The North Hills West Neighborhood Council and local volunteers worked diligently to restore over ten concrete planter boxes that have been empty and without water service for almost a decade, to their original beauty on one of our neighborhood corners. In partnership with local agencies, the North Hills West NC Beautification committee, led by Susan Dumont and Irma Martinez, restored the planters on the corners of Hayvenhurst and Plummer under budget and in a manner that will be easy and inexpensive to maintain. The Board allocated $1,500 to the project and the Committee achieved their goal and came in under budget by well over 45%.

The bland, disabled planters and watering system were not only given a new look and a new life with the water systems being restored by the City of LA, they were also personally replanted by volunteers such as Dumont and Martinez in accordance with City regulated planting guidelines and their own knowledge of foliage and what it would take to make the planters spruce up the corner. The plants chosen were picked based on the ability to sustain life with little to no maintenance and should have a long lifespan and provide a nice bit of “nature” on the busy streets of North Hills West and above the Bull Creek Wash.

Special thanks to North Hills West Stakeholder, Helen Donavan, who coordinated with Green View Nursery in Northridge to donate all of the plants including lilies, lavender, and silvia to complete the look. THANK YOU to Helen and Green View Nursery!

The following City agencies made the project possible and should be recognized for their willingness to help the North Hills West NC succeed in this project:

• Mr. Nazario Sauceda, Interim Director, Board of Public Works, Bureau of Street Services;
• Mr. Joseph Cruz, Chief Management Analyst for Board of Public Works, Bureau of Street Services;
• Mr. Hector M. Banuelos, Acting Street Tree Supervisor, Bureau of Street Services, Urban Forestry Division;
• Ms. Andrea Alarcon, Board of Public Works