To many of us, Old Greenwich is the perfect place to live. Terrific schools, beautiful parks and beaches, a comfortable and inviting village and friendly folks wherever you look. No wonder people stay here their whole lives. Of course with all that, change does not come easily to many.

Back in the ‘70s some of the great elm trees that created the canopy above Sound Beach Avenue died and were replaced by English oaks. Not bad trees, but not quite the same as the big elms, which rose with a graceful spread towards the rooftops. A movement was afoot last year to swap the oaks for something more closely resembling their original cousins, but many residents objected, stopping the process.

However, in the spirit of cooperation that OG can be known for, a new committee rose from this (and other discussions that had been simmering for some time), and the Village Improvement Committee (VIC) was born. The VIC is composed of Old Greenwich residents, members of the Garden Club of Old Greenwich, members of the Old Greenwich Association, the Old Greenwich Merchant’s Association, the Town’s Tree Warden and a local professional landscape architect. The Department of Public Works is also becoming involved as discussions relating to street lighting and sidewalk safety and street crossings are discussed. The VIC group has been meeting for nearly a year and some of the highlights of their activities were recently reported during the annual meeting of the Old Greenwich Association in late January.

One of the first steps being undertaken by the VIC is the improvement of the appearance of the planting ovals on Sound Beach. The Town’s Parks Department is scheduled to start removing the evergreen bushes that have been growing in these ovals for more than 20 years. These elongated planting boxes will be replanted later in 2012. The growing areas will be given new soil and adjusted to accommodate the future needs of the trees.

Now, I’m no arborist, but I’ve always thought there are a lot of trees on Sound Beach and Arcadia that were feeling squeezed by the size of their planter beds and in some cases by the extra stuff growing in those boxes. Since this move gets the trees more water and more room for root growth, then it’s a good step by the VIC.

For more information and comments, please visit www.oldgreenwich.org