MONROE - As long as no future costs for maintenance falls to the city, Monroe Board of Public Works gave Monroe Main Street approval to purchase 40 large flower pots to be placed around the Square as part of the revitalization plan.
Main Street Design Committee brought the plans to the Main Street Board of Directors last week, but was asked to take the request to the city for approval, mainly because the 40 planters is a huge reduction from the 180 planters originally planned.
"We looked at the design and counted 180 planters, and we thought that was way too many," said Jean Tullett, chairman of the Design Committee.
Only 16 of the planters, measuring about 2 feet high and 30 inches in diameter, will be on the Square at corners and at the mid-street cross walks.
Twenty planters will be for businesses on the four streets just off the Square, and four planters will be kept in reserve as replacements. Business owners off the Square must make a request for a planter and will be responsible for the maintenance.
The estimated cost for the planters, freight, fill and plants will be about $10,000.
Labor for planting is being donated by the Monroe Women's Club. Maintenance will be the responsibility of the Monroe Main Street.
About $4,750 for irrigation systems for the planters was removed from the cost analysis, after Board of Public Works members determined that watering the planters could be done from spigots on the Square.
Tullett said the Design Committee is working to find some way to promote the maintenance of the planters, perhaps by an "adopt-a-planter" program or by volunteers.
The planters are expected to be placed on the Square sometime in early May to provide an extra splash of color to the downtown.
Weighing about 500 pounds each, the "mesa-colored" planters on the sidewalks will remain during the winter, while those in the crosswalks will be pulled off the streets for snow clearing.
If all goes well, Monroe Main Street may ask for additional planters next year to add to the street design project. About $38,000 for planters was included in the reconstruction project budget.
Main Street Design Committee brought the plans to the Main Street Board of Directors last week, but was asked to take the request to the city for approval, mainly because the 40 planters is a huge reduction from the 180 planters originally planned.
"We looked at the design and counted 180 planters, and we thought that was way too many," said Jean Tullett, chairman of the Design Committee.
Only 16 of the planters, measuring about 2 feet high and 30 inches in diameter, will be on the Square at corners and at the mid-street cross walks.
Twenty planters will be for businesses on the four streets just off the Square, and four planters will be kept in reserve as replacements. Business owners off the Square must make a request for a planter and will be responsible for the maintenance.
The estimated cost for the planters, freight, fill and plants will be about $10,000.
Labor for planting is being donated by the Monroe Women's Club. Maintenance will be the responsibility of the Monroe Main Street.
About $4,750 for irrigation systems for the planters was removed from the cost analysis, after Board of Public Works members determined that watering the planters could be done from spigots on the Square.
Tullett said the Design Committee is working to find some way to promote the maintenance of the planters, perhaps by an "adopt-a-planter" program or by volunteers.
The planters are expected to be placed on the Square sometime in early May to provide an extra splash of color to the downtown.
Weighing about 500 pounds each, the "mesa-colored" planters on the sidewalks will remain during the winter, while those in the crosswalks will be pulled off the streets for snow clearing.
If all goes well, Monroe Main Street may ask for additional planters next year to add to the street design project. About $38,000 for planters was included in the reconstruction project budget.