Zion Ave Beautification Project
A project partnership between SDRUFC and the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council
Background
Zion Ave is one of the major thoroughfares in the Allied Gardens and Grantville communities. First constructed in the 1950’s the roadway connects residential Allied Gardens to shopping dining, entertainment, and transit along the Mission Gorge / Friars Rd corridor.
Where trees once lined the roadway, many have reached the end of their useful life and have been removed.
The Project
Allied Gardens Residents and AGGCC members Sophia Frost and Jessica Read, along with AG resident and SDRUFC member Vince Mikulanis are spearheading a project to plant new trees all along the Zion Ave Corridor, at no cost to the residents.
SDRFUC has also donated funds and resources to the project. Along with a tree planting in fall (the best time to plant trees in San Diego) SDRUFC will be sponsoring an Arbor Day event at Allied Gardens Community Park.
Why Trees?
- Trees improve property values. The addition of trees and shrubs can increase property values 10% to 20%
- Mature trees
- Improve our aesthetic environment
- Absorb noise
- Calm Traffic
- Reduce Stress and Crime
- Urban neighborhoods with trees can be up to 11 degrees cooler in the summer heat than ones without mature trees
- And many more reasons! Check out this flyer to learn more!
How to get a tree planted
The City has a program to plant trees at no cost to home owners. We are asking residents adjacent to Zion Ave to commit to watering 1-2 trees planted in the strip adjacent to the road for 3 years. To get a tree planted you need to sign a watering agreement with the City.
The project partners will be walking door to door with the watering agreement to sign. Or print one yourself, e-mail us below and we will come pick it up. We would like to turn all of these in at once so we make sure the trees can get planted at the same time – so please do not return to the City yourself.
Other residents of the area are encouraged to fill out the agreements as well to get more trees in our neighborhood. But for this project we are focusing on the Zion Ave corridor.
It sounds like a lot of work
It’s not! And the small amount of work is well worth the benefits to your property and the community.
When first established the trees will require about 5-10 gallons of water a week. As they grow, they require water less often. SDRUFC has a special tree watering section on our website.
The trees will receive an initial pruning to help them grow properly. Each property owner will receive information on the very minor pruning they can do for the first couple of years to help the tree grow. When trees are properly planted and “training pruning” conducted they require very little maintenance later in life. Some of the suggested trees are evergreen – meaning they do not drop their leaves in the winter time.
You will benefit from increased shade, noise absorption, and the calming effects of trees!
Did we mention that a licensed contractor will plant the trees for you – at no cost? You don’t have to dig the hole, all you need to do is water the young tree to get it established.
Suggested Trees
We are suggesting the following list of trees for the project. This short list gives an opportunity to have species diversity while still maintaining some uniformity along the corridor. Click on each tree to link to Cal Poly’s SelecTree site for info and photos of each species.
What’s Next?
- Please fill out the form from the City requesting a tree be planted
- E-mail us below and we can pick it up – please do not return to the City
- We will get the forms in to the City as a batch so the planting can be scheduled this fall (likely early December) as a single event
- Watch for updates here, SDRUFC on Facebook, the Nextdoor app, and around the community. We will get the word out about the Arbor Day event and the tree plantings!
- Water your new trees and watch them grow and improve our community!
Questions?
Check out this powerpoint slide show.
Send us an email at sfrost577@gmail.com , readjd@gmail.com , or vmikulanis@gmail.com
Please ask any questions through the above contacts, not the City contact on the tree permit. We have answer most any question you have and would build trust than overwhelm limited City staff resources!