The landscaping approach was incorporated early in the planning process, according to John Gerhold, CEO of HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, who oversaw the freestanding ER project in Apopka.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was part of the early stages,\u201d Gerhold said in an interview with The Apopka Chief. \u201cOnce we acquired the property, we certainly recognized there were some trees on the property that [should] remain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerhold said the project team\u00a0retained\u00a0existing trees and added another 100 trees, along with about two dozen species of flowering plants and bushes, enhancing the site to surpass its\u00a0previous\u00a0condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were able to retrofit a building on the property at the same time we retained the existing trees,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The facility is\u00a0located\u00a0within an area\u00a0identified\u00a0by Dr. Phyllis Olmstead, Orange Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, as a heat island based on Arbor Day Foundation mapping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you drive along there, all you see is concrete, asphalt and buildings,\u201d Olmstead said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said the area previously included orange groves and, before that, a longleaf pine forest, but lost much of its tree canopy over time as development expanded along the corridor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole zone was red, orange and yellow,\u201d Olmstead said of the heat mapping, adding that \u201cyou have nothing left for canopy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olmstead said she was \u201cflabbergasted\u201d by the number and size of trees installed at the site, describing it as uncommon for a developed parcel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t see that inside a community anymore,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said a tree canopy can reduce temperatures through shade and evapotranspiration, a process in which trees release moisture into the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cool down when the wind blows on you when you sweat, and that causes the cooling effect,\u201d she said. \u201cThe trees are sweating.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olmstead also said mature trees can absorb significant amounts of water annually, which she said could help mitigate flooding in nearby areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAny full-grown tree can bring anywhere from 10,000 to\u00a040,000 gallons\u00a0of water a year,\u201d she said, adding that large-scale planting could have a cumulative effect in areas prone to flooding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerhold said incorporating landscaping into the project did increase costs but was not treated as a limiting factor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely added cost to the property, adding the trees,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cBut the cost of adding greenery [is] not a cost that we think about.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said a tree canopy can provide long-term operational and environmental benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to help reduce the fertilizer\u00a0needs,\u00a0it\u2019s going to help reduce the water needs, and it\u2019s ultimately going to keep the building cooler,\u201d Gerhold said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerhold said the approach taken at the Wekiva Emergency Center reflects broader practices within the organization, though implementation varies by site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on the physical layout of the property,\u201d he said. \u201cSome properties need more landscape than others. This one\u00a0definitely needed\u00a0more landscape that\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0existing before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Olmstead said she believes similar approaches could be applied more broadly,\u00a0including on\u00a0commercial properties and existing developments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be replicated everywhere,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n