Bright Spots Announced in Rocky River

Thomson Circle cul-de-sac after improvements made by neighbors.

Rocky River has a new collection of Bright Spots for 2015! Each of the city’s wards is sprinkled with recipients who take extra time and effort to enhance their property with quality maintenance and landscaping.

After gathering over 150 nominations, Beautification Committee Ward Teams cruised the city to make their selections. “It was very difficult to make choices among so many wonderful nominations, particularly when there were multiple options on one street,” said Abby Marshall, Chair of the Bright Spot program. When done, six homes were designated in each ward, and a Public Bright Spot was chosen. In keeping with tradition, the Beautification Committee had its “big reveal” at River Days on July 11.

One exceptional example is the cul-de-sac on Thomson Circle. Past Bright Spot recipients Gary and Claire Pildner looked at the oversized bush on their cul-de-sac and believed that the space had much more potential. Instead of being a trash collector and safety risk, they envisioned an attractive gathering place for the neighborhood. But because the cul-de-sac was public property, they couldn’t just start digging.

Gary and Clair developed a basic concept and circulated the plan among their neighbors, generating a very positive response. The Beautification Committee was engaged to help fine-tune the plan and act as a liaison with the City of Rocky River. One of the biggest issues with this and similar projects was water access. This was resolved by engaging the residents closest to the circle and arranging to use their water sources. It was a crucial component because while Gary and Claire spearheaded the project, they don’t actually live right on the circle and could not realistically run hoses from their home. In order to succeed, the plan truly needed ongoing community support.

The Pildners were thrilled to learn that the City was able to remove the bush and provide some soil and mulch, giving them a fresh canvas to work on. Installation was done in May and June, including a neighborhood “planting party” for both children and adults. Funding for the project was donated by neighbors on Thomson Circle and the West River Estates Homeowners Association.

This is just how the Beautification Committee envisions its Resident Initiatives program working. If you have a “public spot” that you would like to improve, please contact Liz Harmath, Chair, at rrbeautification@yahoo.com. Resources are available to help guide you through the process.

To see pictures, lists and maps of present and past Bright Spot recipients, go to www.rrcity.com/beautification-committee/. Recipients will have signs posted in their yards through mid-August.

Liz Harmath

Liz Harmath is the Chair of the Rocky River Beautification Committee.

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Volume 3, Issue 2, Posted 12:19 PM, 08.04.2015