Blooming spring flowers and budding trees will be making their presence known in downtown Elizabethton in the coming weeks, and the Downtown Business Association is making plans to add more plants to sidewalk scenery.
DBA Secretary Patti Whitson updated the group on plans to replace plants in the planters along West Elk Avenue that had died or needed to be moved after outgrowing the space in the planter.
Four of the planters need new trees to be installed. The DBA is considering holly and serviceberry trees, Whitson said. The serviceberry trees will be installed at the planters near the intersections, and the hollies would be installed at the available planters in the middle of the blocks.
She said the serviceberry was chosen because of its vibrant colors that would add to the atmosphere of downtown.
“When you look at the mountains in the early spring, the serviceberry is the first to bloom,” she said. “It has pretty white flowers. Then it turns in the fall to a beautiful red.”
The trees were selected also they can stand up to the strong winds that come down Elk Avenue from time to time. Because the serviceberry has a trunk that splits and has multiple branches, “it can withstand the wind better than a tree with a single, solid trunk,” Whitson said.
Director of Planning and Development Jon Hartman said adding fuller trees like the serviceberry at intersections can act as a traffic calming device.
“Studies have shown on tree-lined streets, when there are ‘bulky’ trees at the intersection, drivers subconsciously slow down,” Hartman said. “It sends a cue to the driver that they are entering a new area, and it triggers in them to slow down.”
Whitson said she spoke with Hannon Howard of Mills Greenhouse for estimates on the trees. The holly trees would be available, installation included, for $225 each. The serviceberry trees are $130 for a tree pre-planted in a 25-gallon bucket or $95 for one in a 15-gallon bucket.
The group also discussed plans for upcoming downtown events. Events and Marketing Chairwoman Jennie Kodak said the first event would be held this coming week in honor of Valentine’s Day.
Kodak invited all downtown businesses to participate in a Valentine card swap. Businesses are to make 50 cards with a promotion on them, such as 10 percent off purchase or buy-one, get-one free. The cards will be distributed to other businesses who will then share them with their customers from Tuesday through Feb. 14.
“It is a great way to cross-promote each other, and there is not a lot of cost involved in it,” Kodak said.
Another February promotion is “Share the Love.” Kodak asked businesses to place a change collection jar somewhere in their shop to collect money for the Elizabethton/Carter County United Way.
Kodak said the goal was to have at least one small event each month, with a larger event planned for the summer. Some months have holidays, such as Easter, Mother’s Day, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, which make it easier to plan focused events.
Kodak said the main event will probably be a downtown tailgating festival that will highlight the sports teams of local schools. The committee is also planning a food event, such as a barbecue cookoff, to be a part of the activities.
“We have a lot of ideas,” Kodak said. “We need to start paring them down to focus on what we can do. Some events will be smaller and not take a lot of effort to do. Others will require more planning and time. We can make this happen and bring more attention to our downtown.”