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Commission embraces UCF student plan to boost Oakland tree canopy
Summary
The commission accepted a UCF capstone project's tree-canopy recommendations mapping gaps along Oakland Avenue, Tubbs Street and the West Orange Trail corridor and agreed to assess costs and planting viability for future budget programming.
Town staff presented a University of Central Florida capstone project mapping tree-canopy gaps and recommending planting sites in the Town of Oakland. The project, completed in April by a student team, identified canopy gaps along Oakland Avenue (from Winter Garden to the Lake County line), Tubbs Street (from State Road 50 to Lake Apopka), and sections of the West Orange Trail corridor.
Public Works staff said the students documented species and tree health, mapped utilities and constraints, and proposed about 317 potential planting units (staff noted the students' estimate and said they would validate costs and irrigation needs). Staff emphasized the estimate excluded irrigation and other installation costs and said they would assess viability with the town arborist and budget accordingly in future fiscal years.
Commissioners praised the students' work and moved to accept the recommendations as a planning-level contribution; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff said they will assess inventory, refine cost estimates, coordinate with Orange County where the West Orange Trail is not town-owned, and program plantings into multi-year budgets.
What’s next: Staff to validate planting sites and costs, consult the contracted town arborist for species selection and removal of poor-condition trees, and return with budget recommendations when ready.
