For the first time in about five years, a dozen new Washingtonia palm trees were planted in the Highland Avenue median in Hancock Park. The trees were paid for and planted yesterday by the Hancock Park Homeowners Association’s arborist, Sabine Hoppner, and her crew, who will be watering them by hand until the City is able to repair the automatic irrigation system in the median.
“We planted the new trees to fill in places where we were missing trees,” explained Hancock Park HOA president Cindy Chvatal-Keane. “Now we are the stage where we just want to keep the trees healthy and the median green!”
Chvatal-Keane told the Buzz the Association has had its challenges working City on the median for years, but most recently efforts to repair the irrigation have been progressing…thanks to the assistance of Adel H. Hagekhalil, Executive Director and General Manager of the Bureau of Street Services. And it doesn’t hurt that Adeena Bleich, Deputy Chief of Staff for CD Councilmember David Ryu, is also checking up on the work. Bleich, recently back from maternity leave, was in the neighborhood checking on the irrigation repairs when she encountered Chvatal-Keane and Hoppner planting the trees.
Next up, the association is working with the City’s Office of Historic Resources to design some kind of medallions or historic markers to be placed in the median to designate its historic status.
