The Garden District has three neighborhood signs: Terrace at Eugene, Park at Magnolia and Government at Park. Rusty Wharton (a former GD resident) directed the installation of the signs and the five bollards in the early 1990’s. Those signs are sturdy: two have survived automobile collisions. Former resident Frank Conley repaired the sign on Terrace when it was hit by a truck several years ago. The one at Government was hit on Christmas Eve 2014. Like the one on Terrace, the sign itself survived, but not the posts. New posts have been installed. During the last year Mary Fontenot, Martha Salomon, and Geraldine Champagne repainted the signs in a new color scheme, while Dorothy Powell and Nancy Grush repainted the bollards. (There is one bollard left to paint, if anyone wants to do it.) Mary Fontenot has recently painted the letters on the sign at Government St., and would like input before she does the lettering on the other signs.
The city has finished its sidewalk improvements on Government St., and now it’s time to landscape the area in front of the signs, beginning with the one on Government because the Baton Rouge Water Company has a pipe at that location. They can install a water meter for $360 assuming they do not have to break any concrete. The monthly minimum bill would be $8.52 plus tax. We could install a drip irrigation system with a battery-powered controller similar to other neighborhoods.
Diane Geheber planted a flower bed there several times, but city workers consistently pulled up or mowed over the flowers. The soil would have to be significantly amended, and we would have to communicate with the city to insure our plants are not destroyed the next time they mow the median. Do we have people in the neighborhood willing to work on this project? If you can help with any part of this project, please contact Mike Schexnayder at [email protected].
