At a recent meeting, Milford City Council heard from Chris Kalil, one of the developers for Milford Ponds, who proposed a wildflower planting project for the median on Route 113. Kalil began considering the project after traveling the highway and trying to come up with an affordable, low-maintenance way to enhance the roads.
“On other projects, we started introducing wildflowers because they are beautiful, colorful, easy to maintain and hardy,” Kalil said. “So, I started thinking we could recreate this in the medians of Route 113. I am pretty sure I will not hear anyone say “no, we like the way the medians look now,” but that they would be on board with enhancing the medians.”
Kalil reached out to DelDOT and Tributaries, a respected landscaping company who helped develop a plan that would allow the planting of wildflowers in the median. The initial cost would be $100,000, al collected from private donations which would mean the city would not be required to front the initial costs. Prepping of the medians would start soon with planting in the fall, so that next spring wildflowers would begin popping up in the highway median.
“After the wildflowers take root, there is a maintenance piece of between $15,000 to $25,000 per year which would involve cutting back the flowers, so they come back in the spring,” Kalil said. “DelDOT would be involved, and they want to keep a five foot edge from the pavement and they would maintain that portion of the median while Tributaries would come and spray to contain weeds. DelDOT would come at the end of the year to cut the flowers back.”
Kalil felt that the maintenance costs would be far outweighed by the beauty of colorful flowers in the median, which would initially be added from the southern portion of Milford to the Milford Transfer Station. When asked if he had spoken to Brad Dennehy at Milford Parks and Recreation, Kalil admitted he had not, but had been in contact with Mark Whitfield, City Manager
“As I understand it, DelDOT will maintain their strip of grass,” Kalil said when asked what the city would be responsible for as far as maintenance. “Tributaries or, if they choose to do so, Parks and Recreation, would need to coordinate traffic when they needed to go out a few times to spray for weeds.”
Kalil explained that DelDOT would still be responsible for picking up trash and other maintenance, but they would not take responsibility for the maintenance of the actual flowers.
“This would require a memorandum of understanding agreement with DelDOT to determine who is responsible for what,” Councilman Jason James said. “If Milford takes on any responsibility, and that is a big if, then it would be clearly laid out and based on what our budget looks like weighed against the benefit to the city and to the citizens.”
Kalil stated that this was currently just proposed for the Route 113 corridor, but if it succeeded, it could be replicated on other highways. He also explained that they would work with DelDOT regarding heights of the flowers, visibility and other concerns. Other concerns were that the flowers be resistant to salt, pollution and other factors.
“This has been done in other areas,” Kalil said. “There is one section between Dewey Beach and the Inlet, and one done by the Dover Speedway. The biggest concern is weeds which is why the maintenance portion is necessary.”
James questioned whether this project could be bundled with other highway beautification projects that are planned.
“We do have an approved plan for the four gateways into the city, including plantings and signage, even at 113 where this gentleman was talking,” Dennehy said. “We are waiting for the landscape proposal because there is wire grass in there and we have to kill it at least three times during the course of the year.”
James asked if this wildflower project could dovetail with that one.
“I think beautification is great, so it’d be worth having a conversation,” Dennehy said. “I think we have established approved plans for the gateways, but that has nothing to do, per se, with the 113 median strip. I think wildflowers would be a great addition.”
Council asked Dennehy to work with Kalil and Tributaries to see how the two projects could be blended together.
