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Beautification

The Beautification Project Team was formed in the summer of 2004. The chair of this team is Jill Broadhurst.

Short Line Pocket Park

The Beautification Team's major focus for 2006 and 2007 was creating a mini-park with new landscaping and a "Welcome to Montclair Village" sign at the corner of Thornhill Drive and Moraga Avenue. The new Park is called Short Line Pocket Park because it is situated on a portion of the old Short Line railway tracks that used to feed Montclair Village from Oakland.

History of Short Line Pocket Park Location
What was first known as the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern Railway in the early 1900s made its way down what is now Hwy 13 and came through Montclair at the 13 on-ramp at Thornhill and Moraga, then through Shepherd Canyon Valley eventually to Sacramento. When the railway was purchased by the Sacramento Railroad Company it was renamed Sacramento Short Line. It operated between 1912 and 1941. The last passenger train ran  through Montclair in February 1941. Freight trains continued until 1957 and the rails were removed shortly thereafter. When it shut down, the Railway granted the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) the 30 foot wide portion of land which separated the Montclair Elementary School from Montclair Park. What we see today as the corner of Moraga and Thornhill is the tip of this land grant. The Girl Scouts planted and maintained this corner for years. It's rumored that a speeding car careened into the corner, destroying the Scouts' hard work. The OUSD installed a fence to prevent further damage, which led to the weeds, grasses and unruly shrubs that became the unfortunate front door to Montclair for travelers entering from the north. (Picture above is courtesy of Bay Area Rails.)

The Park Began...
In 2005 MSIC approached the (OUSD to see if we could adopt the land and turn it into a small park. The OUSD generously agreed to lease the land to MSIC for a token amount with the promise we would not only transform the area but would also maintain the area once converted. In July 2006 vegetation was removed and work begun on building two stone walls that will form the foundation for the planting areas. Grading, irrigation, soil conditioning was next. Plants and much were installed in the spring of 2007. Now it's a matter of monthly maintenance, consisting of weeding and mulching. Additional plants are being installed as funds are available.

The park project was coordinated through the generous donation of plans and installation processes provided by Feyerabend & Madden Landscape Architects. Owner Bobbie Feyerabend and her assistant Jocelyn Broduer spent a great deal of time working with MSIC to develop the look of the Park and select native plants that will be attractive as well as draught-resistant.

Creating the Park was only the start. We are committed to maintaining it through drip irrigation and regular weed maintenance.

To see a list of generous residents and businesses who have made donations to MSIC for the Short Line Pocket Park project, and to support our other activities, press this button:

Monclair Area Cleanups

Earth Day 2006
MSIC lead the way in organizing a clean up of Montclair Village Park for Earth Day 2006 on April 22. Jill Broadhurst, our Beautification Team leader, gathered a wide variety of local residents to pull weeds, remove Scotch Broom, and trim bushes in the Park. One dumpster was filled with Scotch Broom alone. Those who participated left feeling a bit sore but glad to have made a dent in the work needed to keep this Park attractive. There is still much to be done, as the rains from this past season have given unwanted vegetation a big jump.

2005 Activities
One of the Beautification Team's team's 2005 projects was the removal of invasive vegetation and the clean up of native vegetation in Montclair Village Park. A group of 15 volunteers showed up on Tuesday, May 24, to lend a hand. Many thanks to all who participated, including a group from the local Starbucks Coffee shop and Waste Management who provided free pick up of the debris.

Another group of volunteers gathered to clean up and improve the looks of the two medians leading into the Village from the south, near Park Blvd. and Scout Drive. Dozens of daffodils have been planted on the medians by this energetic group.

To learn what we've been doing on blight and dumping issues, click here.