The city’s landscape code, which was amended after the adoption of Ordinance 10-25 (LDR Rewrite project), includes several provisions that are based upon the Florida-friendly landscape principles as developed by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). The Florida-friendly landscaping principles are based upon nine (9) components:

1. Right Plant, Right Place
2. Water Efficiently
3. Fertilize Appropriately
4. Mulch
5. Attract Wildlife
6. Manage Yard Pests Responsibly
7. Recycle
8. Prevent Stormwater Runoff
9. Protect the Waterfront

After the adoption of Ordinance 10-25, staff soon realized that more research may be warranted, in particular, to increase the emphasis on water conservation. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) recently declared a water shortage in south Florida, due to what is called a record-breaking dry season. Because of the lack of rain, the SFWMD issued general watering restrictions, which apply to homes, farms, nurseries, and golf courses located throughout Palm Beach County. Furthermore, the SFWMD predicts that many of its monitoring areas and data collection points will continue to experience moderate-to-severe drought conditions for the remainder of this dry season. Water shortage and water conservation represent extreme issues facing this region, warranting more proactive and responsible approaches to outdoor water use.

Staff is pleased to report that new regulations have been drafted, and they are set to be reviewed by the Planning and Development Board on June 28 and by the City Commission in July and August. The intent of these regulations is to foster a more sustainable outdoor environment on developed non-residential and multi-family residential sites, while taking into consideration feasibility and financial impacts upon the development community, landscape industry, businesses, and property owners. These new regulations would not apply to properties occupied by single family homes or duplexes.

Posted by City Planner at 10:57 AM 0 comments

Who’ll START the Rain?*

In his West Palm Beat blog, Palm Beach Post political reporter Andrew Abramson has compiled the 20 Greatest “Rain” Songs of All Time (to stop the drought). West Palm Beach badly needs rain to fill Lake Okeechobee. While Abramson writes tongue-in-cheek that he’s heard a lot of people suggest rain dances,  that fact is that if that city’s estimates are accurate, it will run out of water by the end of this month.

That prompted one of our Boynton Beach city commissioners to question the status of our own water supply so that he could address any concerns constituents may have regarding the situation. In his response, City Manager Kurt Bressner said, “We are in good shape. We still could use some rain.”

Bressner went on to explain that Boynton’s water system is derived from using the shallow aquifer that responds fairly quickly to rain, principally via the system of canals operated by the Lake Worth Drainage District and the South Florida Water Management District. The City’s well fields, he said, are aligned in areas that can benefit from increased surficial water in the canals.

He reminded the commissioner that last year the cities of Lake Worth and Lantana over-pumped their shallow wells closer to the Intracoastal Waterway, which increased salt water intrusion. “Once that starts,” he said,”it’s like a salt water river cutting through a fresh water bubble. It is very hard to recover.”

That’s why four years ago Boynton Beach refurbished its east shallow wells to raise the supply (bowl) of the well to a safer area. The City’s ASR, or Aquifer Storage Recovery, wells have been a salvation for the dry areas. The geological formations under Boynton favored the construction of these recovery wells and has made Boynton one of the few cities in Florida that has been able to successfully use this technique.

Bressner credits former Utility Director John Guidry who guided the installation of the first well in 2000 followed by a second well that came on line two years ago. The current utility administration is building on this system by pushing the interconnect between the City’s East and West water plants to provide greater operational flexibility to shift water from the west to the east and vice versa.

While this is good news for Boynton Beach, it should not been taken to mean that we can be wasteful of water. We need to continue to be vigilant and conserve water where we can. And remember, irrigation is still restricted to two times a week: 2X or Fines. Please be considerate of this precious resource. For more information, visit the South Florida Water Management District’s site at www.sfwmd.gov.

Abramson’s pick for best rain song? Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, of course.

*With apologies to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Posted by Wayne at 1:09 PM 0 comments

2011 Hurricane Preparedness Guide

Open publication - Free publishing - More boynton beach

Posted by Wayne at 11:49 AM 0 comments