Wooddale Path Landscape Restoration Project

There's a little bit left to do to get the site cleaned up - it should be done on Monday.

Then there will be a pause in work as we wait for the spring flush of vegetation. Weed control will occur through the growing season, and in the fall the site will be ready for seeding.

The crew will be on site this week to complete the initial removals.

We met with the contractor on-site last Friday. The first step is to remove green ash trees and do a lot of buckthorn brushing. As long as the weather cooperates, we expect this step to be completed in March.

As luck would have it, we were planning to meet the contractor on site this week to get into logistics and discuss the schedule for initial buckthorn and green ash tree removal. We'll give it another go in a couple weeks and provide more information about the schedule at that time.

City Council approved a contract with Landbridge Ecological at their meeting last night. We'll have more details on the project schedule available in February.

Following a competitive quote process, staff is recommending that City Council approve a contract with Landbridge Ecological at their January 17th City Council meeting.

The project is on track. We anticipate selecting a contractor and obtaining project approvals in January.

We heard a few questions and ideas for the plan.

Q: Could the path be widened? Could a 'step-off' area be added? Could the erosion along the path be repaired?

A: We are planning for some very minor erosion repairs to restore the embankment to it's original 1960s design which was a 6 foot wide path with a 2:1 slope on either side. Repair areas and areas that show concentrated flow paths will be reinforced with erosion control blankets until the plants are established. Adding fill to accommodate a 'step-off' area would require additional study and engineering and is out of scope for this landscape restoration project. Further, the wetland and floodplain impacts would present a design and permitting challenge.

Q: Could the plants have variable heights, with some taller species?

A: The plant palette includes a variety of heights, textures, colors, and bloom times to provide interest and beauty all season long. Some species reach a max height of 6 inches while a majority reach 1 to 3 feet, and a few can get as high as 5 feet. The native plant palette PDF in the Documents section provides more details on height, bloom color, and bloom time. It will take a few years for the plants to reach their full beauty and mature heights - we're open to feedback and can make adjustments on plant composition after this initial establishment period.

Q: Could snags be incorporated for wildlife habitat?

A: We are not planning to install any live cuttings or tree stumps into the bank. The existing clay embankment on which the path is built was installed in the 1960s and is in good condition. Drilling live cuttings or tree stumps into clay embankment would take further study and engineering and was out of scope for this landscape restoration project. In areas where snags are naturally occurring, we are planning to leave them in place. We'll have a better sense for these after initial green ash tree removal and buckthorn brushing is complete.

Submit your questions, comments, ideas and stories by September 30th.