ARTICLE
Common Ground Park will close August 21st through August 25th for necessary tree work. There are a number of trees within the park that need to be trimmed and thinned out for safety and storm precautions. The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department worked with the tree trimming contractor to make sure school is back in session to least impact families wanting to visit the park.
Bob Donahay, Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts said, “It is very important that we conduct periodic maintenance for our parks, and this includes trimming trees, especially during hurricane season. Our contractor will remove any dead or dangerous limbs and prune the trees within the park. The City of Lakeland’s maintained tree canopy has many advantages that adds to the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”
The multi-purpose field north of Common Ground Park and other areas within Publix Charities Park will be open while Common Ground is closed for tree maintenance. We invite families to use the Parks Finder feature on the City’s website to discover alternative parks and playgrounds while Common Ground is under tree maintenance.
The City of Lakeland has over 56,000 publicly managed street and park trees and over 300 distinct tree species. Predominant tree species include slash pine (Pinus elliottii), common crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), live oak (Quercus virginiana), cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), and laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia). The public trees in Lakeland provide about 590 acres of the canopy, provide shade, reduce energy use, improve air quality, reduce carbon dioxide levels, mitigate stormwater runoff, and increase property values.