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BOOK 102. FAGS 467 (1) Expectations: How much landscaping is enough and what type of landscaping is appropriate? (2) Location: Which roadway segments should be landscaped? (3) Implementation: Who should be responsible for planning, designing, and installing landscaping? (4) Cost and Maintenance: Who should be responsible for performing maintenance and how will installation and maintenance costs be funded? A. Expectations The SR 60 Corridor Plan provides specific landscape and hardscape design expectations for SR 60, as well as funding and implementation policies (see attachment #5). Staff proposes that the Board consider setting general "expectation guidelines" for 3 different types of roadway sections: major urban, major rural, and major residential. Major urban roadway segments (e.g. 58th Avenue, SR 60) will generally have the heaviest traffic and greatest visual exposure to the public, and will have a curbed medianthat will allow for larger trees and will generally be free of utility conflicts and constraints. Therefore, staff's proposal, consistent with the approach being taken with the county's 58th Avenue road improvement project, is that the most intensive landscaping efforts be directed along selected segments of major urban roadways. An example "typical" urban road landscaping guideline is depicted in attachment #6. Larger trees, a variety of understory, shrubs and ground cover, with an irrigation system, would characterize an urban section median. Major rural roadway segments (e.g. CR 512) will generally have less traffic and visual exposure to the public compared to urban sections, and will have open medians that will allow for smaller understory trees but not larger canopy trees. Therefore, staff's proposal, consistent with previous Board input on the county's CR 512 road improvement project, is that less intensive landscaping be installed along selected segments of major rural roadways. An example "typical" rural road landscaping guideline is depicted in attachment #7. Drought tolerant understory trees and a limited variety of smaller plants, with no irrigation system provided, would characterize a rural section median. Major urban roads that run through developed residential areas (e.g. 43rd Avenue south of SR 60) present an opportunity for a community street tree effort. Such roadway segments generally do not have medians but are bordered by individually owned residential lots. Through a public/private coordinated effort, appropriate types of street trees could be planted in appropriate locations on privately owned lots that abut such streets. Individual owners would maintain such trees and benefit from the additional buffering from the roadway. The general public would benefit from the enhanced aesthetic appearance of the public roadway and avoid additional maintenance responsibilities and costs. A variety of canopy and understory trees adjacent to the sides of major urban roads in residential areas would characterize such a "street treed" roadway segment. B. Cost of Installation & Maintenance Costs of landscaping installation and maintenance are interrelated and can constrain landscaping design options. Proper selection of plant species and quantities, and proper plant placement, will have the greatest impact on maintenance costs. In some instances, a cheaper installation alternative such as sodding can be more expensive, in terms of maintenance, than another type of ground cover that has a higher installation cost. Therefore, total landscaping improvement costs must consider installation and maintenance over a given timeframe. Attachment #8 provides comparisons of estimated installation and maintenance costs, and will be explained at the September 8th workshop. September 8, 1997