Suwanee has been named a 2017 Crown Community by ‘American City & County’ magazine for its work on the Orchard at White Street Park. The first public orchard in the southeastern U.S., the orchard is a collaboration between the city, nonprofit community garden Harvest Farm, and local landscape architect Roger Grant.
Suwanee funded the $183,471 project using special purpose local option sales tax funds. Community volunteers sowed fruiting plants and installed birdhouses, trellises, and huts made of living willow trees. Grant’s 200 hours of donated design and work contributed an estimated value of $22,000.
Moving forward, the city will give an annual $1,000 to the orchard’s management committee, and its public works department will handle ongoing maintenance, which will involve organic pesticides.
Since 1909, ‘American City & County’ has recognized local governments for extraordinary work in their communities. The magazine received over 75 applications from cities and counties across the U.S. and recognized six innovative and impactful local government projects in 2017, choosing projects with meaningful issues, clever solutions, innovative implementation, measurable results, and ultimately replicable ideas.
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