Council picks wider 'peanut' roundabout for Fig Tree/Cypress project; design to proceed

Plantation City Council on Aug. 13 gave consensus support to a wider “peanut”‑shaped roundabout for the Fig Tree Lane and Cypress Road intersection and authorized staff to proceed with design work and a contract change order to incorporate that alternative into the city’s corridor improvements.

City Engineer Samira Shalens introduced the study and said staff and consultant Keith & Associates analyzed signal warrants, vehicle movement and geometry and found a traffic signal was not warranted. Consultant Winston Lucky said two feasible roundabout alternatives were evaluated: a compact “peanut” roundabout that would fit inside existing right‑of‑way without utility relocations, and a wider peanut design that would require some utility impacts but provide safer turning geometry for large vehicles.

Lucky said the cost estimate at a conceptual level was about $500,000 for the tighter design versus about $700,000 for the wider design, the higher figure driven primarily by utility relocations (including a nearby FP&L distribution pole and drainage work). He told the council that, on their criteria matrix, Alternative 2 scored higher overall because it improved vehicle navigation and reduced the likelihood of vehicles mounting islands.

Council members expressed support for Alternative 2. Councilmember Reinstein asked whether the roundabout would affect private landscaping or mailboxes along the corridor; staff said the roundabout limits themselves remain within the public right‑of‑way but acknowledged sidewalk and corridor work could require targeted outreach to affected property owners. Councilmember Anderson raised turning‑radius concerns for trailers and asked whether the design would accommodate the department‑specified large‑vehicle turning envelope (an engineering term summarized in the presentation as an SU‑40 or equivalent large vehicle maneuver). Staff responded the selected design will include curb aprons and turning radii sized to allow authorized emergency and service vehicles to navigate the roundabout while discouraging inappropriate commercial truck maneuvers.

The project is part of a broader corridor program that includes signal conversions, a roundabout at NW 69th/60th and ADA and lighting improvements. Staff reported they are 45% toward a 60% design submittal targeted for Nov. 20, 2025, with a final design anticipated by April 2026. The council passed a motion to authorize proceeding with Alternative 2 and a change order; staff will return with finalized plans and targeted property‑owner outreach for sidewalk and landscaping impacts.

The council recorded consensus for Alternate 2 and directed staff to continue community engagement as the project advances to detailed design.