Cleaning & Greening

Northwest Greening Initiative

Dates of Operation: Ongoing

This program was designed to create an attractive environment that will encourage people to live, work and play in the Northwest section of the City of Philadelphia.  With continued support from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, OARC has expanded its ongoing greening initiative into other Northwest Philadelphia communities. Traffic islands have been greened and beautified and trees planted in East and West Oak Lane, Nicetown, Germantown, Chestnut Hill, Wadsworth/Cedarbrook, Mt. Airy and Cheltenham Township. 

OARC's greening initiative supports Awbury Landscaping Services’ training program that employs local apprentices, helping to redirect resources and energy back into the community. OARC plants hundreds of trees each spring and fall and we continue to perform much needed tree maintenance throughout these neighborhoods. 

NOTE ~ We are currently planning our fall tree planting schedule.  If there is interest in having trees planted in your area, please contact OARC at 215-549-9462.

Accomplishments:

  • Received a Community Service Award from the Widener Memorial School in June 2009.  OARC cleaned and landscaped the school's campus and planted 30 trees.
  • Planted trees in SEPTA's Cheltenham Bus Loop located at Ogontz and Cheltenham Avenues
  • Completed a working Green House at the Martin Luther King High School campus to be used by students in the PCAT Urban Farming and Marketplace programs
  • Coordinated the revitalization of Awbury Park.  Improvements involved extensive cleanup of brush and debris to restore the park's natural beauty and provide a clear line of sight.  Additionally, Awbury Recreation Center's kitchen received a facelift that included installation of new appliances and floors, hanging of wall-to-wall cabinets, and new paint throughout. These improvements in addition to creating overall curb appeal by installing stone piers, iron fencing, and shrubbery have made Awbury Park an attractive destination for area residents.
  • Coordinated the renewal and upgrading of the play areas at Awbury, Waterview and Morton Recreation Centers. These improvements included upgrading multi-use playground structures, replacing safety surfaces, color coating of basketball courts and replacing backboards, nets, rims, and poles 
  • Planted close to 2,000 trees, including 591 planted Spring 2009 in commercial and residential areas throughout Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods.
  • Greened and beautified numerous areas in West Oak Lane and other communities throughout
    Northwest Philadelphia, including traffic islands at these locations:
                        o    Washington Lane & Ogontz Avenue
                        o    7100-7200 Ogontz Avenue 
                        o    Broad Street & 66th Street
                        o    Stenton Avenue & Washington Lane
                        o    Haines Street & Ogontz Avenue
                        o    Ogontz Avenue & 19th Street
  • Winner of first, second and third prize in the "Gateway Gardens’ category of the Pennsylvania
    Horticultural Society's "2006 City Gardens Contest"
  • Coordinated a major clean-up of an environmentally contaminated site on Haines Street and Stenton Avenue.

Partners: West Oak Lane Tree Tenders, East Oak Lane Tree Tenders, Awbury Arboretum, Awbury Landscaping Services, the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Natural Resources

Funders: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Northwest Cleaning Initiative

Dates of Operation: Ongoing

Description: OARC implemented this program in 2003 to rectify and improve the conditions of the commercial corridors. A year later, it was extended to include Stenton Avenue and surrounding corridors. Today, we still work actively to broaden the impact of this initiative by expanding into other corridors and communities.

This year marks the beginning of a regional approach to corridor beautification as we expand these activities to include portions of North Broad Street and Germantown Avenue.  We recently secured funding to purchase an industrial-size street cleaning truck that will allow us to maximize our cleaning efforts. OARC's commitment to cleaning and greening is solid and we are dedicated to keeping our Northwest Philadelphia communities beautiful

Accomplishments:

  • Added a third street cleaning truck - in addition to two smaller "green-cleaning" machines, we own and operate an industrial-size truck that will allow us to stretch our reach in cleaning commercial corridors and neighborhoods in general 
  • Cleaned approximately 10 miles of streets per day
  • Collected approximately 1,000 cubic yards of litter annually
  • Cleaned and cleared vacant lots throughout Northwest Philadelphia

     
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