TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Rehabilitation of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscape Project
Recommended Action
Approve Alternative 1B for the Rehabilitation of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscape Project.
Background Information
During the Special City Commission Meeting on July 2, 2018, there was a consensus by the Commission to communicate to the Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee to participate in the Biscayne Drive Beautification and provide recommendations.
Accordingly, on October 17, 2018, Juliana B. Bellia, Director, Department of Public Works provided an overview of Commission direction and history of the methodology of the landscape/maintenance of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project.
At the end of the meeting, the following actions were taken by the Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee:
1. Approved the suggestions and recommendations provided by Alicia Accardi regarding the maintenance and plantings on Biscayne Drive.
2. The Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee shall research Florida Friendly Plants to add to the suggestions and recommendations provided by Alicia Accardi.
On January 30, 2019, Mrs. Bellia and Chuck Speake, Operations and Maintenance Manager presented Alternatives for the Rehabilitation of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project to the Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee.
Mrs. Bellia and Mr. Speake explained that pursuant to a directive from the City Commission, the Department of Public Works staff has been requested to coordinate with the City of North Port Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee and Mrs. Alicia Accardi, Recipient of the City’s Greenest Citizen of the Year Award for 2018 to address the maintenance issues at the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project.
The current Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project has proven to be very maintenance intense. Some of the reasons for this are the proximity to residential lawns with a very high weed content and the traffic moving those seeds from the lawns and roadways into the medians, the types of plants that were installed and the inability to utilize selective herbicides to maintain weed control, and the size and spacing of the plants that were used allowed for the weeds to quickly take over and crowd out the landscape plants.
To improve the efficiency of the maintenance and appearance of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project changes will need to be made to the current landscaping. The following four Alternatives were proposed for the Committee’s consideration:
Alternative Number One
Leave the trees and bushes in place and remove the remaining landscape plantings. Turf would then be installed in place of the removed plantings. Additional trees and bushes could be added where appropriate. This would provide an aesthetically pleasing median with grass and trees that is easy to maintain with regular mowing, edging and tree trimming when needed.
Estimated cost to remove plantings and add turf: $16,025
Estimated annual maintenance cost: $20,250.00
Alternative Number One B
Leave the trees and bushes in place and remove the remaining landscape plantings. Turf would then be installed in place of the majority of the removed plantings. Minimal landscape plantings would be replaced with low maintenance plantings to include Flax Lilies, Coontie plants, Muhly Grass; Trees (Crepe Myrtles and Others). Additional trees and bushes could be added where appropriate. This would provide an aesthetically pleasing median with grass, limited low maintenance landscape and trees that are easy to maintain with regular mowing, edging, minimal weed treatment, minimal hand pulling of weeds and tree trimming when needed.
Estimated cost to remove and replace plantings and add turf: $31,675
Estimated annual maintenance cost: $33,382.56
Alternative Number Two
Leave the trees, bushes and low maintenance plantings in place, remove the failed and challenging plantings and replace with turf. This would provide an aesthetically pleasing median with grass, trees and
low maintenance landscape plants that would be much less maintenance intense than the current design. This option would require regular mowing, edging, weed treatment with herbicide, hand pulling of weeds and tree trimming as required.
Estimated cost to remove plantings and add turf: $7,400
Estimated annual maintenance cost: $33,382.56
Alternative Number Three
Leave the trees, bushes and low maintenance plantings in place, remove the failed and challenging plantings and replace with low maintenance plantings. This would provide an aesthetically pleasing median with grass, trees and low maintenance landscape plants that would require more maintenance than the other options but less maintenance than the current design. This option would require regular mowing, edging, weed treatment with herbicide, hand pulling of weeds and tree trimming as required.
Estimated cost to remove and replace plantings: $27,550
Estimated annual maintenance cost: $45,500
Note: All the estimated costs exclude the planting of additional trees. The medians will be evaluated for appropriate locations for trees that will not impact traffic safety.
Examples of the low maintenance plantings that are currently in place are Juniper, Muhly Grass, Dwarf Firebush and Schefflera.
At the end of the meeting, the Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee recommended approval of Alternative Number 1B.
Strategic Plan
Neighborhood Enhancement
Financial Impact
Funding in the amount of $55,050 is available in Road and Drainage District Account Number 107-5000-541.46-09 savings from Contract Number 2018-08, Rightmire Land Services, Inc. and $15,000 from Road and Drainage District Account Number 107-5000-541.53-00 from landscape materials in the budget to purchase new plants, trees and turf for the Rehabilitation of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Memorandum to Beautification and Tree/Scenic Highway Committee from Juliana B. Bellia, Director and Chuck Speake, Operations and Maintenance Manager dated January 30, 2019, Alternatives for the Rehabilitation of the Biscayne Drive Median Landscaping Project
2. Alternative Number 1: Removal of All Plantings and Replacement with Turf
3. Alternative Number 1B: Removal of All Plantings and Replacement with Low Maintenance Plantings, Trees and Turf
4. Alternative Number 2: Removal of Challenging Plantings and Replacement with Turf
5. Alternative Number 3: Removal of Challenging Plantings and Replacement with Low Maintenance Plantings
6. PowerPoint Presentation
Prepared by: Juliana B. Bellia and Chuck Speake
Department Director: Juliana B. Bellia