Summary
To: Town of Belleair Commission
From: Robert Yevich, Director of Parks & Recreation
Date: 1/6/2023
______________________________________________________________________
Subject:
Hallett Park Arborist Report
Summary:
On October 27, 2022, Town Manager, Gay Lancaster, authorized Dark Moss to complete a tree inventory at Hallett Park. The scope of the tree inventory was based on an earlier meeting with Bobby Yevich and Ryan Womack, who met Ricky Peterika of Dark Moss onsite on October 4, 2022. During November and December 2022, multiple site visits were conducted by Dark Moss staff to collect tree inventory information. Participating staff included Mr. Peterika, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Dalton Smith, ISA Certified Arborist, and Biróg Levin, inventory technician.End
Body
Previous Commission Action:
Town Manager, Gay Lancaster, previously informed the Town Commission and the Park, Recreation, & Tree Board that she had divided the efforts of town staff regarding the bluff. Specifically, the top (Hallett Park) was assigned to Bobby Yevich and Ryan Womack. The Park, Recreation, and Tree Board would continue to opine on park topics. The portion of the bluff from the beach to the top, which was proposed for preservation and restoration, was considered part of the Town’s infrastructure and was assigned to Ashley Bernal, accompanied by Troy Cornock, and the town’s consulting engineer, Adam Klinstiver. Moving forward, the Infrastructure Board would opine on issues relating to the preservation and restoration of the bluff. Administration is currently working with our consulting engineer, Adam Klinstiver, to award the RFQ for the bluff restoration and abatement.
Background/Problem Discussion:
Dark Moss was asked to inventory and assess all of the protected and nuisance trees along the topside of the bluff and to estimate trees and tree areas along the bluff embankment. Additionally, Dark Moss was asked to delineate the top of bank of the bluff to categorize trees as waterward or landward of this line, as well as to identify areas where vegetation obstructed views to the horizon line from Bayview Drive.
Expenditure Challenges:
The Hallett Park Tree Inventory was accounted for in the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget. Trees recommended for removal and/or pruning can be handled in-house by Town Parks staff. These areas are also located landward of the top of the bank of the bluff. Quotes would need to be obtained regarding the bluff viewshed through the Town’s solicitation process. It is currently unknown what it would cost to prune the vines, invasive species (i.e. Brazilian Pepper and Carrotwood), and mangroves waterward of the top of the bank of the bluff to improve the viewshed.
Financial Implications:
Please refer to the Expenditure Challenges section above. Additionally, any pruning/maintenance performed on the vines, invasive species, and mangroves waterward of the top of the bank of the bluff to improve the viewshed would need to be budgeted for as an annual expenditure moving forward. This would be in addition to the annual cost of the slope mowing performed by the City of Clearwater biannually.
Recommendation:
This report was prepared to assist the Town of Belleair’s Commission, citizens, and staff in making community-value-based decisions on vegetation management along the bluff. Moreover, this report aims to convey the composition and categorization of forest health along the bluff to guide management priorities in the future. Based on the findings in this report, it is Town staff’s recommendation to follow the guidance of Dark Moss regarding the removal of one (1) tree [NUM 98], the pruning of eight (8) trees [NUM 21, 39, 44, 63, 64, 69, 74, 76], and the monitoring of forty (40) trees. One (1) new tree would be planted in the place of the one (1) tree being removed. Regarding the Viewshed Analysis, it is Town staff’s recommendation that quotes be obtained to better understand the cost implications of this project.
Proposed Motion:
I move approval of the Arborist’s Report, and direct staff to proceed with the recommendations.