By Stan Karpf, GSAC Board Member
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In our February Newsletter, we updated our readers on the schedule for removing the dead, damaged shrubs and trees in GSBN medians and replacing them with new material.
City Parks, Recreation, and Facilities staff began the process a month ago of removing the dead brown trees and shrubs and replacing them with beautiful new green plantings.
We reported in February that the project would begin at the South end of GSBN at Admiralty Point and proceed North to Seagate Beach Access. However, there was a change in plans.
The Park Shore Beach Renourishment Project entailed hauling more sand than expected and took more time than planned. For safety purposes, the decision was made to begin the project at Seagate Beach Access at the North end of the Boulevard and proceed South. The City thoughtfully did not want to endanger staff working on the Boulevard with the large volume of truck traffic that existed due to renourishment.
City Staff began removing dead trees and shrubs in early March. They then repaired the damaged irrigation, followed by planting new material in the area from Seagate Beach Access, at the north end of GSBN, to Park Shore Drive. This area will be mulched by May 1, then this area will be complete with the exception of several trees that require replacement by the supplier, which are still under a one-year warranty.
City Crews then addressed the area from Park Shore Drive South to Horizon Way.
Dead trees and shrubs have been pulled, new material will be planted by the first week of May, and then mulched immediately thereafter.
The area South of Horizon Way to Admiralty Point presents a unique challenge since it is a low area on the Boulevard and has taken on a lot of salt water during last year’s storms, and a lot of sand was blown onto the medians from the renourishment project.
City Staff has scheduled a walkthrough of this area, they will evaluate existing conditions, then do soil testing to determine what will grow best in the conditions that exist.
The staff will replant this area in an effort to make it more “storm proof” in their plant selection.
At this time, it is anticipated that the area from Horizon Way to Admiralty Point will be completely restored with new trees and shrubs by the end of summer.
As you recall, Staff completed replanting this approximately two mile stretch of GSBN just last summer repairing Hurricane Ian damage, it looked beautiful only to be severely damaged again by Hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall.
Hopefully, this will be the last time staff replants this area for quite a while.
Thank you Chad Merritt Parks Recreation and Facilities Director and Jim Hodgdon Parks and Parkways Superintendent and staff, we appreciate all you do for us, you are terrific!
