Mainstreet Mexico has received the green light from Mexico City Council to pursue a project for downtown Mexico.

Council on July 28 began the process for Mainstreet Mexico to plant trees in downtown Mexico as a beautifying project to enhance the downtown’s appeal. Council approved city officials to devise a plan and that plan will come back, such as a memorandum of understanding, that the council will vote on.

Alex Finck, board member of Mainstreet Mexico, appeared at the council meeting to discuss the project, including funding. Finck appeared at the council’s June 23 meeting to pitch the idea. 

City Manager Bruce Slagle told council members on July 28 that they were sent a petition signed from people in downtown who supported the tree project. 

“Trees in the downtown do enhance the downtown and they do provide important character and ambiance, or whatever you might want to say, to the downtown,” Slagle said. 

Slagle gave a history of the downtown, including how sidewalks were replaced and trees were planted 30-plus years ago, and he explained that “as time went, obviously, those were removed for various reasons and time had an its effect on those trees and the sidewalks and since then, ADA requirements have become become more evident and more strict in regards to clearances. Those trees developed problems and ultimately were removed, and as you know, the city was pretty much the last one standing and had to deal with those things.”

He discussed how people then made a plan and it drew support, but again, he said, “things change.” He said regardless of who does what with this project, city officials accept liability for right of way and have to ensure there are appropriate signs, safety barricades, roping areas off during construction and so on. Maintenance and oversight of trees and tree wells also have to be managed, Slagle said. Areas have to be maintained to ensure safety and to prevent tripping hazards.

“We need to make sure that we’re smart in these tree plantings, we’re strategic, we enhance the downtown, not detract from it,” Slagle said. “So we certainly need to consider the number and the placement - all that’s important.”

He gave his blessing to the project, but said the city will have liability and that officials should work with Mainstreet representatives to develop the plan for placement, installation procedures and maintenance. 

The Mainstreet proposal called for 92 trees to be planted, but Finck told council on July 28 that Mainstreet is amenable to not doing 92 trees all at once and that the organization just wanted the approval for the planting of the trees and then will work with the city and parks to understand what’s best from the city’s standpoint. 

“We hope that this is the beginning of that process and not the end,” he said.The Ledger previously reported that Finck said in an email to the newspaper after the June 23 meeting that the project is “entirely funded, in the current proposal iteration, by grants and fundraising through Mainstreet Mexico. The only cost to the city will be the cost of water and the cost of labor for watering, which is pretty minimal.” He said, though, that he didn't have an exact number on that and that the watering schedule would have to be worked out.