Item 3A.,.
February 5, 2007
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Mayor
and Members of the City Commission
~.
FROM: Jim Hans
nager
~.
SUBJECT: Follow-u Report
AGENDA ITEM # 3A
FEBRUARY 12, 2007
Traffic on Selva Linkside; The volume and speed of traffic on Selva Linkside Drive has been
reported on a couple of occasions to the Mayor and Commission. After the most recent report,
~. questions were asked about the amount of traffic between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and
4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 am there was an average of 56.5 vehicles
per hour. The lowest average was on a Sunday morning with 30 vehicles per hour during this
time period. The highest average was on Wednesday morning with 69 vehicles per hour.
For the period of time between 4:00 and 6:00 pm, there was an average of 65.3 vehicles per hour.
The lowest average was again on Sunday afternoon with 50 vehicles per hour. The highest
average was on Wednesday afternoon with 80 vehicles per hour.
Again, the overall traffic volume over 24 hours on this street averaged 38 vehicles per hour.
Jordan Park Site for Possible Location of Police Buildin During a second recent workshop
~"' on police building alternatives, the Mayor and Commission expressed an interest in looking at
the City's property in and adjacent to Jordan Park as a possible site for the new facility. City
architects had spent relatively little time evaluating how a building could be situated on the site
'~" because this was not the highest scoring location. If this site is to be seriously considered, then
some additional evaluation will be needed to consider the optimum layout for the police building
itself, for the Jordan Park facilities (particularly in reference to the adjoining Jordan Park
~"` Community Center) and a new water well which has been designed for the northern portion of
the site. City staff will use the same architect that prepared the initial report to do a more
thorough evaluation of the- Jordan property and will report back to the Mayor and Commission
~'" when that is complete. It is not expected that the work will be ready before the strategic
planning sessions at the end of February. ,
'"' Ambrosia Beetles; It was noted during a recent commission meeting that ambrosia beetles were
destroying some trees in Atlantic Beach. A question was asked about what could be done to stop
them. Attached for your review is a story that was included in the Florida Times Union on
"'' December 9th about the beetle. Unfortunately, the article concludes "there is no known control
for the Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle at this time."
~.
AGENDA ITEM # 3A
FEBRUARY 12, 2007
Moodv Marine Property Development; During the week of January 29th, the Northeast Florida
~"' Regional Planning Council (RPC), at their Board meeting reviewed a proposed Comprehensive
Plan amendments submitted to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) by the City of
Jacksonville, which included the Moody Marine and Shipyard site. (The RPC is one of
~'" numerous reviewing agencies.) The RPC recommended to DCA that the amendment as
proposed not be adopted by the COJ. We have been advised that the main concerns were related
to traffic and hurricane evacuation issues and that the RPC felt additional information was
'~' needed. These comments will go to DCA and will be included .within the forthcoming ORC
report. ,.
'"~ From -this point, Chapter 163, Florida Statutes (the Growth Management Act) sets forth the
procedures that may follow. The application could be amended and additional information could
be provided. DCA will take all comments and any revisions under consideration, and following
"' the ORC report process, will issue a Notice of Intent to fmd the proposed amendment IN
COMPLIANCE or NOT IN COMPLIANCE with the Growth Management Act. If found not to
be in compliance, negotiations for a Compliance Agreement may be entered. The City of
Jacksonville will ultimately make the fmal decision whether to adopt, adopt with changes, or not
adopt.
~.
..
°'~ Jacksonville.com: Print this story Page 1 of 2
AGENDA ITEM # 3A
FEBRUARY 12, 2007
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Most popular stories: Most viewed ~ Most printed ~ Most e-mailed
The Florida Times-Union
December 9, 2006
GARDEN HELP: The destructive red by ambrosia beetle
By LARRY FIGART
Special to the Times-Union
Take a drive through certain neighborhoods along the river in Arlington or in Kingsley Plantation, and
you will notice dead and dying trees everywhere. These trees are called red bay (Persea borbonia). Red
~" bay is a native tree that grows throughout the Southeast. It is very common along the coast on barrier
islands and in the coastal maritime forest.
It is best known for its evergreen leaves that produce a pleasant spicy odor when crushed. Some folks
even use red bay leaves as a seasoning in cooking. It is planted in butterfly gardens because its leaves
'~"" are eaten by the spicebush swallowtail larvae. The berries are eaten by many wildlife species.
In the summer of 2005, red bay trees started dying on Kingsley Plantation, a national park on Fort
""' George Island. Park personnel noticed that red bay trees on the northern tip of the island were wilting
and turning brown. They initially thought that it was damage from salt spray after the storms of 2004.
Soon, trees well inland from the marsh started showing the same symptoms.
An inspection of the dead trees revealed numerous tiny holes up and down the tree trunks. Some of these
holes had a "sawdust string" coming out of the hole. The sawdust strings resemble wood colored Play-
" Doh being forced out of the holes. These "sawdust strings" would fall apart when touched.
Entomologists from the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry and the University of
Florida were called in to help figure out what was killing the trees.
What they found is not very good news. The trees are being attacked by the red bay ambrosia beetle
(Xyleborus glabratus). The beetle is native to India and Southeast Asia and was probably introduced into
""" the United States in solid wood crates and pallets that were used to transport goods from Asia. This
beetle does not eat the wood of the trees; instead, it tunnels into the tree to lay eggs. The adults carry
with them a fungus that grows on the tunnel walls.
This "ambrosia" is eaten by the developing larvae. It is not the insect, but the fungus, that the beetle
brings with it that actually kills the tree. The fungus is previously unknown but is related to the fungus
that causes Dutch elm disease.
httn://cai.iacksonville.com/cei-bin/nrintit.c~i?sterv=ZZNOSTnRY7,7. 1 /7.4/x.(1(17
`"" Jacksonville.com: Print this story AGENDA ITEM # 3A pa e 2 of 2
FEBRUARY 12, 2007 g
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The first symptom that shows up in trees attacked by the red bay ambrosia beetle is usually wilting
foliage that starts out in one section of the tree and then spreads. The foliage then turns brown and dies.
If you remove the bark from an infected tree, you'll see streaks of dark brown stained wood. This is the
'~ reaction of the tree to the fungus.
The red bay ambrosia beetle has the potential to cause a lot of damage to red bay populations. It was
first discovered in the Savannah, Ga., area in 2002 and affected a 40-square-mile area within a year.
.. On Kingsley Plantation, the mortality went from 10 percent of the red bay trees to 60 percent in a nine-
month period. At this time the range of red bay mortality in Northeast Florida is confined to St. Johns,
Baker, Bradford, Nassau, Clay and Duval counties. However, the beetle is expected to continue to
spread.
~.
The good news, if any, is that the red bay ambrosia beetle has a restricted appetite and has only been
~ found in the United States on red bay and sassafras. Entomologists are not sure if the beetle will spread
to other Persea species such as swamp bay (Persea palustrus) and avocado (Persea americans).
They are pretty sure that our typical shade tree species, such as oaks and maples, will not be threatened
by this insect. There are many other types of ambrosia beetles native to the United States. These native
beetles colonize dead and dying pine and hardwood trees.
If you notice dead or dying trees other than red bay trees that have sawdust collecting at the base, it is
probably the native ambrosia beetle.
There is no known control for the red bay ambrosia beetle at this time. To avoid spreading the beetle to
new areas, it is recommended that affected material not be transported into areas not currently affected
by the beetles.
Trees that are cut down should be disposed of in a landfill as close as possible without traveling through
,~ counties that are not currently affected by the red bay ambrosia beetle. Firewood from red bay trees
should only be for personal use and should not be transported anywhere.
At this time there seem to be many more questions than answers. With time, it is hoped a control for this
beetle will be found.
Larry Figart is an urban forester with the Duval County extension service.
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-
online/stories/120906/lif 6669999.shtml.
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