Vienna to rejuvenate Maple Avenue and Church Street landscaping

A new crop of plants will take root this fall along Maple Avenue and Church Street, the Town of Vienna’s main commercial roadways.

LSG Landscape Architects, a landscaping firm contracted by the town, will present its proposed design for the new planters next Thursday (June 29) after sharing the concept with the Vienna Town Council this past Tuesday (June 20).

The town is inviting residents, business owners and other community members to attend the informational meeting, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE).

“Homeowners understand the importance of curb appeal, especially when they want to sell their homes,” Vienna Park and Recreation Director Leslie Herman said in a press release. “We’re working with the Town’s economic development department to create a similar dynamic to create a welcoming, vibrant commercial area that attracts residents and visitors and ‘sell’ them on supporting local businesses.”

LSG has proposed replacing or refurbishing 81 landscape planters on both sides of Maple Avenue between East Street and 213 Maple Avenue West, along with 46 planters on both sides of Church Street between Mill Street and Lawyers Road.

The project will focus on flowers, shrubs and other low-lying plants, but some trees may be removed if they’re in “poor condition” or “to allow more light and reduce root competition with the new plant installations,” town staff said in its recommendation to the council.

Replacing planters that were first installed 20 years ago, construction on the new landscaping is expected to begin in mid-September and finish by the end of November.

“If all goes as planned, the commercial corridor’s planters will begin to burst with color next spring,” the town said.

Vienna previously hoped to have the new plants in place by this summer, but in March, the town council argued that funds should be allocated separately for design and installation, rather than all at once, leading to a delay.

The contract of $83,445 was ultimately awarded to LSG on May 1. The town will conduct a second bidding process for a contractor to build and install the new planters in August and September, per a timeline provided by LSG.