Residents and visitors to the city of Picayune may have noticed a new addition along Goodyear Boulevard, concrete planters housing Holly and silverbell trees.
Public Works Director Eric Morris said the planters and trees were purchased with a portion of the Mississippi Department of Transportation Enhancement 2016 Urban Youth Corps Program grant, which also employs 12 young people attending high school and college. The grant provides 80 percent of the funding for the program, while the city provides the balance.
Morris and participants of the program were working along Goodyear Boulevard Tuesday morning installing the 32 planters from the intersection of Main Street to the intersection of Teague Street. Of the 32 planters, 23 house Holly trees, with the remaining nine being silverbells. Two of the planters were installed at the entrance of Crosby Commons.
The nine planters housing the silverbells were installed at the picnic area in Crosby Commons.
They will be part of a temporary beautification project, that is until the walking track and lighting is installed at Crosby Commons. Morris said when the walking track and lighting is installed, each of the trees will then be moved to a location by one of the light poles. The expected completion date for the walking track and lighting is in November, which correlates to the time of year when trees become dormant. That project is expected to be underway within the next 90 days, Morris said.
Participants with the summer work program not only installed the concrete planters along Goodyear Boulevard, but also mixed the soil and planted the trees in the planters, Morris said.
Morris said the trees will make a nice addition to the park when it’s complete, and has plans to decorate them during the Christmas season. The planters will remain on Goodyear Boulevard and be used for other decorative plants.
City Clerk Amber Hinton said the planters cost $110 each, the Holly trees cost $52 each and silverbells were $50 each.