Residents urge greener design, water-saving landscaping for Montgomery downtown project

Residents asked the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation at its special meeting to rethink portions of a planned downtown improvement project so the area around the planned Liberty Tree and Davis Museum reads more like contiguous parkland.

At the meeting, Lisa Cuper, a Montgomery resident, urged the board to "eliminate that street and those parkings and just have more green area" between the Liberty Tree and the museum, saying the change would create a more attractive setting stretching toward McGawan Park and nearby historic buildings including the Garrett House. "It would look so much prettier and more park-like," she said.

Why it matters: the change would reduce curbside parking and alter traffic patterns on Highway 149. Cuper warned that drivers making left turns across 149 to access the short street could increase congestion, particularly if vehicles are waiting to park or are backing out. "I think I counted five or six parking spots that would go away," she said, asking the board to reconsider whether the short street and parking are necessary.

The transcript shows the board is still in an early design phase and taking public feedback. A board representative said the comment was noted and that staff would "talk it over with the engineers," adding they were not sure why parking was originally included in that location.

A separate resident, Miss Fox, urged the board to involve local residents in discussions with the landscape architect and to emphasize drought-tolerant, native plantings and water-retention features so the landscape needs minimal irrigation after establishment. "We would like to see the minimum amount of water used to make it look as beautiful as possible," Miss Fox said, naming examples such as Turk's cap and Lantana and recommending water-retention features be built into the site.

A board representative replied that water-retention is included in the plan and that the project team intends to capture and consider that water for irrigation and related uses.

On timing, a board representative said the project team planned site work and hoped to plant the Liberty Tree "by next week," pending required dirt work and preparation.

Next steps: the board took public comments under advisement and said staff and the project engineers would review the suggestions. The downtown design remains at an early stage; officials said they will consider the parking, traffic and plantings concerns during the engineering and landscape design process.