Volunteers work to remake the town square
A community effort is revitalizing a park at the center of
Aromas, transforming a dark, overgrown plot of land into a
welcoming spot.
”
In essence, we wanted to spruce up the heart of Aromas,
”
said Leslie Austin, president of the Aromas Town Square
Committee that has helped organize the refurbishment of the park
over the past three years.
Volunteers work to remake the town square
A community effort is revitalizing a park at the center of Aromas, transforming a dark, overgrown plot of land into a welcoming spot.
“In essence, we wanted to spruce up the heart of Aromas,” said Leslie Austin, president of the Aromas Town Square Committee that has helped organize the refurbishment of the park over the past three years.
With approval from the Monterey County Parks Department, the committee has solicited donations of materials and services to improve the look of the plot of land at the corner of Carpenteria and Bloom.
“The park was very dark and the trees hadn’t been pruned over,” said Austin, a freelance textbook production editor who has lived in Aromas for 21 years. “You couldn’t get light into the park and there were series of berms filled with rocks and vegetation that meant you literally couldn’t see into the heart of the park.”
Volunteers trimmed the branches of two pine trees and replaced an arc of diseased plum trees with new ones. Graniterock has provided concrete for the hardscapes which Tony Biondi of C & N Builders poured, formed and stamped. David Petersen donated his time to backfill the asphalt along a new curb and gutter, as well as in the alley behind the town square. Landscape designer Ann Bramer drew up a plan for the green areas of the park, which includes adding drought-resistant native plans and replacing grass with something more drought-tolerant. DMB provided a watercolor drawing of her plans. Joe Barros Trucking has also aided the revitalization effort.
The town square committee is planning to add electricity to the park along with a sprinkler system, Austin said, noting that most of the work is done on weekends during volunteer work days. Upcoming work plans include backfilling a new rock wall and amending soil with compost.
“There are a few picnic tables, a bench in the back,” she said. “It’s a little spot for people to grab lunch or sit outside.”
While a number of businesses near the town square are vacant, Austin and other Aromas residents are hopeful that the revitalized park will bring a new spark to the area.
“Our hope is that when people come to town they find that the downtown area is a lovely place to visit,” she said, adding that the former Aromas Service Club acquired the land for the park approximately 20 years ago. “Our primary motive is really about safety. We wanted people to be able to see into the park in the evenings and we wanted the heart of the community to have a little TLC.”
Wayne Holman of Wayne Holman Construction has overseen most of the construction work on the project. As president of the Aromas Eagles fraternal organization, Holman said that while the “big part” of the project is done, it will still take a few months do to everything that is planned.
The Eagles have made a five-year, $3,000-per-year commitment to fund the improvements and maintenance of the town square, adding to the group’s support of the community including sponsoring the annual Aromas Day, donating to local Boy and Girl Scout troops, and backing a proposed sports park in the area.
“Yes, there were detractors when [the renovation] was proposed,” Holman said. “But I’m constantly amazed at how many people stop me downtown or at the post office and complement me on how good it looks.”
Holman mentioned that one person recently told him that he was so impressed with the improvements to the town square that he is considering opening a deli downtown.
“That’s a real-world example” of the project’s benefit, he said.
Volunteers involved in the town square revitalization hope to have a formal dedication of the park later this year, Austin said.
“Sometimes people worry about change or the gentrification of Aromas,” she said. “Change can be both hard and wonderful at the same time. In this case it’s wonderful.”
