The City of Turlock is making a step toward becoming a more sustainable community with the development of the new median that is currently being constructed on Christoffersen Parkway. The City has opted to use artificial turf in the median, as opposed to the traditional green grass, in efforts to save money on maintenance costs and also as an opportunity to save water.
Due to new efficiency laws and ordinances by the State of California, sprinkler heads could no longer be placed near the edge of a curb in efforts to reduce the amount of water lost to sidewalks, streets, etc. According to these changes, sprinklers must be placed centrally on the median, which creates the problem of grass located near the edges not receiving a sufficient amount of water coverage in order to stay green.
After considering the options, the City decided to create a combination of artificial turf and live trees for the project to create an attractive, yet sustainable, landscaped median extending from Geer Road to N. Olive.
Although the artificial turf will eventually decompose and wear down, the City anticipates having money set aside to replace the turf when necessary.
The contract amount with Elite Landscaping is $421,907, which is being funded by Federal TE monies and Capital Facility Fees. According to the schedule provided by the contractor, the median is expected to be completed by the second week of May 2012.
The City is also expecting to put in a traffic signal at Fosberg and Christoffersen at a later date, however, this intersection will not be closed due to the construction of the median at this time.
Also, the City is expected to have projects underway for Golden State Boulevard.
“There are 3 projects on Golden State Boulevard identified in the Federal Transportation Improvement Program that would be funded to the City for the development of a landscaped median from Christoffersen Parkway to 1,700 feet South of Monte Vista Avenue,” stated Associate Civil Engineer Nathan Bray. “The City is currently in the process of obtaining these funds. The total amount of funds requested amounts to $1,255,000.”
While the projects are planned and the funding is in the process of being obtained, the City is still unable to set a timeline.
“It is hard to estimate a timeline at this point in the process,” explained Bray. “The work anticipated would entail building a raised concrete median and landscaping in accordance with the City of Turlock Beautification Plan.”
The Beautification Master Plan is a tool to aid the City of Turlock’s efforts to enhance the City’s visual image and appearance and to establish a unified City identity. It is an opportunity to create a cohesive set of design criteria that will be the unified vision for proposed improvements throughout the project area. The Turlock Beautification Plan, completed in 2011, provides a precise plan for two major landscaping projects and a master signage program to direct tourists to important destinations within the City of Turlock.
To read more about the City of Turlock Beautification Master Plan, view the PDF here:
http://www.turlock.ca.us/pdflink.asp?pdf=documents/developmentservices/planning/guidelines/BeautificationMasterPlan.pdf
