The featured image of this blog is of the four boxed trees that had been delivered to the site.
On October 20, 2020, I rounded the campus frontage road at the southwest bend (at the corner of Barton Road and Anderson Street), I was pleasantly surprised to see some boxed trees. The landscaping phase had begun. This blog will monitor the landscaping progress on a regular basis.
The current scope of the landscaping phase — the south side and the southeast portion of the east side.
Remember When?
Fifteen years ago (circa 2005), when the current LLUCTP was still on the drawing board, the acreage on the east side of Loma Linda University Medical Center was an “asphalt jungle”– parking lots surrounded with bushes, rose bushes, scattered Palm Trees, and other species of trees casting shadows, albeit sparse, on various parking spaces. Paralleling Anderson Street and Barton Road were mature trees that seemed to envelop the parking lots in the background.
The iconic LLUMC circular towers as viewed between the trees that paralleled Anderson Street.
Ten years later (2015), during the make-ready phase of the project, the beautiful mature trees were cut down. For a time, all that remained were the stumps. Soon they were removed as the project progressed.
In the early days of October, 2020, I saw evidence that the landscaping phase was ramping up along the south side. PVC water line had been laid in a trench along with wire from that will run from the controller to the control valves. Valve control boxes set in a southside bank.
Five years, one month, and one day later, I captured the following image — Trees once again paralleling Anderson Street had been planted — Landscapers Rejoice! The barren construction site will once again sprinkle the campus with flowers, greenery, trees, and shade.
Sprinkler timers that control the sprinkler valves are now being installed. These controllers are located on the southeast corner of the campus.The southeast corner of the Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus at the corner of Barton Road and Anderson Street. Trees. Shrubs and groundcover are being planted on the bank. The electronic “brains” behind the Rain Master Eagle Plus Irrigation Controllers.
A Semi Arrives with a Load of Trees, Shrubs, and Ground Cover.
Trees, shrubs, and groundcover are being offloaded from the semi.At the east end of the wide sidewalk is a large nursery semi-truck which is being offloaded with trees, bushes, and groundcover. To the right of the east-west sidewalk is the Adult ER Drop-off and Parking Lot. To the left of the sidewalk is the terraced Amphitheater. A few yards behind (west) is the main entrance to the main entrance to the ER Waiting Room.This section is part of the terraced amphitheater. At the upper right is the east-west sidewalk which abuts the Adult ER Drop-off and Parking Lot. Note, the sprinkler system is watering the tree.
Trees, Tree, and More Trees
“Finally, We Have Shade!”
(A quote from a worker who was taking a break in the shade of a newly planted tree).
The landscaping strip between Anderson Street and the frontage road had been graded, water line had been laid, and stakes marked where the boxed trees would be planted.A small grove of boxed trees located between the campus frontage road (right) and Anderson Street (left on the other side of the security fence).A view of the small grove of boxed trees as viewed from the roof (17th floor) of the Adult Hospital tower.A 17th-floor view of the trees along Anderson Street and Barton Road.Planted trees on the east side of the Amphitheater.Trees have been planted on the south side of the amphitheater.A newly planted tree at the south edge of the Adult ER drop-off & parking area at the southeast corner of the campus.A small backhoe drops soil around a newly planted tree that lines the east-west sidewalk on the south side of the Adult ER drop-off & parking area on the southeast corner of the campus.Landscape supplies (PVC pipe of various sizes) stacked in the Adult ER drop-off & parking area at the southeast corner of the campus. Newly planted trees along the south end of the parking lot.Bins for larger PVC connectors. Bins for smaller PVC connectors.Landscaping supplies and equipment.For the most part, there was little activity on the south side of the project. The landscapers were working in the area. I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see at the west end where the Children’s ER drop-off and parking lot is located.Children’s ER drop-off and parking lot is used as the nursery staging area.A closeup up of the landscaping staging area.Newly planted trees that line Barton Road and the frontage road south of the Children’s ER drop-off and parking lot
Boulders and Rocks
On my visit today (10.29.20), I noticed large boulders and rocks that had been distributed around the site, which will be included per the overall landscape master plan. Currently, these boulders are located on the east side of the Galleria and Main Entrance Canopy.A large boulder rests in the area that was once the main entrance to the Medical Center. This area will be converted into a green-belt/landscaped area with an Emergency/Fire lane in the center.Two boulders placed near the southeast corner of Schuman Pavilion.The former main entrance will be converted into a green-belt/landscaped area with an Emergency/Fire lane in the center. Facing Schuman Pavilion with the former Loma Linda University Medical Center Entrance to the left. A number of electrical and landscaping irrigation stub outs are visible in the center. The tire tracks approximate where the emergency/fire lane will be located.
After graduate school Dennis accepted a position at Loma Linda University. He worked there for 42 years in the areas of administration and financial management, also teaching accounting and management to dietetic students at the School of Public Health. Through the years Dennis has chronicled the growth of the campus, including the construction of the Drayson Center and the Centennial Complex and the razing of Gentry Gym. He is the author of "The Mound City Chronicles: A Pictorial History of Loma Linda University, A Health Sciences Institution 1905 - 2005." dEp 09.30.2016 🔨
