You’ve seen the fencing go up, no doubt, around the grassy hill at the Bureau of Reclamation Building over on Park Street, shown above at the corner of Park and Nevada Way, because the Bureau is making changes to the landscaping. This project has been needed for a while and we’re glad to see it finally coming to fruition.
The project will remove the lawn that has been a feature of the front of the main office building for decades and replace it with a newly designed water smart and beautifully planed xeriscape. The project is estimated to save 2 million gallons of irrigation water per year. You can see the concept design above, which does have some changes to it, specifically the pathway has moved some, but overall you can get a sense of what it will look like from the above drawing.
The removal of this lawn has been a bit of a sticking point with some Boulder City residents over the years. We are after all, what we like to call, “Clean Green Boulder City,” but the concept of “green” has been through some changes over the years. We told you in our article HERE over a year ago, how in both 2004 and 2009, public meetings were held to try to remove the grass in order to save water, but many residents vocally opposed the idea. We get it, that area is a centerpiece in town and it is restful with all of that green grass. But times are changing and water conservation is now at the forefront of many decisions that need to be made throughout the southwest.
We spoke with Doug Hendrix at the Public Affairs Office and he emphasizes that the staff is keenly aware of the significance of both the building and the land. “It is a historic property and we are thoughtful of that in this design. We are making sure this is tasteful and welcoming and plan to create something that the community can be proud of.”
Notice that there are a variety of plantings throughout to create a park-like environment. There will be landscape lighting installed so it can be safely used at night, and residents can walk their dogs there, and enjoy the seating areas that are also a part of the design. There is another, smaller piece to this project over at the Engineering Services Office located at 500 Fir Street.
The project is being paid for by new water conservation funds coming in, so it is not costing the City anything, and will certainly help us meet the goals laid out by the Southern Nevada Water Authority asking that unused public areas that are not parks be made into more water conservative landscapes. We think it looks fantastic and will be excited to see the finish product expected later this year!
