Nearly 30 trees from the city will help a San Jose neighborhood. Ian Cull reports.
Nearly 30 trees from the city will help a San Jose neighborhood.
Businesses in the Calle Willow neighborhood just south of downtown said when summer rolls around, the heat along sidewalks makes it unbearable to be outside.
"This will undoubtedly bring more visitors to our area and encourage people to take a stroll along Calle Willow," said Alonzo Lopez, owner of Arteaga's Food Center.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmember Omar Torres were on hand Wednesday to help plant some of the 29 trees the city is putting in to increase shade and beautify the area.
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"We may see temperatures reach as high as 90 degrees by the end of the week, which makes cutting the concrete, as we call it, all the more important across our city," Mahan said.
Nara Baker, the city's interim arborist, said the forestry division is planting over 2,000 trees across San Jose this year.
"We are dedicated to increasing tree canopy in areas of San Jose that have not historically had sufficient canopy cover," Baker said.
The city has contractors who will water and maintain the trees for three years as they grow along with the community.
