Delmar Street named Overland Parks 2025 Canopy Street of Excellence

The Legacy of Greenery Committee presented Delmar Street as Overland Parks 2025 Canopy Street of Excellence during the Aug. 18 City Council meeting.

Baker Patterson, representing the Legacy of Greenery Committee, said the committee created the award in 2021 to promote the environmental, social and economic value of mature street trees. Delmar Street, the committee said, runs from 90 Fifth Street to El Monte Street in the Empire Estates neighborhood and was selected from 13 nominees.

The committee reported Delmar Street has 45 street trees and the greatest species diversity among this years nominees. Patterson said about 20 of the trees have trunks measuring roughly 3 to 4 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) and are primarily pin oaks and Siberian elms. Using i-Tree estimates, the committee said the 45 trees yield roughly $4,400 in annual benefits and intercept about 103,000 gallons of rainfall in a single year; projected over 20 years, the committee estimated more than $93,000 in value and over 2,000,000 gallons of rainfall intercepted if the trees remain healthy.

Patterson noted the neighborhood has an established replanting species plan, which assigns linden and hardy rubber tree species for future plantings. The committee also noted that previous nominee streets in the neighborhood had lost canopy due to an ash removal program but are slated for replanting.

Mayor Curt Skoog and Councilmember Cheatham joined committee members for a photograph recognizing the award. The committee encouraged residents to visit Delmar Street to view the canopy and to support future street-tree planting efforts.