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Panel discusses green space for roundabout

It might not be until 2022 until it comes to fruition but the city’s Street Landscape Committee is discussing how to handle the greenspace center of the roundabout set for the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Market Street.

City Manager Nancy Freenock approached the committee on Tuesday and said that it is “going to be a couple years away but wanted the committee to consider that might be appropriate in the middle” of the traffic circle.

She outlined a couple of criteria that would have to be kept in mind — any planting would have to be able to handle salt spread during the winter and can’t block the view of individuals utilizing the roundabout either.

“We thought some kind of plantings with a flag pole in the middle,” she said.

Joe Reinke, City Arborist and Department of Public Works superintendent, speculated the diameter they would have to work with would be about 25 feet.

Freenock said she is hoping that grass is not part of the solution. Mowing would certainly present some challenges.

Josie Gerarde, committee chair, said she’s seen roundabouts that look “really nice” and some that look “ratty.”

Committee member Mary Conarro explained that she has seen roundabouts with shrubbery that would just need pruned annually.

Reinke suggested the salt issue may not be a significant barrier as crews will always plow the snow out of the roundabout rather than into it.

“We will have to wait and see how high that is,” Reinke said, explaining that the outside retaining wall will be domed to assist with drainage.

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