Park spruce-up not for everyone
by B. William Poole on Mar. 07, 2007, under LocalFort Lowell Park riparian area gets trim job
Jaime Meza saws the trunk of a palm tree in a riparian area on the east side of Fort Lowell Park. The Groundskeeper landscaping company hauled away several truckloads of cuttings.
Removal of nine full-grown palm trees, six dead cottonwood trees and brush from an artificial riparian area in Fort Lowell Park is aimed at ridding the area of non-native species, a city spokesman said.
The effort angered one frequent visitor who often takes his year-old son to the park to enjoy the back-to-nature feel of the overgrown area.
“I’m sure they had good intentions, but they really took a very special area and made it very average,” Steve Franks said.
He lives about five minutes from the park near East Glenn Street and North Craycroft Road.
Another park visitor said the changes were welcome.
“I think they’re improving it,” said Tom Zawada, who was in the park Tuesday to practice baseball with his son, Sebastian, 11.
The riparian area is surrounded by an old pecan orchard dotted with picnic tables. An artificial concrete stream flows for about 100 yards through small ponds and under concrete footbridges near a picnic ramada where the Zawadas gathered recently to celebrate Sebastian’s confirmation.
Franks prefers the underbrush that had sprung up near the stream, which on Tuesday was flowing at a trickle with two pools containing smelly, stagnant water. The concrete stream channel has been repaired and will likely soon be running full speed again, said Richard Symchak, spokesman for the city Parks & Recreation Department.
The changes came at the suggestion of the Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association and Fort Lowell Historic District.
The riparian area at the park covers about 2 acres.
A bird watches the pruning.
