What the project may include
The Treasure Island Trail Garden Walk project would beautify HOA-owned open areas along our main street, at the entrance and on both sides of Island View Drive. The final design will be set after contractor bids and City review.
Replacing dying trees
Improving the parkway by replacing up to six declining or dying Bradford pear trees with native Shumard oaks, providing long-lasting shade and beautiful fall color, while also treating cedar trees affected by bagworms.
Refreshing our entrance and planting gardens
Enhancing our community entrance with gardens and benches on both sides, while converting the plain turf strips and bare areas along the screening wall near Island View Drive into attractive, drought-tolerant perennial gardens featuring plants from the City's Approved Plant List and utilizing the existing irrigation system.
Adding places to sit
Adding up to seven commercial-grade metal benches on concrete pads to provide comfortable community seating, including a safe and convenient place for students to sit while waiting for the Arlington ISD school bus.
Keeping it clean
Helping keep the area clean and welcoming with two signs encouraging responsible pet cleanup, two low-profile pet waste stations, and two trash receptacles.
Benefits to our community
Treasure Island Trail is more than a street. It is part of the place we call home. It is where many of us walk, exercise, visit with neighbors, and enjoy our community. Making this shared space greener, safer, and more welcoming is not only an investment in our neighborhood, but also an investment in our homes and the long-term value of our community.
- A more beautiful main street: Seasonal color and soft plantings in place of plain turf and a long blank wall.
- Quality, professional landscaping: The grant lets us hire a qualified landscape contractor for a complete, well-planned project, with a one-year warranty on all trees and plants.
- Safer trees: Removing failing Bradford Pears reduces the risk of limbs falling on the sidewalk and street.
- Shade for generations: Native Shumard oaks grow into a lasting canopy along the walking route.
- Places to rest and connect: New benches would give neighbors, older residents and families a place to pause and visit, and give students waiting for the school bus a place to sit instead of standing or sitting on the ground.
- Lower water use: Drought-tolerant gardens on drip irrigation need less water than turf.
- Protecting our curb appeal and home value: A beautiful, well-maintained entrance reflects positively on our entire neighborhood. By investing in landscaping, trees, seating, and the appearance of one of our most visible corridors, we are helping protect the investment each of us has made in our homes while strengthening the overall appeal and value of our community.
See the difference
Each picture shows a spot as it looks today (top) and a possible look after the work (bottom). The lower images are conceptual renderings, not final designs. The final design and plantings will be set after contractor bids and City review, using plants from the City's Approved Plant List.
You help choose the areas
The project is divided into nine areas, shown as Views 1 to 9 and numbered in the order you pass them driving in from the entrance (View 9, signs and pet stations, has no picture). Choose every area you'd like included, or as few as one. Each area selected by more than half of the signing homeowners goes into the grant application.
“HOA if chosen alone” is the HOA's 20% share for that area by itself. When the areas you choose total more than $31,250, the grant stays at $25,000 and the HOA pays everything over that. All figures are estimates until contractor bids arrive.
Next: get your approval form →No increase in HOA assessments
The City grant pays for most of the work. There will be no increase in HOA dues and no special assessment for this project.
How the HOA's cost is figured
The City grant pays 80% of the total for the areas chosen, up to $25,000, and the HOA pays the rest from funds it already has.
- If the chosen areas total $31,250 or less, the HOA pays 20%.
- Above $31,250, the grant stays at $25,000 and the HOA pays everything over that.
Examples
- Views 6, 7 and 8 (the three garden strips) total $21,960: the grant pays $17,568 and the HOA pays $4,392.
- Views 5 to 8 (trees and garden strips) total $32,060: the grant pays $25,000 and the HOA pays $7,060.
- All nine areas total $46,855: the grant pays $25,000 and the HOA pays $21,855.
| If all nine areas are chosen | Estimated amount |
|---|---|
| City of Arlington grant | $25,000 |
| HOA, from funds already on hand | $21,855 |
| Total project | $46,855 |
If fewer areas are chosen, both amounts go down. Neighbor volunteer hours may lower the HOA's share further.
- The HOA's share comes from money the HOA already has, not from new fees.
- If the City does not award the grant, the HOA spends nothing on this project.
- The HOA's current landscape contractor will maintain the trees, gardens and benches for at least ten years within the regular landscaping budget, as the City requires. Volunteer help is a bonus, not a requirement.
- Figures are estimates until contractor bids arrive. The City's $25,000 is fixed, and the HOA would cover any difference from existing funds.
Get your approval form
We need one signature from at least 40 of our 80 homes by Thursday, November 12, 2026. Only one homeowner per home needs to sign, and signing is free. Signing does not commit you to pay anything.
Your selection to include in grant application
Fill in what you like below and we'll put it on the form for you. Anything you leave blank, you can write in by hand. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere; the form is made on your own device.
Then
- Print the two-page form. Check page 2 to make sure your areas are marked.
- Sign in ink and print your name. One signature per household.
- Return it by Thursday, November 12, 2026: hand it to any HOA board member, or email a photo or scan to the address printed at the bottom of the form.
In person: Board, officers, ACC members, and volunteers will be going door to door with a signature sheet. Please sign and choose your areas when they stop by. Please sign only once per home, using whichever method is easiest for you.
Lend a hand: 10 hours a year
Would you give at least 10 hours a year to help plant and care for the new trees and gardens? It's optional, and you can sign the petition whether or not you volunteer.
During the project (spring 2027)
Volunteer planting, mulching, and light weeding days.
Each year after
A spring cleanup day, light weeding and checking on the young trees, alongside the HOA's landscaper.
Timeline
- Now to Nov 12, 2026Homeowners deadline to complete and sign the support petition
- Nov 16, 2026HOA submits the grant application to the City
- January 2027City Council approves grant awards
- March 2027City contract signed; landscaper scheduled
- March to June 2027Trees replaced, gardens planted, benches installed
- July 2027Project complete
Questions? Join the Open Board meeting
Bring your questions about the Garden Walk to the online Open Board meeting. The board will walk through the project, the areas and the costs, and answer questions before the November 12 deadline.
Join the online meetingCommon questions
Will this raise my HOA dues?
No. There will be no increase in HOA dues and no special assessment for this project. The HOA's share comes from funds it already has.
Does signing commit me to pay anything?
No. Your signature only shows that you support the HOA applying for the grant.
Why does the City need our signatures?
The City requires proof that at least half of our households support the project. Without 40 signatures, our application cannot be considered.
What happens if we don't get the grant?
The HOA spends nothing on this project, and nothing changes.
Is this competitive?
Yes. The City reviews applications from neighborhoods across Arlington and funds the strongest ones. Strong homeowner support and a match of nearly 48% if all areas are chosen, including neighbor volunteer hours, help our application stand out.
Who will take care of the new trees and gardens?
The current HOA's landscape contractor will be asked to maintain them within the regular landscaping budget, along with the help of HOA volunteers.
Why remove the Bradford Pears?
They are declining and dying, they tend to split in storms, and the City lists them as a prohibited species. Native Shumard oaks are stronger and live much longer.
Do I have to volunteer to sign?
No. Volunteering is optional. Your signature counts the same either way.
Who will empty the new trash cans and pet waste stations?
The HOA's landscaper, on its regular service schedule and within the current landscaping budget.