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Annual streetscape maintenance begins in The Woodlands

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THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS – It’s officially spring season and wildflowers are in bloom. With the growth, you might have questions of how the roadways are managed in conjunction with the growing season of the wildflowers.

The Woodlands Township maintains several hundred miles of road rights of way, in addition to more than 400 village and neighborhood entries. These areas are maintained on various schedules depending upon the adopted frequency standards.

The goal with the maintenance program is to be in harmony with nature; therefore, maintenance standards and schedules were developed around this philosophy. For example, neighborhood entries will have improved landscapes with manicured groundcovers and irrigated grass along with native shrubs and strips of forest; while the roadsides will be left as much as possible to the natural progression of Mother Nature, with some help of wildflower planting and mowing approximately 18 times per year beginning after the wildflower season.

It is important for residents to be aware that at this time of year, the entire area is not mowed to assist with the promulgation of wildflowers and native grasses. Complete streetscape mowing for the community is currently planned to start around April 15, 2018, depending on weather conditions. 

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has allocated additional funds to provide three additional roadside mowing cycles per year, raising the total number of cycles per year to 21. After this time period (approximately April 15), Townwide (Gosling, Lake Woodlands, Woodlands Parkway,) and Collector (ie. Timarron, Sylvan Forest, Shadowbend) roads will be mowed every two weeks, weather permitting.

Part of the goal with this plan is to manage the concerns of residents where the roadsides look as though they haven’t been mowed in months and look shaggy and unkempt, which is often a result of Bahia grass that can reach up to 30 inches tall at certain times of the year. There are benefits to the grass which include its value in assisting with limiting soil erosion, low water and fertilizer requirements and providing cover for wildflowers. This plan ensures that the Township’s maintenance practices adhere to its “in harmony with nature” principles. This maintenance is a partnership between The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Development Company through a streetscape contract, currently with Brightview.

For more information about The Woodlands Township, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3800.

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