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Four Seasons HOA urges Parkland to require larger live oaks for Loxahatchee Road median
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Summary
Four Seasons HOA president Barbara Kaplan asked the City of Parkland to specify 5½–6 inch caliper container‑grown southern live oaks instead of the 3‑inch trees planned for the Loxahatchee Road median, estimating an incremental cost of about $100,000 and suggesting possible funding sources and a smaller scope to reduce cost.
Barbara Kaplan, president of the Four Seasons homeowners association, asked the City of Parkland to require larger, container‑grown southern live oaks in the Loxahatchee Road median project to better match the project animation residents were shown and to deliver immediate streetscape value.
Kaplan, who said she represents roughly 1,000 residents, told the commission that the current plan calls for 3‑inch caliper trees and ‘‘do not come close’’ to the size depicted in the Broward MPO animation referenced in her written request. She estimated the incremental cost for planting 97 larger caliper oaks at about $100,000 and proposed options including planting 46 larger trees west of Nob Hill for about $50,000 or drawing on project contingency, the capital improvement projects fund or unassigned general‑fund dollars.
The request highlighted that, as a 55‑plus community, residents place a premium on seeing substantial landscaping immediately rather than waiting years for small specimens to mature. Kaplan said neighborhoods with more attractive streetscapes can see property‑value benefits and urged the commission to use the city’s contingency or capital funds to resolve the difference.
Mayor Rich Walker told Kaplan the commission would not make a decision that night but would respond in writing; staff later confirmed the item would not be discussed further at that meeting. Commissioners said they would bring the matter up for discussion during the city’s project review process and strategic planning follow‑ups.
The public comment and Kaplan’s written submission put the size and type of median trees on the commission’s radar; the commission did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting. The Loxahatchee Road median project remains on the city’s capital project list, and staff will convey the HOA’s preferences and cost estimates when the commission and project team review final landscaping specifications.
