A group of citizens is hoping to remove invasive plants from Fort Williams Park and create an arboretum there for native plants.

The group, which has been working on the project for more than a year, will go to the Planning Board seeking site plan approval for the project. The board will have a public hearing on the project Nov. 18.

“There is a group of residents who love the park, and they were concerned about the increasing encroachment of non-native and invasive species,” said Cape Town Planner Maureen O’Meara. “They came up with the idea of basically removing those non-native plants and replacing them with native species.”

The Fort Williams Advisory Committee has endorsed the citizens’ project and will work to raise money for the arboretum through a series of private fundraisers.

John Mitchell, a member of the citizens group, has designed the arboretum, which features walking trails to the cliff walk and new landscaping. The project would also include replacing trees that have been killed by bittersweet plant, the vines of which grow around the park’s oak trees and essentially choke them to death.

“It’s really a mess,” said Kristine Murray, a member of the citizens group. “There are a lot of aging trees, and we’ve lost quite a few of the 100-plus-year-old oaks. We want to replace those and remove the bittersweet and poison ivy from the area.”

In addition to removing the invasive plants, the arboretum will have several native species planted in the area to enhance the park’s appearance and keep the oak trees safe, said Bob Malley, Cape’s public works director.

Cape Elizabeth in 2004 conducted a arboriculture study – the study of how trees grow and respond to cultural practices and the environment – and discovered the destruction the foreign plants were causing, Malley said.

If approved, the citizens group and the Fort Williams Advisory Committee will maintain the arboretum, Malley said.

“They were very agreeable to our concerns about this being a limited maintenance project that wouldn’t require us to be on our hands and knees.”

An arboretum could also be used for classroom studies, Malley said.

“The area could also be utilized for outside classrooms and explain the different plants and what they are and why they are there,” he said.

The Planning Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Cape Elizabeth Town Hall.