Boone Hospital to plant trees on East Broadway

COLUMBIA – Boone Hospital Center has plans to plant several trees along East Broadway in the next few months.

The Columbia City Council approved an ordinance during its meeting last Monday night that lets the center plant the trees.

Twenty-four trees will be planted on the north side of the street between Old 63 and a crosswalk near the hospital, according to the permit between the center and the city.

That total includes 17 Frontier Elm trees and seven Cypress trees.

Myrl Frevert, the director of support services at the hospital, said they will be planted when the weather starts to turn cooler in the fall.

Frevert said the project will have minimal effect on traffic into the hospital and will be done during a less busy time of the day to lessen the impact on traffic traveling along Broadway.

The hospital will pay for the trees and any related costs. It will also be responsible for maintaining the plants. This is part of the beautification of William Street project, which had a total budget of $125 million.

The hospital plans to have the trees planted within 60 days, Frevert said.