New blue benches and bins coming soon to the Boulevard
With phase one of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) Beautification Committee’s plan well underway, people strolling the Boulevard will soon notice phase two being put into action. The Boulevard’s aesthetic improvements are being led with grace and gusto by LBA board member Romi Cortier, chair of the committee and business representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. Cortier is the owner of Romi Cortier Design, 425 N. Larchmont Blvd. The LBA has partnered with the Larchmont Village Business Improvement District (LVBID) on this project.
NEWLY PLANTED hot pink flowers add a pop of color to a Boulevard planter.
The first improvements got underway in August 2024 and were directed at the Boulevard’s four median strips adjoining mid-block crosswalks between First Street and Beverly Boulevard, originally promoted by the late Councilmember Tom La Bonge. There also was focus on the 10 existing concrete planter pots that adorn the sidewalks. This holiday season, it was also hard to miss the medians’ seasonal poinsettias and hot pink flowers in the planter pots, paid for by the LVBID.
In February, the first three of 11 new blue “legacy benches” will be placed on the west side of the Boulevard. Sourced from DuMor.com, each bench costs $3,200. This includes shipping and installation. Cortier is grateful for the donors who have come through so far, and he hopes more people are inspired to contribute when they see how the improvements add to the Boulevard’s charm.
A plaque with the donor’s name will adorn each bench. These first three were made possible by the Llanos family of Coldwell Banker, Hollywoodland Realty (which bench president Patricia Carroll is dedicating to her father, Ed Carroll) and Swanson’s Dentistry, which has had three generations of dentists on the Boulevard for the past 90 years. One more bench has already been reserved, but it is a surprise for the donor’s family.
Cortier hopes also to eventually install backless benches in a lighter shade of blue on the east side of the Boulevard, but he told us that that side of the street is a bit trickier due to building owner preferences.
HOLIDAY poinsettias adorn the medians on Larchmont Boulevard.
Photos by Romi Cortier
Along with the new benches, Cortier and LVBID Executive Director Heather Duffy Boylston have worked together to bring 12 new blue trash cans to the Boulevard — dark blue will be for garbage, lighter blue for recycling. Cortier believes the style of these receptacles will be a big improvement from the somewhat difficult to open Big Belly receptacles that are in place now.
Furthering the landscaping improvements, Cortier has $1,000 of donations in hand and hopes to raise an additional $5,000 to plant flowers on the grounds of the city parking area. He plans to plant a couple of crape myrtle trees (replacing the agave plants), and to flesh out the area with a palette of white and light-colored plants to contrast with the dark blue benches that will soon add to the area’s decor.
Cortier has kept in mind the possibility that a parklet could one day come to this area of the Boulevard, including a seating area near the clock tower and parking lot. “These new assets are not set in concrete,” he said. “They can be moved. The improvements dovetail beautifully with [the idea of a parklet] while we wait for the money to be raised,” he said.
CENTRAL PARK(let) concept continues to evolve. The LBA board saw this drawing of bin and bench placements last month.
Central Park(let) advances
Initial concepts for the “Larchmont Central Park(let)” idea (shared in illustrations and stories in the Larchmont Buzz [February 2024], and in several 2024 issues of the Larchmont Chronicle) have continued to be discussed by the LBA board of directors. Last month, the board saw some refined drawings that offer paving pattern suggestions and possible shade tree locations, all consistent with the bench and trash can installations being moved forward by Cortier.
OVERHEAD PLAN VIEW shows details of possible park(let) improvement along Larchmont’s western sidewalk.
REFINEMENT of Central Park(let) concept shows suggestions for paving pattern, bollard installations and shade tree locations.
When the city parking lot area plantings are complete, Cortier hopes to take the improvements further north toward Page Academy and the strip mall close to his salon. “North Larchmont could be next,” he said.
For a project that began last year when Cortier noticed that the Boulevard’s concrete planters were full of trash and dead succulents, there has been a lot done in a short amount of time. Anyone wanting to support the LBA’s beautification efforts can visit larchmont.com/beautification.php.
Category: Real Estate