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S. Smith
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Posted: Nov 25th, 2005 12:24 pm |
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The town owns a piece of property (just over an acre) on Summerfield Road, originally purchased for the municipal building/sheriff's department substation. Since the town council backed off from this project, what do you think should be done with this property?
Should the town sell it? Build a new town hall? Create a small "pocket park"? Hold on to it as an investment or for some future use? Any other ideas?
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PaulW
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 02:28 pm |
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I believe Summerfield would benefit from having a designated wildlife habitat that can also serve as an educational center for its citizens.
How to make this happen on this property would depend upon its current condition.
If it is filled with trees, native plants, a water supply, etc. then little would need to be done.
If there are few trees, we can obtain some seedlings at a low cost and have a community planting. Perhaps an old fashioned well with a manually operated pump and watering cans can be placed for visitors to water them during the first year.
If it is overrun with exotic/invasive plants, they should be removed. These plants do not support our native wildlife, and they out-compete native plants that do.
Many native plants can be grown from seed. An area can be tilled and seeded with a combination of perennials and annuals. This would need to be mowed once per year (late winter/early spring). The mowed material should be placed in a compost pile and used to improve the soil quality.
A brush pile can provide cover for small animals and birds. A native vine can be grown over it to give it better aesthetics.
If there is no water on the property, a small pond can be put in. A local school has one that is thriving. They dug a hole, lined it to retain water, and filled it with plants.
Nesting boxes can be installed. I would be sure to include a bat box for mosquito control if there is a pond. (The pond would be sure to attract frogs and toads who would also keep the bug population in check.)
Dead standing trees (snags) should be left intact, assuming it is not a safety hazard. These provide housing and insect food for cavity nesting birds. Fallen logs make good toad and salamander homes.
At each of these features, a sign can be put in to explain its value to the ecosystem.
Ultimately, the goal would be to inspire visitors to make their land more wildlife friendly. We can have this project certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
Depending on the current state of the property, this may be a small project and it may be a big one. If there is a lot of work to be done, then "developing" the property could be done in stages.
I hope that there is interest in the community for such a project, and like minded people who would take an active role in making this happen.
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S. Smith
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 03:01 pm |
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Thanks for your input PaulW. I was beginning to feel ignored here!
You've got some very interesting ideas. The property is just over an acre in size, so it is not very big. It is located on Summerfield Road beside the Fire Dept. It had a house on it, which the fire dept. burned for the town in anticipation of the town building a new town hall/substation there. I believe it does have a small creek running through it. Other than that, I believe the property is pretty much bare. I don't know about native plants because I haven't been that close to the tract lately, but I don't think there are any significant trees, etc.
Anybody else have ideas? What do you think of what PaulW has suggested?
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DOGGETTJA
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 03:02 pm |
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Paul- Could make the property into a mini park.
For those of you who don't know the property is next to the Fire department and Rhodan Rd borders it on one side. A small piece just over an acre I think. It has a windy little creek but virtually no trees. Maybe the Town or us volunteers should think on this and see what we can come up with.
Anybody else have any thoughtsWelcome to the forum Paul. Haven't seen you here before I don't think.
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S. Smith
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 03:08 pm |
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Jane, Could be a good job for the Conservation Council. Maybe follow PaulW's suggestions, and put in a little walking path and a couple of park benches so people could go sit down there and enjoy the wildlife (not their wild life!) and ponder life in Summerfield. 
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 04:19 pm |
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Welcome to the forum PaulW!
You have offered forth some very good ideas, however In my opinion the fact that there are no trees, might not make that particular piece of property conducive to a wildlife park. This property is also located on a corner of two roads, one of those roads being very heavily traveled especially during school hours.
I'd sure like to see a wildlife area at some other, perhaps more remote, area of Summerfield.
Why not just put the municipal building there? Even though the Substation idea seems to have been dropped, I don't believe that the plans for a new town hall have.
Now we may not have the employees to staff such a building by then, but we still need the meeting/storage space!
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 04:22 pm |
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Sandra, you might want to scoot over to the CC forum afterwhile cause I think Lacka has a little "chicken bone" to pick with you!
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S. Smith
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 04:40 pm |
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| Well, okay. I'm almost scared to after that invitation, but I'll be tough and go on over.
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acook
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 07:35 pm |
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Cracker Jax wrote:
"You have offered forth some very good ideas, however In my opinion the fact that there are no trees, might not make that particular piece of property conducive to a wildlife park."
A quote from JFK speaks to this:
"The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!’”
Actually the fact that there are no trees gives us the perfect opportunity to select native vegetation to plant, focusing the area to attract specific types of wildlife thereby creating a specific type of park. For example, we could create "Woodpecker Woods" , "The Butterfly, Bee and Bird Park" or "Finch Field."
"This property is also located on a corner of two roads, one of those roads being very heavily traveled especially during school hours."
What better place to have a wildlife park than near an area that is heavily traveled and close to a school? Folks need to see that people are not separate from but a part of nature. Human beings and wildlife can form symbiotic relationships that are beneficial to all.
"I'd sure like to see a wildlife area at some other, perhaps more remote, area of Summerfield."
I agree. I'd like to see wildlife habitats spring up all over Summerfield. I do not think they need to be or even should be relegated to the remote areas however. It is important to create wildlife friendly niches throughout urban and suburban areas. Urbanization and wildlife habitat need not be mutually exclusive.
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ff12
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 07:44 pm |
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| is this property beside where SFD is going to build their training facility?
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 07:47 pm |
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Welcome to the Forums acook!
Glad you found your way here! You certainly make some valid points. And I agree with them.
I wonder if the same type of thing could be done in our Summerfield Park?(Not the 911 tower Park) It is much closer to the school and only a hop skip and a jump down the road. I'll have to talk to some "park people" who know more about the park plans to see if something like that would be possible.
Where then would you propose we put our new Town Hall?
I guess I just thought that it would be nice to have the Town Hall built in the Town Core area and I am sure it will be a long time (if ever) before any more property will be acquired for the town's use.
Lovely quote by the way.
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Cracker Jax
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 07:48 pm |
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Yes ff12. Not sure the birdies and the butterflies would enjoy all that smoke!
(And we celebrated orange day for you over on M.A.A.N!)
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DOGGETTJA
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 07:51 pm |
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Yes ff12 right next door to the proposed training center.
Lots of good points on the use of the property. Maybe we could have a Town hall with enviornmentally and wild life friendly landscaping.
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ff12
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 08:06 pm |
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| Thanks crackah i skipped over to the OR forum and next thing i know its Sat. Hate that i missed so much and my own celebration.
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acook
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Posted: Jan 7th, 2006 08:07 pm |
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ff12-
I agree that a SFD Training Facility in close proximity would not be conducive to the formation of a wildlife/nature park.
Cracker Jax-
Thanks for the welcome. I like the idea of making a section of Summerfield Park a wildlife habitat.
I also wonder if there are people in Summerfield who might be interested in pursuing certification by the National Wildlife Federation for Summerfield as a Town “Backyard Wildlife Habitat”?
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