The residents on the south side of 64th Street East long had to look across the street at an eyesore: a small, dirt-covered island. It’s designated colloquially in city references as the “64th Street Triangle,” though its appearance is closer to a boomerang, the curved edge redirecting westbound traffic onto northbound 160th Avenue East.

Today, residents can look at the same plot and see well-placed gravel walkways, greenery and flowers. The still-in-progress transformation from mound to roadside oasis can be attributed to Sumner High School student Neil Bateman, who developed the Triangle for his senior culminating project.

Bateman spearheaded the landscaping project—in partnership with the city of Sumner and floral business Windmill Gardens—on a suggestion by his mother last year.

“She works down in Sumner and every night she passes this median,” Bateman said Sunday afternoon while looking at the Triangle from the adjacent parking lot. “She mentioned that it would be nice to see it improved with landscaping.”

Bateman had some experience landscaping via his parents’ office and home, he said, but it was when he brought the project to mentor Mickey Wade of Windmill Gardens that the plan took shape.

Wade masterminded the idea of populating the Triangle with low-laying plants that would require minimal water, thus maintaining turn visibility for drivers and keeping the flora easy to maintain.

Those factors were selling points to the city, the owner of the plot with which Bateman had to work with as landscaping progressed. The city will take over the project once it is complete.

City officials seem to be thrilled with the improvements on the lot. During his report at the May 16 city council meeting, councilman Leroy Goff praised Bateman.

“He’s really done a wonderful job with the lot,” Goff said.

Neighboring Lake Tapps Auto Detailing was also a friend of the project, allowing Bateman and his volunteers to park in their lot while they worked. Windmill Gardens gave a 15 percent discount to plants purchased for the project, and Corliss Construction donated the beauty bark that will fill in the space between plants.

Bateman estimated that 25 hours have been put into the project so far, with about seven more to go until completion, but he has already completed the review process on his culminating project.

He has been accepted to Pacific Lutheran University, where he will pursue a computer science and engineering degree.