conte volunteers her time and designs for Greenwich Avenue
Conte’s heart is on Greenwich Avenue. “I had an apartment on Greenwich Avenue when I first met my husband, John, and he was doing the Christmas lights on the Avenue when I first dated him.”
“We provided a map of all the other planter locations up and down the Avenue” shared Michel, “And Kim got involved in doing a design using some of the similar pallets that Parks and Rec was happy with…The DPW is funding the materials and the installation.”
Also serving on that GG&C board is Tree Warden Kramer. “Greg was the liaison with the Town,” says Messina. “Greg met with us and reviewed the plant list, and we were thrilled to see how quickly the Town pulled the trigger on getting them planted.”
Maggie Bridge of Bridge Nurseries would be enlisted by the Town “to furnish plants from her wholesale Trailside Nursery and to install them,” told Michel.
At the top of Greenwich Avenue, Conte introduced her curb extension plantings up close and personal. “We’ve chosen a plant palette that should provide color year-round,” she said, “but we will have staggered bloom. The hydrangeas start early and just continue through the season and change color. And then we’ve got some perennials that’ll add color.”
A butterfly arrived. “It’s the Nepeta plant that draws them…a low growing one.” So, there are flowering plants, and evergreens. “The idea is to have the planter be so full that there’s good cover and weeds don’t get enough sunlight to sprout.” She pointed out the native ilex shamrock. “It’s in the holly family…It’s replacing boxwood because of that boxwood blight but it’s also a bit more tolerant of salt.” Lining the edges was liriope, also an evergreen, “with a pretty purple flower… suggested by the Town.” Add abelia with its pink flower, and those bobo hydrangeas.
Conte had praise for the willow oaks present in the mix. “They do have a beautiful arching effect, like the elms that used to line the Avenue. You’ll see these repeating down the Avenue. They’re good urban trees.” Conte’s comments and planting choices brought appreciation from Tree Warden Greg Kramer. “Partnering with different agencies and volunteer groups is what has allowed for the greening of Greenwich Avenue.” He sees Greenwich Avenue becoming “a shaded green oasis, for numerous generations to enjoy and a model for other towns to emulate.”
More praise was voiced by GG&C Executive Director, Kanako MacLennan. “The curbside extensions complement other seasonal beautification efforts throughout downtown Greenwich, including the present red, white, and blue hanging baskets along Greenwich Avenue that Greenwich Green & Clean contributes to the Town.”
Those 19 curb extensions [with some down the Avenue awaiting more plants] MacLennan cited as “a wonderful example of what can happen when the Town, local businesses, professionals, and community organizations like ours work together toward a shared goal.”
