The New Landscaping Committee

Hello, I’m Kathleen Burgess, the Director of Administrative Operations for St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’m delighted to be able to share some great news about a new committee that has been formed for the Cathedral, the Landscaping Committee.

The Landscaping Committee is a subcommittee of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. They will meet regularly and report back updates to Buildings and Grounds on their projects. That information is shared via the Buildings and Grounds monthly Chapter Report with the larger community.

The formation of this committee came after some deep examination of the current landscaping on the property. We lost half of what we maintained with the sale of the property to Greystar and with it a general “look” that the city block once had. Now, with the combination of the xeriscape on Nutmeg and the greenery of the 5th Ave and Queen’s Courtyard as well as a small “Steward’s Garden” on the 6th and Nutmeg corner which was created by our one man landscaping crew –Sexton Chuck–, has overall given us a bit of a hodgepodge look and a mixed message about our commitment to water conservation.

In addition, there are several larger scale projects that are upcoming that the Facilities team needs assistance and the voice of the community incorporated in the process and decisions that will be made. There are wonderful volunteers with time and talent that can make these projects come alive, and we needed a way to come together, so the Landscaping Committee was formed. Some of those projects include:

· Refreshing the xeriscape on Nutmeg

· Coordinating the new building landscaping with ours where the properties meet

· Review and recommendations for quarterly plantings

There are a few projects that are already underway started by the Facilities team, including refreshing of the landscaping in the Queen’s Courtyard, which has been reviewed and approved by Chapter. Once that project is completed

the Landscaping Committee will take over recommendations on maintenance and future plantings in that space.

So, the Landscaping Committee has been formed. We’re so pleased to have Kris Hatch agree to be the Chair. Thankfully, there’s a great group of volunteers who have come forward to work on the committee, but please reach out if you feel called to serve on this wonderful team.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Have a blessed day.
Kathleen Burgess
Director of Administrative Operations