- February 25, 2025
The trees in cages will be removed from the sidewalks.
The landscaping of medians along Granada Boulevard is now set to be completed from Orchard Street to State Road A1A, thanks to a Joint Participation Agreement between the city and the Florida Dept. of Transportation. All four bridge slopes will also receive a makeover.
The trees in cages along the sidewalk, which have been the subject of complaints for several years, are going to be replaced as part of the project. Business owners said that the east Palatka holly and crape myrtles in the sidewalks were blocking their windows and signage.
“They were not a good choice, honestly,” said City Manager Joyce Shanahan. She said other cities use those types of trees because they are fast growing, but they branched out, blocking the view of the buildings.
The trees will be replaced with medjool date palms and cabbage palms. To avoid blocking the buildings, the palms will be on the inner side of the sidewalk and will be positioned at the gaps between buildings. Also, palms do not have low branches.
The placement of the trees in the sidewalk with cages around them has also caused some problems for pedestrians.
When approving the project at the Jan. 20 City Commission meeting, Mayor Ed Kelley said, “those grates made negotiating the sidewalks difficult.”
The median on West Granada Boulevard from Washington Street to Beach Street has already been done so it is not part of the project. The median on East Granada will look like that portion when the project is finished, according to city Landscape Architect Paul MacDonald.
The total cost of the project will be $939,400 but the city will be reimbursed $900,400 by FDOT. The remaining $39,000 will cover the costs necessary to modify the existing irrigation system, which is not covered in the agreement. It will come from the Downtown Redevelopment Fund.
The work is expected to continue from March to October. Occasional lane closures after 7 p.m. are expected.
For the new irrigation system, MacDonald said the city expects a 15% reduction in water usage. Maintenance costs are expected to increase $10,000 to $15,000.
The contract was awarded to the low bidder, R.J. Landscape Contractors, Inc., of Port Orange. The company recently completed the landscaping and irrigation project in the Granada Boulevard medians west of Interstate 95. The total cost of that project was $643,410, with FDOT paying $500,000 in a Joint Participation Agreement.
