The median will collect both rainwater and excess runoff from irrigation. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

A three-block median once filled with patchy grass on Burton Way in Beverly Hills is now a lush garden with native plants, abstract sculptures and a state-of-the-art water reclamation system, making it the city’s first ever “green street.” The Burton Way green street and water efficient landscape project is in the final stages of testing and is set to officially open at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rexford Mini Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. The project will reduce pollution in local bodies of water and also reduce overall water consumption in Beverly Hills.

“It is almost there. The project is 100% complete,” said assistant director of public works and city engineer Daren Grilley. “We’ve got a couple of things that we’re testing right now to make it work, but we should be up and running in the next couple weeks.”

The landscaped median between Rexford and Oakhurst drives will collect rainwater and urban runoff. According to environmental compliance and sustainability program manager Josette Descalzo, the project features a storm drain that will divert water – from both rain and excess irrigation – into the median on Burton Way. From there, the water will be filtered by two 15-foot-wide vegetated channels also known as bioswales. This will reduce pollution in the water that will eventually flow into Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay. Additionally, the treated and filtered water from the project will be stored in a 1 million-gallon underground reservoir that will be used to irrigate the landscape on Burton Way. The total budget for the project was $12 million, $6.7 million of which came from grant funding from local and state programs.

Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay are protected by the Federal Clean Water Act, which requires that cities including Beverly Hills take steps to reduce pollution in the waterways. The project also conserves water. In May 2015, the state of California enacted a law that prohibits the irrigation of public medians with potable water under emergency water regulations to lessen the effects of statewide droughts. The new median will be in line with the regulations, using recirculated water to maintain the landscaping. The emergency water regulations also require Beverly Hills to reduce its water consumption by 32%, and this project will save about 5 million gallons of water annually, according to the city.

Although the project is aimed partially at collecting water during rain events, it has not been operating at full capacity during this season’s recent storms. According to Descalzo, the storm drain diversion system has not yet started, and only the rainwater falling directly into the bioswales is being currently treated. Project manager Tristan Malabanan said some of the control systems for the median are still undergoing testing, and some electrical wiring has not yet been installed.

“We’re hesitant to let the contractor install it because there’s a lot of theft in the industry,” Malabanan said. “It’s going rampant with electrical wire theft. So we held off on that part.”

Construction on the project was originally supposed to begin in September 2021, but was pushed to February 2022. Malabanan said one of the biggest challenges was logistics in terms of excavating the 1 million-gallon reservoir, which disrupted local traffic.

The green street project is the first of many, according to the city. Mayor Julian Gold said in a press release that the projects will bring the city closer to meeting its sustainability goals. The median is decorated with various plant species and works of art. Four sculptures by artists Alexander Lieberman, William Kentridge, Alexandra Nechita and Fletcher Benton can be seen on the block between Rexford Drive and Foothill Road. The median is not accessible to pedestrians, but can be viewed from each side of Burton Way and from crosswalks. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at Rexford Mini Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. at the corner of Burton Way and Rexford Drive.