MINC Sponsored Apple Fairfax Planter Project

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Category: Community News

Published on Sunday, 15 November 2009 10:20

Written by Dianne Lawrence

The Apple Fairfax Planter project started in 2005 when Allen DiCastro, our current Mid-City Neighborhood Council (MINC) president, asked for volunteers to beautify a plot of land on the border of Culver City and Mid-City.  The committee of David Marks, Liz Dietl, and Lorraine Genovese volunteered, seeing it as an opportunity to change a weed and garbage filled plot of land into a garden that would show neighborhood pride.  This project created the opportunity for MINC, the Councilman Herb Wesson’s Office, DWP, City Services, and local businesses like OSH to work together for the common good of the community.  It involved a commitment of personal time and vision that would take several years to complete.

In Phase 1, the Apple Fairfax Planter project determined that DWP owned the property, informed them of MINC’s intensions to beautify the planter, and submitted a plan and a schematic of the plants to them.  For MINC funding, Liz Dietl wrote a proposal which outlined the project goals and delineated the plant layout, plant types, equipment, supplies, and costs.  Once approval was obtained from both DWP and MINC, the effort moved onto Phase 2: site cleanup, soil preparation, and finally the installation of plants.  Initially a tree service was hired to remove and clear the errant palms growing at the planter.  Next a core group of community volunteers broke the hardened soil and spread about 1 ton of soil and soil conditioner donated by OSH.  The city provided about 20 tons of sand and 12 tons of mulch which was spread over the planter by volunteers.  Finally the plants, cacti, because of their drought tolerance were purchased and planted.  Come visit the planter and watch it grow in the coming years.  The site is located at the intersection of Apple Street and Fairfax Avenue, across the street from the entrance and exit to the 10 Freeway, Gateway to Mid-City

 

This project took about 3 years from conception to completion.

Personal satisfaction is derived when someone tells you how much they like looking at the plants while waiting at the intersection on their way to work.

Originally published in Feb '09 Issue of The Neighborhood News.