Landscaping approved for new Logan Ave. industrial area
By Scott Rochat
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Neighbors and industrial promoters finally have a landscape plan they both can live with at East Logan Avenue.
The 20-acre parcel, which borders East Logan and Weaver Street, was rezoned from agricultural to industrial use last October and incorporated into Industrial Park III. Neighbors have repeatedly asked that there be a buffer zone to shield the industrial property from nearby homes.
The plan unveiled Wednesday by architect Mike Burton uses a combination of dirt work, tallgrass and trees to screen the property. The trees include swamp white oak, sawtooth oak, eastern red cedar and Austrian pine.
“We wanted to put as much plant material as we could in front of the resident’s houses,” Burton said.
The Emporia City Commission approved the plan and up to $40,000 for the landscaping, depending on the final bid.
“I’m glad to see we’ve finally got a plan we can go with,” Commissioner Tom Myers said. “It looks good.”
That sentiment was echoed by Janet Haag, one of the neighbors who had pressed for the buffer.
“I appreciate the fact that Emporia Enterprises was willing to work with better trees and better screening,” Haag said. “I just wanted to say thank you.”