For many area homeowners, nothing’s quite as beautiful as a lush, green lawn.But a lush, green lake? Not so much, Carrie Vollmer-Sanders says.As the West Central Neighborhood celebrates the 30th year of its home and garden tour, improvements are still being made in the neighborhood, says Charlotte Weybright, association president.
Just in the last year, she says, the group worked on a major restoration project involving four homes on West Washington Street and bought a house that had been condemned at 1218 Fulton St., which is now being revitalized for resale by a private investor.
The association gave six $500 grants to help residents paint their exteriors, bought $1,000 worth of trees on behalf of homeowners to replace dead ashes and continued cleaning up of the Theime Drive Overlook while planning a new boat launch on the St. Marys River nearby.
The number of properties on the tour and offerings and tour attendance have remained steady, while the arts festival has grown from a small event in a resident’s backyard about seven years ago to a several blocks-long street fair encompassing more than 40 vendors plus musicians, entertainers and food and beverage purveyors.
“I think they (tour patrons) look forward to it,” Weybright says. “I think they’re eager to see the different houses and the architecture.
“It’s a beautiful neighborhood,” she adds. “I think people who come are astounded by the beauty.”
