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SHOVEL SCULPTURE

We don’t know what it will look like, the sculpture that will be part of the “urban greening” at the east end of the arboretum, but we know the arboretum is collecting used spades, trowels and shovels all kinds, to go into the project.

You can drop them off at any of the plant sales this season: Saturday, March 9; Saturday, April 6; Sunday, April 28; and Saturday, May 18. Each sale runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the .

By Dateline staff

A walk in the next weekend comes with an opportunity to help plan the “urban greening” of the east end, behind the Davis Commons shopping center.

Work is expected to begin this summer on what officials described as a vibrant green space and a dynamic educational resource — a development that will strengthen the connection between the city and the campus.

The $1.3 million joint campus-city project also takes in the Putah Creek Parkway that connects downtown Davis and south Davis. The parkway runs through a pair of tunnels, one under the Union Pacific railroad tracks and the other under Interstate 80, for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The campus and city are seeking community input during a two-part program on Saturday, March 2:

• Tour of project site with the designers — 1-2 p.m., meet in the parking lot behind the Davis Commons shopping center at First Street and Richards Boulevard.
• Design workshop — 2-3 p.m., meeting room of University Park Inn and Suites, 1111 Richards Blvd.

Arboretum Director Kathleen Socolofsky, an assistant vice chancellor, delighted at the opportunity to “share the wealth of the arboretum’s innovative gardens and programs with more people in the community.”

Indeed, Mayor Joe Krovoza described the project as a “fusion” of downtown Davis and the university, of pedestrian paths and bike paths — a hub where people will come and go for commuting, recreation, education and the arts.

Primary funding comes from an $891,304 state Urban Greening Project Grant from the California Strategic Growth Council, using money from the voter-approved Proposition 84 (the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006), which included $90 million for urban greening projects.

The city and campus and arboretum donors also are contributing.

Beyond new native plantings, the plan includes habitat enhancement for wildlife and pollinators, plus way finding and educational signage, and safety and visibility enhancements.

The five-acre project is in two parts, described as follows:

• 1.5 acres of arboretum land, to become the California Native Plant GATEway Garden, featuring native flora from the Putah Creek watershed. The garden is part of the arboretum’s — GATE stands for Gardens, Arts and the Environment.

The garden will include teaching patios with themed plantings and interpretive signs telling about the area’s flora and fauna, the Putah Creek watershed (its history and how the watershed is managed today), and how to create sustainable landscapes with native plants.

A sculpture funded by the Davis Municipal Arts Fund is planned at the entry to the garden from downtown. See box for a hint about what the sculpture might look like, and information on how you can help.

Bike and pedestrian paths will be reconfigured to improve access and circulation, bioswales and pervious concrete will be installed to capture storm water runoff from the Davis Commons parking lot, and lighting will be added for safety.

• 3.5 acres of greenbelt along the Putah Creek Parkway, which follows the creek’s north fork — or what used to be the north fork until it was moved south long ago to protect Davis from flooding.

Now, with the Urban Greening Project Grant, invasive, non-native plants and trees will be removed from the remnant channel, and native riparian plants will be put in instead to create a unique, natural habitat near downtown. The arboretum will assist in the plant selections for this part of the project, on city land, to provide a natural transition from garden to parkway, said Emily Griswold, director of GATEways Horticulture and Teaching Gardens for the arboretum.

Interpretive signs will identify native plants and their habitat value, and explain the history of the site. Trash and rubble will be removed, and new pedestrian trails and benches will provide better access and comfort for visitors.

Project time line

Officials said most of the construction is planned for this summer and planting is set for the fall. The grant specifies project completion by spring 2016, by which time planners say the new plantings will be well established and the installation of signage will be complete. 

The project is the result of a collaboration between the city and the campus, including the arboretum, and Administrative and Resource Management, and also involves the Yolo County Resource Conservation District, TreeDavis, the Putah Creek Council, Fulcrum Capital, Cunningham Engineering and private landowners.