Photos by Sarah Bennett
More than 61,200 square feet of grass in front of the Army National Guard Facility on Redondo was removed last week, marking the beginning of the third and final phase of the single largest largest lawn-to-garden project in the city.
Revitalization of the massively visible landscape will replace the water-consuming grass with hundreds of drought resistant plants as part of the Long Beach Water Department’s Lawn to Garden Program, which provides money for those who want to convert their water-guzzling grass lawns into drought-resistant gardens.
While nearly 1000 homes and multi-family units have undergone these transformations in Long Beach since the program began, only 16 commercial properties have taken advantage, with the National Guard being by far the largest. According to Water Department officials, the next largest lawn project previously converted through this program was Long Beach Gas and Oil at 8,700 square feet, six times smaller than the National Guard turf that was removed.
Work began at the National Guard last year thanks to a local recruiting unit of the California State Military Reserve (CSMR), led by First Sergeant Jerry Shultz, a former Long Beach city council member and active member of the CSMR.
“The Armory is the last thing our National Guard soldiers see when they deploy from Long Beach to go to war and it is the first thing they see when they return home,” Shultz said. “My dream is for it to be the most beautiful Armory in the nation.”
Though the former grass expanse that inhabited the entire corner of Redondo Ave. and Stearns St. is still all dirt for now, it will soon be lush with California-native plants and trees that are both colorful and drought tolerant. A walking path and benches are also going to be installed, creating a mini park on the outside of the Armory’s security gates.
A ribbon cutting for the completed project is expected to take place before the end of the year.
Read more:
- IN PICTURES: 2nd Annual Long Beach Lawn-to-Garden Tour
- Creating a Naturally Long Beach-Friendly Garden
- Long Beach Water Department Honored for Its Green Leadership
Long Beach National Guard Drought-Resistant Garden Design
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