- May 3, 2024
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Some residents believe landscaping is a waste of resources; others find it appealing. City officials argue that landscaping is a ‘gateway’ to the city.
Last week on the Palm Coast Observer’s Facebook fan page, 20 comments were left on a story that detailed the money the city spends on its landscaping.
One fan, Kenny O’Connor, said: “Keep up the good work!! I love to have Palm Coast looking great. … (Landscape Architect Bill Butler) is doing a super job!!”
But that fan was in the minority: Only four comments were in support of the landscaping around the city. The remaining 16 questioned the city’s practice of investing in landscaping.
Charlie F. Ericksen Jr. noted: “While the landscaping looks good on the surface, it comes with ongoing increased costs ... for the maintenance of such.”
The median area between Parkview Drive and Whiteview Parkway, along Belle Terre, had a price tag of $69,418.02, according to Butler.
This work is funded by the city’s capital projects fund, which was budgeted at $200,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The current fiscal year has the same figure in the budget.
According to Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon, the landscaping around town is the “gateway” to the city, similar to the coquina-and-granite Palm Coast signs.
“Are the gateway signs a waste of money, or does it create a value to the community because of the appearance?” Landon said. “You’re always going to have that debate.”
City beautification is part of Palm Coast’s “Prosperity 2021” plan, Butler added.
“If someone is looking to relocate their business or home and pulls off the interstate and sees the litter-free, beautiful landscaping, this shows the visitor or resident that this city cares about how the community looks,” Butler said.
Butler said determining how much money spent on landscaping is too much is a “nebulous answer.”
“We spend what City Council thinks is sufficient after they consider their other budgetary needs,” Butler said.
For more coverage, search “landscaping” online at www.PalmCoastObserver.com.
BY THE NUMBERS: TREE'S COMPANY
Landscape Architech Bill Butler points to the following landscaping data, from the Virginia Cooperative Extension, a joint effort by Virginia Tech and Virginia State University:
• A 1991 study estimates that an attractive landscape increases the value of a home by an average of 7.5%, and reduces the time on the market by five to six weeks.
• One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions.
• Landscape plants, including shrubs and turf, remove smoke, dust and other pollutants from the air. One study showed that one acre of trees has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually.
• Well-placed plantings offer privacy and tranquility by screening out busy street noises and reducing glare from headlights.
— Brian McMillan contributed.
