Watsonville Transit Center Beautification Project

WATSONVILLE, CA - From the City of Watsonville: The Parks and Community Services Department planted four large Queen Palms in front of the Watsonville Transit Center on Rodriguez Street. The palm tree planting was the initial phase of a complete transit center beautification project, a cooperative effort between the City of Watsonville, and Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. Additional landscaping enhancements will follow in the months to come, complementing city-led beautification efforts occurring on Main Street in Downtown Watsonville.

In order to plant the palm trees, the city Parks Division first removed several declining Raywood Ash trees in front of the transit center. The Ash trees were infected by a canker disease that was made worse by several years of statewide drought conditions. “The trees had a lot of stem dieback and needed to go anyway,” commented Parks Superintendent Ben Heistein. A crane was used to hoist the over 20’ tall palm trees into the ground.

The Queen Palms replacing the ash trees will be drought tolerant once established and add vibrancy to an already bustling transit center. More landscaping improvements for the transit center are planned for the months ahead. The city is happy to support the Santa Cruz Metropolitan District here in Watsonville.

Image via The City of Watsonville