Whatever they are, these shrubs planted along the Dave Clark Path looked dead on Sept. 27, 2024.
Last winter and spring, a landscape contractor for the Albany Waterfront Project planted a ton of shrubs along the Dave Clark Riverfront Path. Some of that work may have to be redone.
If you use the path, you will have noticed that the plantings in some areas have withered over the summer. To an untrained eye — mine, for instance — the plants look dead.
City Engineer Staci Belcastro has been overseeing the waterfront contract work in addition to her other duties. I asked her about the state of the plantings.
“There are some areas located closer to the Wheelhouse and wet-weather pump station that had plants that were either dead or dormant,” she replied via email. “We will monitor and inspect the plantings and address this under the project warranty.”
It’s customary to have a warranty in public works contracts, a warranty that plants will be replaced if they perish within a certain time.
Replacing thickets of invasive blackberry vines along the Clark Path with native shrubs was part of the $21.5 million Waterfront Project, the final big venture of CARA, the downtown urban renewal program of the Albany Revitalization Agency.
The agency, consisting of the mayor and six council members, has not met this year. So there’s been no occasion for official updates on this element of the overall project.
To see how the plantings along the path work out, we’ll probably have to wait till spring. (hh)
Who was the contractor that planted these? How much did it cost, including the bureaucrats and lawyers that fashioned the contract(s)? I’m guessing taxpayer money was paid to a migrant crew of non-English speakers. It used to be that local businesses with local workers did reforestation and landscaping work. The money stayed local, workers were paid fairly, and the work quality was much better because people were held accountable and could be involved in basic discussions of strategy and quality. Now, if you say anything negative about these migrant crews of foreigners you are called a racist and openly ignored or rudely castigated. Based on experience. We can (and should) do better.
They are eating cats. They are eating dogs. They are eating your pets!
No, these are migrants, not immigrants. Also, I’ve eaten at least one taco de perro in southern Mexico and it tasted fine and was seemingly nutritious. I’ve never tried cat, but I think the Chinese have some good recipes. The post was about landscaping, though, not about food. Or were you just being racist? Or, worse, political?
You flew your colors. Clearly Bobby!
And yet you remain clearly Anonymous, hj — whomever you might be! Troll? Supporter? Political activist or basement dweller? No way to tell. And no colors at all or even a clue what they’re typing, and just as useful.
” I’m guessing taxpayer money was paid to a migrant crew of non-English speakers”
So, you’re lying. You have no proof. You have no first hand information. You make something up and pass it around as the truth.
You should be ashamed.
No, Bob, I’m “guessing,” and that’s why I used that word instead of your insult. I was in the reforestation industry for 25 years and experienced it being destroyed by USFS contract specifications and businesses taking advantage of illegal immigrants. My proof is in photographs, newspaper stories, and eyewitness accounts. You should be “ashamed” for not doing your research and publicly denigrating others while not doing so. But you sign your own name (I’m assuming) to your statements, so that’s good.
I saw the people planting plants twice a week months ago when I was taking a class at the Senior Center. They were white guys — not that that makes any difference to “thinking” beings. Black and brown guys can plant plants, too! And Teresa is right. Plants have to be watered, especially with 90 and 100 degree temperatures. I suppose it was up to the City to water them, and they didn’t do it. Repairs are needed on the hanging, pull-back dividers at Sr. Center, and the repairs don’t get done. Not enough employees and no money allotted to Sr. Center repairs or to watering new plantings. The Sr. Center (Community Center) is not a priority for the City.
Howdy childlesscatlady2: This isn’t a racial or political issue, however much some folks seem to want to frame it that way (I blame “laziness”); the problem is economical. Does the money — and responsibility — remain local, or is it used to entice migrant people and outside businesses who benefit others and can’t be held accountable?
Bet they were not watered like the hanging baskets that are visible were. If they are going to put a live plant in the ground and not water it or have irrigation do it the watering, then don’t plant a plant so it will just die.
Linn Benton detention center/oak Creek facility have a wonderful horticulturist that the city has worked with before that is very educated in native plants and others, I want to say they provide the hanging baskets downtown during the summer but very well could be wrong on that, but either way, could be a great alternative resource for sourcing landscaping. If that makes sense? #go local
Yes! Exactly. Local people need to be employed again for these types of projects — that’s what worked for thousands of years until government regulations and funding got involved.
There are native plants, and there are plants that withstand full sun and heat – I hope that they are headed for the appropriate type of plant for the area. At least the native blackberries held the bank in place and people weren’t living there.
No worries about the blackberries; they’ll be back in a blink of an eye!! The area should be well seeded and how could they not have left some roots behind. Also the birds that eat the berries do a service by spreading the seeds around in their poop. Just give it a couple of years, they will be back!
Are those actually native blackberries or Himalayan blackberries? The latter are one of the most noxious weeds to become established in Oregon and need serious control, especially along waterways. During the Labor Day Fires that killed five people in Phoenix, the principal fuels were blackberries along the Bear Creek Greenway, and trailer houses and mobile homes adjacent to the Greenway. Cutting and then treating the sprouts with Garlon is an effective way of getting these weeds under control. And making space for native blackberries and wildflowers in the process.
Teresa is right. You can not plant trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. without water. I know of one street that the old trees that were tearing up the sidewalk were removed and new planted in the late spring/early summer. Several weeks later I saw a City pickup in the area and a young lady was putting “water bags” around the trees, but—————she had no water to put in those bags. Most of the residents put water in them until the City “Schedule” brought them back to fill the bags. Thanks to the residents all the trees seem to have survived.
Much like the cherry trees planted in the downtown area that have been struggling, a myriad of reasons could be a factor: including the timing of planting, the watering, the depth planted etc.. the reality is new trees and shrubs are very susceptible to stress.
Adding new things is easy. Maintaining them is hard.