Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Streetscaping Landscape Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CRA approves Golden Gate landscape-vision pilot to improve sight lines, add pedestrian walkway
Summary
The Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency approved a pilot landscape-vision design for Golden Gate that aims to improve visibility along Dixie Highway, add low-profile planting and a Birch Street pedestrian walkway; the board voted to advance design work after staff described safety and long-term maintenance benefits.
The Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency on Monday approved a pilot landscape-vision design for Golden Gate intended to improve driver and pedestrian visibility along Dixie Highway and adjacent side streets and to add a new pedestrian walkway on Birch Street.
Board members voted in favor of advancing design work after Joy Puerta, community development program manager, described a proposal that targets medians on Dixie Highway between Indian Street and Jefferson and the side streets Bonita, Clayton and Del Mar. Puerta said the project would also convert an unpaved section of Birch Street into a landscaped pedestrian connection to improve circulation for walkers.
Puerta said the plan is motivated primarily by safety concerns. She told the board that trees and overgrown shrubs have blocked sight lines at intersections and crossings and that standard sight distances are large — for example, stopping sight distances at 30 mph and 45 mph are roughly 250 feet and 360 feet, respectively. The design emphasizes low-profile, drought-tolerant plants planted to stay below 30 inches near crossings and tree canopies trimmed to a 7-foot clearance so pedestrians remain visible to drivers.
Puerta said design work will follow national guidance including AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials), FHWA (Federal Highway Administration), the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) and NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials).
Susan Korres, office of community development, said the pilot grew out of long-standing safety concerns on Dixie Highway and that the CRA wants to test the approach in a contained area before expanding similar treatments elsewhere in CRAs. Korres said the county has horticultural staff who will advise plant selection and placement.
Board members discussed specifics such as the Golden Gate entry sign on Indian Street; Puerta said staff will investigate sign height and options to preserve visibility. Puerta also noted the pilot will focus initially on streets that already have curb, gutter and sidewalks so improvements can be implemented without major new infrastructure.
A motion to advance design for the Golden Gate Landscape Vision pilot program was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. The transcript records an affirmative voice vote; no roll-call tally was provided in the meeting minutes.
If the pilot succeeds, Puerta said the approach could be applied in other CRA districts as part of broader neighborhood-improvement work.
Puerta asked for and received no further direction beyond approval to proceed to design.
