BRADENTON BEACH – City officials are concerned about higher than expected engineering costs for a state-funded beautification and landscaping project along Gulf Drive North.
To date, Lynn Burnett’s LTA Engineers firm has been paid $48,205 for engineering and design services related to a beautification project to be funded with a $104,246 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
The beautification project is planned on state-owned rights of way along the SR 789/Gulf Drive corridor, primarily between 23rd Street North and 12th Street North, with engineering and design plans subject to FDOT review and approval.
In April 2021, Burnett presented what were described then as the final design plans and specifications for the project, which have since been revised after FDOT input.
The original plans called for the removal of several Australian pine trees along Gulf Drive North and the planting of green buttonwood and wax myrtle trees, coconut palms, cabbage palms and various shrubs, grasses and other groundcover materials. At the request of FDOT, the tree removals and tree plantings are no longer included in the plans.
Although Burnett no longer serves as the city’s primary engineer, she remains the engineer of record for this project. On Thursday, Feb. 17, she appeared before the commission to discuss the engineering efforts to date and her latest project-related invoice for $2,910.
Working as a subcontractor, ZNS Engineering Project Landscape Architect Joe Collins is assisting LTA Engineers with the beautification project and participated in Thursday’s meeting by phone.
Throughout Thursday’s discussion, commission members repeatedly expressed concerns about the engineering costs already equating to nearly half of the grant funds – and potentially escalating to as much as $60,000 before the project is completed, with LTA Engineers providing future on-site inspections and oversight.
The grant money can only be used to pay for the actual landscaping and beautification work and cannot be used for engineering and design services. According to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson, the engineering and designs costs are being paid from the city’s general fund as part of the $129,000 originally earmarked in the 2020-21 fiscal year budget for the project, which includes the grant money.
Mayor John Chappie said Burnett originally estimated the engineering and design costs would be about $30,000. He asked why some basic design elements that are supposed to comply with existing FDOT general standards required additional revision and review.
Collins noted the project is subject to FDOT quality control standards that apply to utility lines, setbacks, rights of way, fire hydrants and other existing elements – including “no-plant zones” that prohibit plants and landscaping in areas where they could potentially injure someone involved in an automobile accident.
Burnett said FDOT’s expedited 60-day review process was supposed to be completed in September but has taken six months to get to this point in the process. Collins and Burnett said they’ve never encountered such significant review-related delays when working with FDOT.
Commissioner Jake Spooner questioned why deleting the tree removals and the tree plantings from the plans resulted in a significant cost in engineering and design services. Collins and Burnett said removing the trees from the plans required additional engineering, design and review for the shrubs and other lower-level plantings that remain in the plans.
Burnett noted Chappie and others were previously made aware of FDOT’s tree removal and tree planting concerns and she was instructed to continue with the project that now has an extended June 2023 completion deadline.
When expressing his displeasure, Commissioner Ralph Cole noted taxpayer dollars are being spent on the project regardless of who is to blame for the increased costs.
Chappie asked Burnett if there is anything she could do in terms of working with the city to help lower the design and engineering costs. Burnett said she’s already written off $10,000 for work related to the project and she’s not in a position to provide the city with any additional free services.
Chappie noted FDOT Landscape Architect Darryl Richard is the city’s primary contact for the project and he suggested the commission hear from Richard and get FDOT’s perspective before making any project-related decisions. The commission agreed with Chappie’s suggestion.
