Benches, trees for sale for placement at Crosby Commons
Published 7:00 am Friday, June 9, 2017
- LIMITED QUANTITY: Four benches similar to the one pictured are now available for purchase in honor or memory of a loved one. The benches will be installed at Crosby Commons in Picayune. Photo by Jeremy Pittari
This story has been updated to correct the price of the trees. The correct price is $150.
Pearl River County residents can now honor the memory of a lost loved one, or honor someone in their family, with the purchase of a tree or bench to be placed in Crosby Commons in Picayune.
The City Council approved the Master Landscape Plan and Honor Program during Tuesday’s meeting, officially allowing residents to purchase these decorative items for the park.
Public Works Director Eric Morris said that he is now accepting applications for one of the 12 available benches, or 28 trees.
Morris said four of the benches available will be similar in size and shape as the two currently at the entrance of Crosby Commons along Goodyear Boulevard. These benches will be placed at each of the four corners of the park, and come with a plaque that can be personalized with up to three lines of text. Additional text can be purchased for an extra fee.
Each benches is available for $703 and includes two miniature azaleas that will be planted on each side of the bench.
A fifth bench similar in size will be installed at the city’s expense on the Magnolia Street side of the park and include a concrete pad to provide a place for handicapped citizens to rest along the track.
The second set of benches will entail eight serpentine shaped benches that will fit the circle being installed in the middle of the park. They will be linked next to each other to create a 36 foot long bench, Morris said. These benches are available for $703.20
Of the 28 trees, four species will be available, including red maple, lace bark elm, willow oak and muskogee crape myrtle. While no plaque comes with the trees, which cost $150, each purchase comes with a certificate outlining the historical significance of the species purchased, along with GPS coordinates of its location in the park. Each tree will have a planting height of seven to eight feet tall.
All purchases are on a first come first served basis, Morris said. Applications for these items can be picked up at the Public Works Department in Picayune. Once an application is submitted, if a bench or tree is still available, then that item will be secured in that person’s name. Morris urges interested parties to submit their applications sooner rather than later since a number of residents have already expressed interest in the program.
“The benches are going to go pretty fast,” Morris said.
As a formality, each purchase will be presented to the City Council since it will be considered a donation. The Public Works office can be reached directly by calling 601-799-0602.
