FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 22, 2000) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved a new priority list of roadway landscaping projects that will become part of LeeScape, the county’s Roadway Landscaping Master Plan.
The top two projects for which funding will be available are College Parkway (from McGregor Boulevard to Summerlin Road) and Bonita Beach Road (from Arroyal Road to Old 41). The College Parkway project is 1.5 miles with an estimated cost of $234,790 and the Bonita Beach Road project is 1.2 miles at a cost of $187,500. The cost estimates are preliminary.
The projects were ranked by the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee based on various criteria, including type and location of road, existing landscaping and amount of traffic. The county now will proceed with the design, preparation of contract documents, and bidding of the projects. The approved landscaping will include trees and palms, which is the core level provided.
The county completed a “demonstration” LeeScape project earlier this year along Daniels Parkway from Jetport Commerce Parkway to Chamberlin Parkway. The $310,000 landscaping included live oaks, sabal palms and East Palatka hollies and beautified an important “gateway” to Lee County through Southwest Florida International Airport.
Also completed this year were projects along Colonial Boulevard (from U.S. 41 to Evans Avenue) and Corkscrew Road (from U.S. 41 to Sandy Lane). The continuation of the Daniels Project from Jetport Commerce Parkway to Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Parkway is in the design stage of development.
LeeScape is the name given to Lee County’s Roadway Landscaping Master Plan, approved by the County Commission in Oct. 1998 after a consultant and the citizens Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee spent 11 months holding public meetings and drafting the 181-page plan.
Because of concerns about the appearance of our roadways, the Board of Lee County Commissioners has committed to supporting roadway enhancement efforts and raising awareness about keeping our roadways attractive and litter free. LeeScape is part of a coordinated effort among several local organizations and programs to keep our roadways beautifully landscaped, well-maintained, and free of litter.