Improving greenery could cost city some green

Now that U.S. 41 is almost done introducing Bonita Springs as "The Construction Capital of the World," the City Council will decide what it wants the improved thoroughfare to say about the city.

"That is the main corridor. We wanted to make a statement ... about the city of Bonita Springs along there," Councilman Ben Nelson said.

About a year ago, the council agreed to forgo the usual landscaping done by the Florida Department of Transportation and pay for something extra that would let people know they are in someplace special.

FDOT, which is overseeing the widening of U.S. 41, would have done about $622,000 worth of landscaping along the highway, but the council wanted to add to that amount for a system that would total about $1 million — which was the cost estimate at the time.

The city staff had the bid opening for the landscaping project, and the cost came back over budget, which has become a common theme in government projects lately. The only bidder, Vila & Sons Landscaping of Estero, said the project would cost $1.23 million.

With the city share increasing to $600,000 now, the public works department is trying to find ways to trim the expense. The council will have a chance to rule on the whole project on June 21.

"Whether or not the new council will approve that expenditure, I don't know," Nelson said.

Since three new members took office following the March 7 elections, the council has seemed more fiscally conservative, especially as two of the new members — Richard Ferreira and Pat McCourt — want to make sure every expense is justified.

"At the end of the day, it is money well spent," Ferreira said. "The landscaping is important to our image. We want visitors to know we have a nice city."

Even though the money is essentially for plants and water, the expense is important enough to justify, he said. It's like having a well-built house — a good paint job lets passers-by know it is of high quality.

"I want to see Bonita Springs have its best footing out there," Ferreira said.

New Councilwoman Martha Simons has been trying to get a city representative on the Lee County road landscaping committee and has personally cleaned up the foliage in front of City Hall on Bonita Beach Road.

While she likes the idea of upgraded landscaping on U.S. 41, Simons is concerned about maintenance and how that will factor into the cost.

"If people want that nicer corridor, we might want to find other ways to pay for it," she said.

Councilman Alex Grantt initially thought the $1.2 million price tag was too much for landscaping, but since FDOT is kicking in $622,000, he said the upgrades might be worth it.

"I can live with it," Grantt said. "I can go either way; it is not a big deal to me."