Beautification Committee

Membership and Meetings
Officially, the Beautification Committee has nine members appointed by Council for a two-year term with one representative each from Council, Planning Commission and staff.  But beyond the appointed members, the Committee welcomes all who share an interest in gardens, trees, streetscapes or Village beautification generally, regardless of previous experience. Come meet other residents and get involved in the community!   

Meetings typically are held monthly in the Community Room on the lower level of Village Hall (back entrance).  They are announced in the quarterly newsletter and on this website.  Click here to subscribe to meeting notifications via email.

Current appointed members are:  
            Cindy Goodman
            Scott Heizman
            Pam Hessler
            Tom Karr, Amberley employee
            Jim Kelly
            Jeannette McCarthy
            Larry McGraw, Planning Commission rep.  
            Merrie Stillpass, Council rep., Chair
            Albert Tomasi


Arbor Day
Photo Credit: Tracy McMullenAmberley's annual Arbor Day celebration, a multi-faceted community event held in cooperation with Cincinnati Parks, takes place in late April or early May on a Sunday afternoon.  Activities include:
  • Pruning, mulching, weeding and planting activities on the ground of Village Hall and in French Park. 
  • Educational demonstrations on planting trees and/or other garden topics
  • Opportunity to visit the Amberley History Room in Village Hall
  • Garden Awards kickoff

Arbor Day 2009 for the first time included a collection of old electronics for recycling and a plant swap.  



Garden Awards
Each spring and summer, the Beautification Committee invites you to nominate residences for Garden Awards.  Now in their 5th year, these awards recognize key elements of gardening and landscaping undertaken by residents to maintain and enhance the natural beauty that surrounds their homes and our Village.  The 2009 nominating period concluded on June 19.   

Each of the four award categories listed below will each be divided into "Professional" and "By Owner" classifications for judging:

  • Best Curb Appeal
  • Best Overall Landscape
  • Best Backyard Haven
  • Best Green Landscape (ie featuring elements such as a sustainable garden or functional features such a rain garden, native plants and vegetable gardens)

Judging was done by Sharon Floro, landscape architect principal of GroundWork Design Collaborative, LLC.   Winners were announced at the Ice Cream Social on August 23, 2009. 

View Photos of the 2009 Amberley Village Beautification Award Winners and Honorable Mentions


Tree City USA
Photo Credit: Dan AllenWhen the Amberley Village Beautification Committee (AVBC) was established in 2004, meeting the standards to become a Tree City USA provided a framework for initiating its role in the Village.  Since first earning the Tree City USA designation in 2005, Amberley has continuously maintained this status and gone beyond the minimum requirements to earn Growth Awards each year since 2007. 

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation to encourage and recognize urban and community forestry programs in towns and cities across the country.  To qualify for Tree City USA, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters:

  • A Tree Board or Department – Fulfilled by the AVBC
  • A Tree Care Ordinance (Amberley Village Code Section 100)
  • A community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita -- Amberley spends more than $7,000 annually on tree pruning, removal, planting and maintenance of the trees in the public rights-of-ways and on the grounds of Village owned property.
  • An Arbor Day observance and proclamation   

AVBC members conducted a tree inventory as part of the Tree City USA requirements. 

For more information, visit http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/index.cfm


Heritage Tree Program
The Amberley Village Heritage Tree Program promotes the identification and preservation of significant trees in the Village.  It's a way to celebrate the natural beauty we enjoy in Amberley.

A "Heritage Tree" is defined as a tree or stand of trees that, due to age, size, species, quality or historic association, is of landmark importance and whose retention as such will not unreasonably interfere with the use of the property it is located on. The Heritage Tree Program is a voluntary program that focuses only on education and awareness.  It does not in any way affect ownership.

Village residents are invited to nominate a tree or stand of trees for designation as a Village of Amberley Heritage Tree (with the permission of the homeowner).  Click on the link below to access a nomination form and read more about the program in detail.

Heritage Tree Program Nomination Form


Project Initiatives

Gateway at Reagan Highway and Ridge Road
The approval by Village Council of a plan to landscape the intersection of Ronald Reagan Highway and Ridge Road culminates many hours of work by the Beautification Committee.  This first phase at the southeast corner will create an aesthetic statement at the primary entrance to the Village. 

"This intersection is the most significant entrance into our community for most people, especially non-residents from all over the Cincinnati region, said Vice Mayor Merrie Stillpass, Chair of the Amberley Village Beautification Committee (AVBC). 


"The Gateway Project will be a means of creating an excellent first impression and an attractive welcome to Amberley for residents as well." 

Total cost for the project is estimated at $70,000, of which Village Council has allocated $30,000.  The balance must come through grants, donations from individuals and other funding sources.  Village staff is exploring grant opportunities.  If you wish to support this project, make your check payable to Amberley Village and write "Beautification Committee" in the memo line.  
The AVBC along with Village staff consulted with Meisner + Associates, a landscape architecture firm, on the look and feel for all the gateways and major crossroads in the Village.  The plans call for a hierarchy of entry signs and features including landscape materials that are drought resistant and native species.  The first phase at Ridge and Ronald Reagan will feature a low curving wall with a cut out metal sign with backlighting.  A feature tree will be planted to symbolize the Village's green character as well as provide a vertical and sculptural design element. 


Helpful Resources
The following websites offer helpful information on topics related to plants and trees. 

Cincinnati Zoo's lists of plants, shrubs, grasses, etc.
http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/plants/default.html

Cincinnati Zoo's list of deer resistant plants
http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/plants/other/DeerPlants.pdf.pdf

Civic Garden Center—great resource
www.civicgardencenter.org

Ohio State University –encyclopedia of information
http://hcs.osu.edu/plantfacts/plant/

Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources
http://www.ohiodnr.com/forestry/tabid/5438/Default.aspx

9 suggestions for properly planting and caring for trees
http://www.arborday.org/trees/ninethings.cfm