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03-10-1998 -..... ...... # CITY OF EDGEWATER BEAUTIFICATION , TREE COMMITTEE MARCH 10, 1998 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM MINUTES CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: Chairman visconti called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in the city Hall Conference Room. Members present were: Chairman Michael Visconti, Michael Tanksley, Patrick Conway and Rose Hoffman. Not present was Eleanor German. Also present were City Manager Kevin Grace, Adelaide Carter and Recording Secretary Lisa Kruckmeyer. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regular Meeting of February 10. 1998 Mr. Tanksley made a motion to approve the February 10, 1998 minutes, second by Ms. Hoffman. The motion CARRIED 4-0. OLD BUSINESS Master Plan city Manager Grace spoke about a signature landscape entrance feature type project on the north and south end of u.S. #1. He feels this needs to be professionally designed and professionally installed. He informed the Committee he has people looking into getting irrigation to the north and south ends of the City. He would like the Committee to concentrate their efforts on the first two medians at the north end and one at the south end and get a really nice landscaping entrance feature that could incorporate a Welcome to Edgewater sign. He would like to have something in the ground within a year. city Manager Grace feels they will establish an issue of beautification and landscaping that allows the city to approach the business community for help with beautifying the rest of the medians. The City's commitment would be to continue extending the irrigation to those areas. city Manager Grace spoke about grant money that is available through the Metropolitan Planning organization. We haven't been at the table and that is why the city hasn't received any grant money. He feels this is something they need to work on. He spoke about the City being placed on the list and working its way up the list. There are a lot of federal funds out there which are called DOT enhancement projects. ....., ""'" City Manager Grace wanted to talk to the Committee about suggestions of how they go about designing what they want to do. Chairman visconti spoke about the Committee's priority being the widening of SR 442 and phone calls he has received from people who do not want their homes taken. city Manager Grace explained that is an issue that will go forward with the widening and is a different issue than having a median or not having a median. Chairman visconti asked how they are planning on getting the water to the retention pond and if they will be going under the tracks. city Manager Grace hasn't gotten into that much detail of the design. Chairman visconti spoke about what the Committee wants as far as keeping some kind of median on SR 442. city Manager Grace informed the Committee this is a matter that will be going before council on Monday night and he feels if they keep messing around with this thing, DOT is going to take the money and go somewhere else. Chairman visconti spoke about this going before the previous council. city Manager Grace explained at that point they were looking at typical cross sections. Once the Council said they wanted to go with five lanes, DOT proceeded to do detailed engineering. They are almost to the 60% stage. They have spent a lot of money getting to this point. DOT stated they aren't going another step further until they know this is what the city wants them to do. city Manager Grace explained an agenda request was put together and information from the committee was included with this. Mr. Conway expressed concern with the large poles that were put in by FP &L. city Manager Grace explained the utility company had the right to put them in there. city Manager Grace feels the widening of SR 442 is a very important project for the future of the city. He feels if they mess around with this, it may be ten or fifteen years before the City works its way back up the priority list of projects. He spoke about the traffic situation on SR 442. He is shocked they don't have more accidents than they do. Ms. Hoffman asked if when SR 442 is widened, the medians out by 1-95 are going to be beautified at the entrance and exit. Mr. visconti spoke about the beautiful medians in Port Orange off of 1-95. Page -2- Beautification & Tree committee March 10, 1998 .~ ..""", City Manager Grace doesn't know how this got done but his guess is they worked their way up the list. He feels the City needs to be there when the funds are being given out and get put on the list. If there is no advocate at the table at the MPO technical committees, why would they put a project on for Edgewater if there is not someone pushing it. Ms. Hoffman would like to see DOT commit to beautifying the medians out by 1-95 now so it doesn't get looked over. City Manager Grace has been unsuccessful in getting DOT to commit up front to mitigate the loss of the median. Chairman Visconti referred to drawings done by Mr. Tanksley. There was some discussion regarding having to get permission from FP&L to beautify around the utility poles. city Manager Grace feels if the five lanes are approved, they need to push DOT to recognize what the City will be losing. He feels they need to mitigate that around the edges and commit a substantial amount of dollars to do that. He is working his way up the chain to try and get someone to make that commitment. Mr. Tanksley explained one of his drawings of what he envisions SR 442 to possibly look like. He spoke about liking what City Manager Grace says about grant moneys and needing help with getting the water lines put in. City Manager Grace explained this is a DOT project, not a City project. DOT is deferring to the City on some of these issues because they want a roadway project everyone will be happy with. Their primary purpose is the road. Chairman visconti asked what they will do in the right-of-way. city Manager Grace informed him they sod it and make sure the drainage is working properly. Chairman Visconti asked about letting DOT know the City wants a beautiful SR 442. City Manager Grace again explained they need to convince them they need to mitigate that and provide the City with landscaping to some degree to offset what the city is losing. Then maybe we can find grant money to enhance that. He stated they don't normally do that but he is working on it. Adelaide Carter asked if the ability is there for the City to plant if we get the grant money. City Manager Grace explained DOT doesn't want to buy any more right-of-way than they have to. Any landscaping plan is going to have to fit in with the amount of right-of-way that is left over after the drainage and sidewalks. He doesn't think there is going to be as much land to work with as we would like. They are trying to minimize the impact on those people as much as possible. Page -3- Beautification & Tree committee March 10, 1998 ~ ....", City Manager Grace stated it is a tough decision that needs to be made one way or the other Monday night. Mr. Tanksley would like to see SR 442 become more of a boulevard or a parkway. City Manager Grace explained it is still a state road no matter how it is designed. He further elaborated on the design of SR 442. city Manager Grace spoke about having entrance features on SR 442 and the north and south entrances of Edgewater. Chairman visconti spoke about signs to place at each of the entrances into the city on u.s. #1. City Manager Grace clarified the only thing that will be discussed on Monday night will be the widening of SR 442. city Manager Grace would like to, between staff and the Beautification & Tree Committee, pull together projects at the north and south entrances to the City. He would like the Committee's help from a design standpoint. He wants the details worked out with cost and have that all in a recommendation to take to Council. He feels they need to make some progress between now and the Committee's next meeting. If this is approved by Council, they would go out for formal bid. Mr. Visconti referred the Committee to cost estimates he submitted in the packet for the northern and southern most medians. Ms. Hoffman asked if after the medians are landscaped, there will be some type of weed control program. Mr. visconti spoke to a gentleman at Pro Landscaping and Design and he recommended using river rock. city Manager Grace suggested from a maintenance standpoint they would use City staff to maintain it for now. If they are successful in getting people to buy into this program and fill in the middle, at some point rather than add additional staff he would like to contract it out. He feels they need to get the right people involved in this. City Manager Grace stated he still has to find the money but he wants to do this right. He questioned if they should hire somebody or find somebody who is willing to design the entire length and then the City could do the two end pieces or design the end pieces now and design the rest of it later. Mr. Tanksley feels they have the opportunity to stay in-house quite a bit. City Manager Grace feels they need to get a professional landscaper. They are going to pay some money but in the long run it will payoff. Page -4- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998 '-" ...."", The Committee discussed using ligustrum trees instead of holly trees in the medians. Ms. Hoffman feels it is a nice looking tree and has a lot of character. City Manager Grace reminded the Committee whatever they do they have to get a permit from DOT. Chairman visconti asked what type of grass is in the medians now. City Manager Grace informed him half bahia and half weeds. Chairman visconti spoke about a majority of the cost being in the sod. City Manager Grace suggested putting together something that they want. If they get to the point where they can't afford it, then they can come back and cut some cost off of it. The Committee reviewed drawings done by Hugh Young of the medians at the north and south end of the City. Mr. Tanksley feels any of the landscaping people would be happy to do the design work at no charge if they are involved with the plant business and the installation business. Mr. visconti spoke about the work done by Pro Landscaping and Design. There was a brief discussion regarding speaking to a nursery in Edgewater. Mr. visconti agreed to approach Growing Up Nursery and give them the first crack at it. City Manager Grace spoke about getting someone to do the design and put the actual installation out to bid so they get the best price. Maybe they need to get several landscapers to give us proposals on the design and the installation with what they suggest the City do and the cost. There was a brief discussion regarding getting someone who knows the DOT guidelines. city Manager Grace agreed to get with Mr. Corder as far as coming up with something to give to the local landscapers so they could get proposals. He suggested possibly having something at the next meeting to look at to provide to the different landscapers. The Committee went on to discuss possible signs to place at the entrances to the City. city Manager Grace suggested approaching the Chamber and get them to pay for a new sign. Mr. Conway suggested moving the sign at the north City limits to a vacant piece of land. He feels it would be easier to see. Mr. Tanksley spoke about a drawing of a sign he did of Art Deco Gateway Signage. Page -5- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998 '-'" ....." Mr. Tanksley spoke about Edgewater having no personality. It has Riverwalk and that is about all it's got. City Manager Grace spoke about the impression of Edgewater. city Manager Grace agreed to approach the Chamber to see if they will help with the sign. Chairman visconti spoke about having Council choose the sign they like the best. Ms. Carter feels the sign should read Edgewater Welcomes You. Mr. visconti asked what the fountain says. Ms. Carter stated the fountain reads Welcome to Edgewater which is fine when you are already in the City but the signs at the City limits should read Edgewater Welcomes You. City Manager Grace asked the Committee's feelings on getting the Chamber to help with the signs. Mr. Visconti questioned what the Chamber has done for the City in the past five years. city Manager Grace explained he is not as interested in what they have done in the past as much as he is what are they going to do from here on. He feels they should give the Chamber a chance. Ms. Carter informed the Committee the prices on the sign were submitted by a gentleman in Edgewater. city Manager Grace suggested coming back with a better idea on what they would want to give to the landscapers, what scope of services they are asking them to submit. He suggested the Committee work with Mr. Corder to come up with something they can look at at the next meeting. He agreed to feel out the Chamber regarding the sign. Mr. Tanksley feels they need to hold a workshop when Mr. Corder gets better. Mr. Tanksley informed City Manager Grace of having a city-wide Garden Club and them maintaining the medians. City Manager Grace would have a concern with this. He spoke about contracting someone to maintain the medians over time. Ms. Hoffman spoke about different organizations helping out with the maintenance of the medians. City Manager Grace spoke about the bench advertisements. He doesn't particularly like these. He spoke about some of the benches being in places they don't really need to be. There was further discussion regarding the bench advertisements. Chairman Visconti spoke about placing a platform underneath the benches and make then uniform. If someone wants an advertisement there are plaques that could be placed on the benches. Page -6- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998 "-"" ,.",." City Manager Grace spoke about when the advertisements go, the benches go and there is a concern with there being no benches for people at the bus stops. Ms. Hoffman asked if there should be some type of shelter for the people waiting at the bus stops. City Manager Grace spoke about vandalism with shelters. Chairman visconti spoke about shelters that have been put up by New Smyrna Beach. City Manager Grace stated that is something that needs to be dealt with separately. He is going to speak to this gentleman as a plaque type of advertising. He would like to reduce the number of benches. Chairman visconti asked about placing platforms under the benches. City Manager Grace stated that is something he could talk to the gentleman about. City Manager Grace spoke about the City being approached by a company that provides directional signage. They would only be placed at major intersections. He feels this would be more attractive than bench advertisements but he has mixed feelings on this. City Manager Grace stated they are going to let them, at the company's expense, put up a sign at the corner of u.S. #1 and Park for three or four months. He asked for feedback from the Committee once this sign goes up. If it is something we like and it makes sense, we would enter into a franchise agreement and they could put a certain number of these signs up. He spoke about the benefits to the City. Mr. Conway feels anything would make Park Avenue and U.S #1 look nice. Ms. Hoffman spoke about the City delegating where they would want the benches to be placed. Chairman visconti asked about the newspaper boxes at the corner of SR 442 and u.S. #1. Ms. Carter stated because Eckerd's was moving in there, this is supposed to all change. city Manager Grace stated he hasn't seen plans on it but his bet is the entrance will be there. City Manager Grace thanked the Committee and left at 8:10 p.m. NEW BUSINESS North & South Entrance of City This item was discussed earlier with City Manager Grace. Page -7- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998 ....... .....", MISCELLANEOUS Chairman Visconti asked about the beautification award and restoration award. The secretary informed him Glenn & Cindy Jones, 346 N. Riverside Drive had won an award back in 1990 and could not receive the award again. Mr. Tanksley asked about giving the award to Frances Ford on Riverside Drive. The secretary informed him a house has to be a year old. Chairman Visconti mentioned another house on Riverside Drive not far from 346 N. Riverside Drive. Mr. Tanksley stated he believes the house is for sale. The secretary stated the house also cannot be for sale. She read the criteria listed in the by-laws. Ms. Carter spoke about a house that sits off of Riverside Drive. Mr. Tanksley spoke about a house south of U.S. #1 in Persimmon Court that is done to the tee. Chairman Visconti asked about All Florida Plumbing and Electrical. The secretary agreed to go ahead and mail the letter. The Committee discussed a day to hold the workshop. Chairman Visconti suggested holding the workshop before their next meeting. Mr. Tanksley would like the meeting held as soon as possible so he has time to do the drawings. The Committee discussed the plans that will need to be done at the workshop. They discussed where to place a sign and how high to make the sign keeping DOT guidelines in mind. The Committee looked at the drawings done by the gentleman from Pro Landscaping and Design. A tentative date for a workshop was set for March 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. Chairman Visconti discussed the presentation he will make to Council on Monday night. Mr. Tanksley questioned if the sign they like could be placed on a temporary basis at the intersection of SR 442 and 1-95. Mr. Tanksley was glad City Manager Grace attended the meeting because now the Committee knows where it stands. The Committee briefly discussed City Manager Grace's interest in beautification. Page -8- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998 '-' ...., ADJOURNHENT There being no further business to discuss, Mr. Tanksley made a motion to adjourn, second by Mr. Conway. The meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lisa Kruckmeyer Page -9- Beautification & Tree Committee March 10, 1998