BRADENTON BEACH – The 80 newly-planted palm trees on Bridge Street will need a regular watering schedule, and on May 2, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) unanimously approved the expenditure of up to $7,500 to have an irrigation system installed along both sides of the road.
CRA members discussed the cost of the irrigation system versus the $3,500 three-week rental cost of a water truck.
“The CRA has looked at installing more landscape irrigation on Bridge Street. There’s been a lot of trees installed and some additional bushes,” Perry said. “It’s always become an irrigation issue when we come into that dry spell when we’re not getting rain.”
Water trucks come at a high cost, she said, adding that some water meters already exist on Bridge Street.
“And now we’ve invested the funds for trees which we can continue to water and they should be fine once they take,” Perry said. “In the event we come into a dry streak, I would hate to come into the expense of a water truck when we could get an irrigation system for close to what we would pay for a one-time water truck use.”
Perry said she received an estimate of about $5,000 from M&F Lawn Care for the installation of an irrigation system.
“To me that’s a no-brainer to get that infrastructure in place and we know that we’re investing in the pergola and we will probably be doing some plantings in there,” she said. “I’m looking for an opportunity to strengthen and protect what we’ve invested and I saw this as an opportunity.”
Eighty coconut palm trees were planted in late April along Bridge Street and the Gulf Drive roundabouts in a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta. Kaleta agreed to accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees as well as donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance came from CRA funds.
Mayor John Chappie said that one of the things he looked at was doing the irrigation in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
“We can remove the pavers and dig down in the paver row and then put in the irrigation without cutting into any asphalt,” Mayor John Chappie said. “I would really recommend we do this; it will make a big difference and save us some money.”
CRA member Deborah Scaccianoce said it made sense from a financial perspective to install the irrigation system.
CRA member Ed Chiles made a motion with a second by member Jan Vosburgh to approve the installation of an irrigation system by M&F Lawn at a cost not to exceed $7,500.
There was no public comment and the motion passed unanimously among board members.
