Cottontown Traffic Diverter Project
Completed Cottontown Traffic Diverter in January
Authors: Cottontown/Bellevue Historic District Neighborhood Association & Chris Wormley, Columbia Green Community Grants & Awards Chair
Columbia Green’s Community Grants program is pleased to announce the completion of our first grant for the 2024-2025 grant cycle: The Cottontown Traffic Diverter Project, by the Cottontown/Bellevue Historic District Neighborhood Association
Project Background
The Cottontown/Bellevue Historic District Neighborhood Association. Cottontown was established in 1902 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Many years ago, the Association worked with the city of Columbia to install several traffic diverters throughout our neighborhood, designed to calm traffic but also to add beauty to our neighborhood and at one main portal (Victoria & Bull St.). While the city had to approve and then build the traffic diverters, our neighborhood is responsible for their maintenance.
The traffic diverter at Victoria & Bull St., is a main portal to our neighborhood but more importantly, to the city of Columbia for anyone coming off of the I-277 corridor. The growth and development in the Bull St. District, including the planned USC Medical School, makes this gateway even more important to our city and neighborhood.
By 2024, the traffic diverter had become an eye sore and a source of complaints to both the city and the Neighborhood Association. Hurricane Debby had caused devastation to the original plantings and many of the plants were dead or dying So, we set out to present an eye-catching portal to the city of Columbia and an attractive entrance to our historic district.
Project Goals
With support from Columbia Green’s Community Grants program and the city of Columbia’s Forestry and Beautification Division, Cottontown’s Neighborhood Association set out to rectify the situation.
The main goals for this project were to:
create a beautiful entrance to the Cottontown Neighborhood,
enhance and complement the surrounding area which serves as a main portal to the city of Columbia, and
instill neighborhood pride and community.
Mission Accomplished!
Installation of plants by five Cottontown residents on their Fall Cleanup Day
First, we installed a permanent brick sign in the traffic diverter (encroachment permit had already been secured from the city) to indicate that we are the Cottontown/Bellevue Historic District, established in 1902.
We installed irrigation (tied to water line at the city meter) with a drip line with emitters and sprayers.
With the help of Columbia Green and Gardener’s Outpost, we chose plants to complement the sign and surrounding area that would not block the line of sight for pedestrians or motorists, and could also sustain the heat and traffic along this corridor.
Plants were delivered by Gardener’s Outpost and installed by a team of 5 Cottontown residents on Cottontown’s Fall Clean-up Day. The plants are being watered 3-4 times per week through our new Hunter irrigation system. (The app also allows us to add additional watering when needed!)
The Cottontown Beautification Committee has quarterly clean up days to bring together 15-20 neighbors to maintain the traffic diverters in our neighborhood as well as pick up trash on the main thoroughfares on all sides of our neighborhood. This committee will be responsible for the care and maintenance of any plant material and mulch and we have an irrigation professional in the neighborhood who will care for the irrigation system as needed.
The generous grant from Columbia Green helped to make all this possible. Thanks, Columbia Green!
