By Pamela Nicholls, GSAC Board Member
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The City’s Parks and Parkways staff completed replanting of the 36 medians on Gulf Shore Boulevard North at the end of July. According to Superintendent Jim Hodgdon, most of the 1,300 plants that were installed by staff were replacements of the original plants.
Apart from the vicissitudes of Hurricane Ian, Hodgdon said a lot of damage to median plant beds was caused by the heavy equipment used to remove vehicles and debris from the Boulevard.
As the Parks and Parkways department’s staff completed the replanting and irrigation repairs and no contractors were involved, Hodgdon estimates the City spent between $15,000 and $20,000 on plants, materials and soil to complete the project.
Hodgdon was unable to predict the total expenditure for Ian-related landscape restoration throughout the City. “Honestly, I could not give you an accurate cost at this time. I can safely say that we have spent more than $50,000 so far and we still have a lot left to finish.”
