BRADENTON BEACH – Eighty new coconut palms have been delivered and are being planted along Bridge Street.
“This will be a big improvement,” Mayor John Chappie said on April 25. “Many of the existing trees needed to be replaced.”
At an April 3 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board approved a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta in which he will accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees and donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance will be paid from CRA funds.
The 50 large and 30 small coconut palms were harvested in Miami and were delivered to Bradenton Beach on April 23. Planting along Bridge Street and the roundabout intersection on Gulf Drive began shortly after.
At the April 3 meeting, concerns had been raised among CRA members about damage from falling coconuts.
“Liability does concern me,” Chappie said. “But I think it would enhance the Key West-old Island feel on Anna Maria Island.”
Those concerns were alleviated by City Attorney Ricinda Perry, who assured CRA members that Kaleta, through one of his business entities, would sign a contract ensuring the responsibility of tree maintenance and indemnifying the city against liability for damage caused by falling fruit.
“There would be no cost to the city for maintenance of the trees as Mr. Kaleta wants the coconuts, likely for his restaurants,” Chappie said.
According to the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Service website, “Coconuts can grow up to 15 inches long and 12 inches wide, composed of a thick fibrous husk surrounding a spherical nut with a hard, brittle, hairy shell… The coconut palm starts fruiting 6-10 years after the seed germinates and reaches full production at 15-20 years of age. The tree continues to fruit until it is about 80 years old, with an annual production of 50-200 fruits per tree, depending on cultivar and climate. The fruits require about a year to develop and are generally produced regularly throughout the year.”
