More Landscaping Coming To Neal Street Corridor

Landscaping upgrades and beautification are on the way to Cookeville’s Neal Street corridor.

Cookeville Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the department is evaluating the existing trees in the median islands. She said a mixed bag of trees have been planted over the years, some of which are old or dead. She said Neal Street is a major road with large, open islands.

“We want a range of species, a range of size of trees, and a diversity of age as well,” Elrod said. “So we try to keep some of the older trees as long as they are in good health and then plant to new ones to give us age diversity, species diversity, and even just type of tree and height of tree.”

She said the city must work to maintain a healthy tree canopy. She said she wants to keep the city looking green.

“When you plant anything, if you’re a gardener, you lose some things,” Elrod said. “Not everything lives. So we plant twice a year, so we’ve done a spring, summer planting, we’re watering those and then we reevaluate in the fall.”

She said the department will plant trees of five different species, including cherry trees, maple trees, and tulip poplars. She said most of the trees have to be monitored and watered for the first three to four years after being planted before they are mature enough to survive without continuous care.

“The Tree Board look at that monthly, weekly,” Elrod said. “And evaluate that and try to keep our trees here. We do need that canopy to help with shade, especially with so much urban concrete just heating things up. So we do try to keep shade.”

She said the department is watering the trees twice weekly during these warm summer months. She said the Neal Street corridor has been a focus for landscaping for the past five years and she looks forward to seeing the beautification efforts come to fruition.