SOHIP Launches New Beautification Committee

SOHIP neighbors are coming together to give our streets, corners, and green spaces some much-deserved attention. We’re excited to share that the SOHIP Beautification Committee has officially been formed, chaired by neighbor Jake Ettinger.

Our neighborhood is already a great place to live—but we all see spots that could be cleaner, greener, or simply more welcoming. The Beautification Committee exists to focus on exactly that: the everyday places we walk, drive, and bike past that quietly shape how SOHIP feels.

What the committee will focus on

The first major priority is exploring improvements to the triangular parcels at Gilbert & Avondale. These underused spaces have the potential to become a real neighborhood asset—whether that’s low-maintenance landscaping, simple green space, or other enhancements that make the area feel more inviting.

Beyond the triangles, the committee is also interested in ideas like:

• Better use of nearby school green space (where it makes sense and is feasible)
• Planting more trees throughout SOHIP to add shade and reinforce our residential feel
• Long-term beautification along Lemmon Avenue, so it reads less like a cut-through and more like the edge of a real neighborhood
• Smaller placemaking efforts like murals, street toppers, or curb markers
• Ongoing community trash clean-ups and encouraging better upkeep of vacant or active sites
  

We are pro-development and pro-investment. The goal isn’t to stop change—it’s to make sure that as SOHIP grows, the look and feel of the neighborhood keeps up.

How neighbors can plug in

The Beautification Committee is open to anyone who cares about how SOHIP looks and feels—no planning or design experience required.

You can help by:

• Joining the Beautification email list to get meeting invites and project updates
• Volunteering for clean-ups and planting days
• “Adopting” a corner, triangle, or block to keep an eye on
• Sharing ideas or locations that need attention
  

As the committee gets underway, we’ll share photos, before-and-after progress, and specific ways to get involved.

If you’re interested in helping shape the look and feel of SOHIP—from the Gilbert & Avondale triangles to future tree plantings and beyond—this is a great place to start.