Grasses of Bahia and trees? Oh, please.
No irrigation? Hein.
Obviously, the Palm Beach County loves its landscaping. A new policy of State limiting the amount can be spent on beautification has some cities turning up to their nose of impending changes.
"Bahia grass is not cut," said Randy Whitfield, Executive Director of the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization, which determines how to distribute the State and federal transportation money in the County.
For years, money has been invested in beautify roads in the County. That changed this year when legislators of said State than the Florida Department of Transportation could be only 1.5% of the financing of the construction on the development landscape.
To comply, landscaping for many road improvement projects had to be eliminated. Projects will receive a landscaping have large doors and corridors and are limited to large trees and grass, shrubs or flowers or ground cover.
This change comes as a blow to the Palm Beach County. Each year, the Organization of planning to set aside more than $400,000 for beautification projects, but that money has disappeared, Whitfield said.
The federal funds that would often to County beautification projects cannot be used on landscaping.
The State DOT has had the directive of 1.5% for landscaping for some time, but it is not a strict requirement, Whitfield said, and Palm Beach County often exceeded this percentage.
A budget of thinner landscaping is a bit of a shocker.
"They obviously not look to a lot of landscaping equipment," said Whitfield.
Boca Raton lost the State funding in the amount of $800,000 landscaping project for the glades road and Interstate 95. The city is hoping to get it if the project is designated as a "gateway".
But the expectations of the city are higher than a few large trees and sod.
"We believe that it is important to the city - as one of the points of the major of the city - has something interesting and welcoming to Boca Raton, as opposed to the grass of Bahia which is cut," said Assistant City Manager Mike Woika.
Riviera Beach officials were more blunt in their disapproval when the State has changed the design landscaping on a project for the construction of state route 710.
In the design of the project, the State told the city, landscaping of the project would mirror a similar project on 710 with irrigation, ground covers and St. Augustine lawn. Under the new policy, the project is now more Bahia grass and without irrigation.
The Manager of City Ruth Jones sent a letter to officials FDOT expressing "deep concern" for the new design and requested the cooperation of the State to ensure a more "aesthetic" project.
Riviera Beach offered to pay the difference to install and improve landscaping landscaping. Woika said that Boca Raton would also pay improved landscaping and maintenance.
"If the State continues in this way and put trees and grass to the bottom, we would like local municipalities to be allowed to put money in the best of trees and grasses and bushes around trees," said Whitfield.
astreeter@Tribune.com or 561-243-6537
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