Cities Forced To Cut Back On Landscaping

A new Florida state policy limiting how much can be spent on landscaping has some cities enraged. This year state legislators told the Florida Department of Transportation they could only spend 1.5 percent of construction funding on landscaping.

To comply, landscaping planned for many road improvement projects was eliminated. Projects that will receive landscaping have to be at major gateways and corridors and are limited to tall trees and sod.

Every year, the planning organization of Palm Beach County set aside more than $400,000 for beautification projects, but that money has reportedly gone away.

Boca Raton lost state funding for an $800,000 landscaping project for Glades Road and Interstate 95. ''We think it's important to the city – as one of the major entryways to the city – to have something attractive and welcoming to Boca Raton as opposed to Bahia grass that's cut infrequently,'' said Assistant City Manager Mike Woika.

Riviera Beach officials were disappointed when the state changed one of their landscaping designs from ground covers and irrigated St. Augustine sod to Bahia sod and no irrigation.