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Resolution 208-1977 RESOLUTION N0.208 -1977 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE MONROE COUNTY HIGHi-JAY BEAUTIFICATION COHMITTEE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY CO}lHISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the MONROE COUNTY HIGW~AY BEAUTIFICA- TION CO~1ITTEE BE and the same is hereby established as follows: COMHITTEE }1EMBERSHIP The Committee shall consist of ten (10) members, each member to receive an appointment by a County Commissioner of Monroe County, Florida. Each member to serve until resignation, death or termination of the committee by the Board of County Commissioners, or until the Board of County Commissioners shall appoint a suc- cessor. The County Extension Director or his representative shall serve as an ex officio member. The Committee shall hold an organization meeting and shall elect among themselves a Chairperson and vice-chairperson and a secretary. The meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. PRIt1ARY FUNCTION The primary function of the Committee shall be to study, develop and oversee plans for the beautification of U. S. Highway No. 1 and toward this end from time-to-time submit its plans and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners for imp 1emen- tation and approval. It is the Board's intent that the plans and recommendations shall, when performed, become part of the County Master Plan in the County transportation element. SPECIFIC PROJECTS The Committee shall be specifically charged with the responsibility of developing beautification projects as follows: 1. Work in close conjunction with the State of Florida Department of Transportation toward the end that the Department adopt a firm plot plan for the U. S. Highway No.1 from Key Largo Page 1 of 5 Pages APPROVED ON eOOK PAGE _ ! ( 'J b to Key West. Said plan should be basis enough for permanent planning but flexible enough to be altered for zoning or traffic needs. The plan when completed will be used to determine build- ing patterns, landscaping, utility and public area use and shall be used as a basis for the Committee's study for beautification improvements. 2. Bridge Approaches - This Committee should study the safety and the landscaping of each approach. Where fishing is per- mitted on bridges, off-highway parking lots should be included in the basic plan. By some bridges, particularly the 7-Mi1e Bridge, pull-off areas should be provided for sightseers and picture-takers.. 3. Rest Areas/View Areas - Regular areas for driver resting and viewing are important safety factors and this Committee should select such sites that would permit ease and beauty of landscaping, too. All such areas should have markers a mile or two in advance. 4. Litter Areas - An important concern of beautification is reduction of litter and regularly placed - attractive litter cans on road pu11-offs is vital. These should be posted a mile or two in advance. Maintenance of the litter containers should be clearly established. 5. Power Lines - With pre-planning of the Highway, the Electric Co-op could be encouraged to bury its lines in areas where they would not be endangered by future construction. 6. Road Access - In heavily developed areas, efforts should be taken to limit the number of entrances and exits to the highway within a stated area (i.e. - a block). This is particularly true for shopping centers or malls where such control is more easily handled. 7. Stop/Go Signs - Open areas on U. S. I should permit a steady flow of traffic. But, in highly developed areas signs should be placed at pertinent corners to permit cross traffic and to cut down on dangerous races into fast traffic. 8. Landscaping of Developed Areas - Insofar as possible, sections of green median strips and narrow ground for planting between sidewalks and curbs should be provided to keep p1antings Page 2 of 5 Pages in the community centers. Bicycle paths, too, should be bordered by green growth where possible. The committee shall be responsible for monitoring all landscaping done along U. S. Highway #1 within the Department of Transportation right-of-ways. 9. Median Strips - \~ether in the open areas or in the developed areas of the Highway, all median strips should be green and should contain some low-growing planting, whether it be native plants or other plants of a hardy nature that will endure the lack of care, the weather and the automobile exhaust. Where large enough to prevent danger to traffic even flowering trees would be effective. 10. Roadside Planting - Even if not a continuous planting from the top to the tip of the Keys, a pattern of trees should be planted where possible beside the highway to give the effect of continuous beauty. In no way should this destroy the nature effect of the Keys, but add to it by introducing color and shape where otherwise it appears jungle-like. Some have suggested that Jamaican ma1ayans be used for this trail, others flowering trees for constant blooming year-round. Whichever - it should be con- sidered in some areas where space permits or where land should be gotten for this beautification purpose. 11. Bridge Approaches - Special groupings of low shrubs should be arranged at the approaches to all bridges to help guide the traveler and to enchance the beauty of the setting. Space should be allowed on road planning for such p1antings to extend a few feet to both sides as well as forward. 12. Bridge-side Parking - For safety purposes, as well as beauty, some p1atnings should be used to guide traffic into parking areas by the road and to separate that parking from the road so as to prevent accidents and persons walking on the highway. 13. Rest Areas/View Areas - Simple, self-care p1antings and equipment (table, benches for rest areas in some sections) should be provided. ?age 3 of 5 Pages 14. Community Entrances/City Entrances - Chambers or Civic Groups in Keys Communities and Cities should be encouraged by the committee to establish a marker bearing the name of that community/city with symbols of civic groups and their meetings - all of which are placed in a landscaped area established by those groups or their Garden Clubs. 15. Community/City Roadsides - Chambers or Civic Groups in communities or cities should be encouraged by the Committee to landscape around community/city buildings and to promote similar beautification among the businesses and homes of that area. Com- mittee can help organize clean-up/fix-up contests, etc. 16. Utility Facelifting - Committee should work with utilities to improve methods of bringing power to the area. Go underground where possible; plant around poles or pour concrete around base of poles so as to help maintenance crews keep down weeds in area; schedule pole-placement for beauty as well as needs. 17. Billboards - The Committee should diligently study the restrictions of the County and the State Billboard laws and con- sider the results if maintenance effective. If this still leaves a highway cluttered with billboards, then the Committee should cnsider alternative methods of restricting such signs within ~1on- roe County. Some suggestions might be: Billboards only certain distances (miles) apart, except in Cities; billboards grouped in clusters in open area and then none until on the other side of a developed area and then another cluster, which would prohibit the chain of signs; and, of course, the ultimate, no signs at all except on private property of business and then restricted, with an attractive sign at the end of each street in business area to show which businesses are down that street (but even that could be eliminated). Important that old signs (after election, etc.) be removed - or fined. 18. Land Clearance - County has a law on maintenance of undeveloped land in subdivided and un-subdivided areas. It should be enforced, possibly made stronger. Page 4 of 5 Pages 19. Unused Buildings Along Highway - All empty buildings should be subject to regular inspection and maintenance enforcement by owner, unless they are in such poor condition that removal is imperative, which would be enforced by County agency. 20. Building Facelifting - Committee should encourage Chambers and Civic organizations to stimulate improvement of home and business appearances by owners. \~ere such a building is an historic structure the community should sponsor, if possible. 21. Mini-Parks - Businesses and Communities should be en- couraged to set aside small patches of ground for landscaping - just for beauty or for resting in peace and quiet. CO-ORDINATION AND LIAISON The Director of the Public Works Department and the County Director of Planning and Zoning shall act as liaison for and the County Planning staff shall assist the Committee in performing its duties. RESOLVED in regular meeting this first day of November A.D. 1977. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Br/2~~~.-~/s:..g ,~ ayor/C alrman (Seal) Attest: , , ) --- ( ~~/~4'~ '-- E C er mnn that t~\s d~~!~.t~:;.~tt ::1.5 1 8SY .Ct. d tor 'i:ga\ sUnic,~n~Y ,-nd ..e. re~:.::"Jthe t the same m~'s with my -.t lUlU &i~ J...""'.J },1 ....oYal '--I.lQlARD G. AYNl Asst. County AttomeJ .Page 5 of 5 Pages