Dear University Park Homeowner,
The Landscape Master Plan Team has completed vendor negotiations/ selection and finalized the plan for the Phase 1 recommendations for the landscaping along University Parkway, the front entrance, and from the entrance along The Park Boulevard to the gatehouse.
The current design of the community provides a lush “Old Florida” look with the thousands of trees, street trees, and tree lines which has resulted in a unique look differentiating University Park from any other development in the area. The goal is to maintain this look and the tree canopy, in particular, and introduce points of color and impact to enhance the beauty of our entrance. Plants were chosen that are Florida-friendly, non-invasive, most requiring less maintenance while conserving irrigation.
The presentation includes a “fly-over” simulation of the proposed updates to the landscape being covered in the Phase 1 plans. You will be able to see what is being proposed at each site and envision what it will look like when it has been completed. The second part of the presentation is a series of slides that show more detail to the proposed updates.
There are two parts to the plan. The base plan includes the front entrance, the Gatehouse, and the stretch of University Parkway from the west University Park monument near Palm Aire to the east University Park monument about halfway between the front entry and the Medici traffic light near the Lennox Gardens emergency access gate.
The second part of the plan is the stretch of The Park Boulevard from the front entry to the Gatehouse. There are places along this stretch of road on both sides, and in the median, that are presently unsightly (bare in some areas and overgrown in others) and in clear need of enhancement. For these areas, optional packages have been provided which address these potential enhancements. Optional Package A is along the sides of The Park Boulevard while Optional Package B is for the median areas of The Park Boulevard. We especially look for comments from the homeowners on which of these packages would add value and enhance the drive to the Gatehouse. Please note that property on the other side of the sidewalk, as you drive in, is part of the golf course and will not be addressed.
Manatee County requires us to replace trees that need to be removed, and the replacement trees are included in this plan. Trees that are being removed are mostly because of having been planted in the wrong place or planted too closely to other trees to allow them to flourish. The total number of trees will remain the same.
The expected additional cost for the Phase 1 project is between $200,000 and $240,000, depending on the optional packages mentioned above. This is the equivalent of between $166 and $193, per lot, if the project is approved. This cost is in addition to the deferred maintenance part of Phase 1, which has already been approved and budgeted at $89,463.50 – of which $71,119.70 has been spent. Our current budgeted reserve schedule has anticipated the additional cost which is subject to approval.
In addition, and consistent with our standard accounting practice, we will begin to set aside the replacement cost of this work (if the project is approved) over its expected life of twenty (20) years. That cost will be an additional $8 – $10 per year, per lot owner. Any change in future maintenance costs (up or down) has not yet been determined.
We hope you will agree that these plans will bring value to University Park and University Park Country Club by enhancing our frontage along University Parkway and our entrance and, also, help increase our property values. Please review the plans https://upcai-fl.com/landscape-master-plan/ and send your evaluation to [email protected] no later than April 12th so they can be considered for the final review by the Board of Directors on April 21st.
We encourage your attendance at one of the two ZOOM presentations of this material which will be conducted at 10:00am and 2:00pm on Wednesday, April 6th. The ZOOM links will be sent out separately.
Thank you,
Your Board of Directors
University Park Community Association Inc.
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