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Streetscape
Section
160 Australian Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Andrew S. Hertel,
AICP, Manager
561-684-4100
MISSION
It is
the mission of the Streetscape Section of the Department of Engineering
and Public Works to provide aesthetically-pleasing median beautification,
in the form of trees, on the County's major unincorporated area thoroughfares
in a way that complies with accepted safety standards. It is our goal
to install and maintain such median enhancements to ensure the health
of the landscaping and provide a favorable experience for those motorists
and others who see these enhancements. We also strive to provide these
services in a way that is efficient, cost-effective and beneficial
for the citizens of Palm Beach County.
The Section is divided into four major functions that encompass
the various tasks associated with the Beautification Program.
The Administrative and Design function of the Section provides
general oversight and control of the Section's day-to-day activities,
as well as program planning. There are both in-house landscape architecture
and irrigation design capabilities, along with oversight of consulting
landscape architectural firms. This function encompasses all necessary
coordination with utility companies, permitting agencies and appropriate
other organizations to ensure that the projects prepared and overseen
by the Section are fully implementable. This function also includes
the review of all plans for landscaping in the right of way that have
been proposed by others.
The Construction Coordination function is responsible for the
implementation of projects that are planned and designed under the
Administrative and Design function. This includes working with annual
landscaping contractors to locate and secure acceptable plant materials,
as well as overseeing the contractor's installation of the projects.
Projects are monitored throughout each project's one year warranty
period to ensure that any trees that have failed will be replaced
by the contractor at no cost to the County as is required by warranty.
The Maintenance Oversight function is applicable on certain
County roads where trees have been installed under this program for
the oversight and direction of annual highway landscaping maintenance
contractors to ensure that they are conforming to the requirements
of their contracts with the County. In addition to many requirements
which include fertilizing and tree trimming, typically, such contracts
provide for regular mowing and trimming of the road rights of way
that are under contract. Contract maintenance also includes a requirement
for litter pick-up on each service visit by the contractor.
The Irrigation function provides supplemental truck watering
to trees that were installed under the "Trees Only" program. This
is accomplished both by staff using a 2,000 gallon County-owned water
truck, and by contracted water truck services. This function also
operates and maintains the County's existing limited roadway irrigation
systems and will be responsible for the operation and maintenance
of new county-owned roadway irrigation systems as they are installed.
The Section is currently implementing the first phase of a seven year
program to install telemetry-controlled irrigation, trees (where needed),
and sod (Only Trees, Irrigation,
and Sod - OTIS) on approximately 140 miles of
median-divided unincorporated area thoroughfare roadways.
LINKS
TO RELATED WEB SITES
University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences
(IFAS)
South Florida Water Management District
Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc.
FPL's "Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place"
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