The rebuilding of a stretch of Gladstone Avenue this fall will include the installation of a new, state-of-the-art “soil cell system” along the street to help keep newly planted trees alive in Centretown’s urban jungle.
The City of Ottawa and the Colautti Group began reconstruction work on Gladstone Avenue this month after shutting down the section between Elgin and Metcalfe streets.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes says construction crews plan to finish the block by the end of the year.
The project was taken on to replace or repair parts of a century-old water main as well as other piping veins. In addition, the city aims to beautify the cityscape by installing “an extensive soil cell system” to foster tree growth.
Holmes says the plan involves installing a “Silva Cell” soil system. She could not give an exact price for the innovation, but says it will be more expensive than the conventional method of planting trees in large subsurface concrete boxes, which were previously in place on Gladstone.
Silva Cell is a product made by the international company DeepRoot Green Infrastructure that allows trees to grow healthier in urban landscapes.
The company’s website boasts over 450 installations in 10 countries, including two in Ottawa – at Shoppers Drug Mart on Rideau Street and on Colonel By Drive near Bank Street. DeepRoot advertises that the Silva Cell “generally costs $14-$18 per cubic foot installed.”
Soil cell systems allow tree roots to grow freely underneath sidewalks and paved roads while facilitating water movement and evaporation.
“The Silva Cell is a subsurface integrated tree and stormwater system that holds unlimited amounts of soil while supporting traffic loads beneath paving and hardscapes,” states DeepRoot.com.
Consequently, the Centretown Citizens Community Association is not convinced that the city will be able to implement the desired system within the projected $10.9-million budget, says Scott Gorry, CCCA membership secretary and member of the Gladstone public advisory committee.
“There was discussion in the public advisory committee meetings about (the soil cells),” says Gorry. “I’m skeptical that the extensive soil system that they want to use will fit into that budget, but it remains to be seen.”
He adds that the CCCA’s green committee has submitted other suggestions. “We’ll see how successful the system is that they have chosen. It’s always going to be a problem. You have to find a place for the water to flow to and you have to find a way to recapture that. I’m not sure that they found the best system.”
Controversy arose earlier this year when it was discovered that approximately 16 parking spaces would be removed to make room for more trees along the street.
“It was conveyed that just because they’re ripping it up it doesn’t have to go back the same way it was,” says Gorry. “There was a lot of optimism from the community, especially from our association, that we would be able to provide some dialogue that would foster into applications of some of our suggestions.”
However, Gorry says the association and community residents are disappointed that ideas they presented over a series of advisory meetings were brushed off with little consideration.
Phase two of construction is expected to start next year.