Landscaping

Public Right-of-Way

Plantings within the public right-of-way can create a number of safety and operational issues including line-of-sight concerns, stormwater conveyance problems, root intrusion of plants impacting City utilities, and damage to public facilities such as sidewalks.  The City’s public ROW is to be reserved for public use and plantings will not be permitted.  Sod is the only permitted vegetation allowed.  Desired plantings can be installed on private property.    

Other background information:

Based on prior experiences, the City has experienced reduced drainage capacity and conveyance when plantings such as Asian Jasmine and Fakachatchee Grass are installed in swales.  

Mulch shall not be placed along the roadway edge, in or near a swale.  Mulch adjacent to the public roadway has the potential to flow into the roadway with rainstorms and mulch adjacent to a swale is also likely to make it into the City’s stormwater system. 

Properties with sidewalks and/or located at intersections shall provide proper clear zones for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians and sod does not contribute to planting height issues.

Any loose material including rocks or shell are not permitted within the Public ROW.

Public Easement

Any plantings in easements are not advised or permitted and are at risk per the City’s code per Sec. 30-4. City Code of Ordinances - Planting trees or shrubbery in easements:

Any persons planting shrubbery, trees or other plants in dedicated easements within the city does so at their own peril. Tree plantings shall not be placed over or within six feet of any water, reclaimed water, or sewer utility lines. Whenever plantings obstruct the ingress and/or egress for the purposes of the easement they shall be removed upon request by the city, and in the event of failure by the owner to so move them, the city shall do so and the expense of same charged to the property owner. When plantings placed over utility lines cause damage to the utilities systems, the property owner shall bear the cost of repair or replacement of the damaged utilities.