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Median Help On The Way

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By SUSAN M. GREEN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 1, 2007

Updated: 11/29/2007 08:33 pm

RIVERVIEW - About 120 crape myrtles in medians along U.S. 301 got a reprieve this week as members of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce signed papers agreeing to take over landscaping and maintenance duties from Hillsborough County.

Still facing the ax, however, are dozens of native plants sowed into four medians on U.S. 41. Today is the deadline for coming up with a maintenance plan that meets Florida Department of Transportation standards for the state highway.

For the past three years, Hillsborough County crews have been maintaining the medians, including those with landscape plants such as Indian hawthorn and purple heart.

To save money in anticipation of declining property tax revenue, Hillsborough's Public Works Department decided to stop maintaining roadway medians that aren't by law the county's responsibility, officials said.

"These landscaped medians are on state highways, not county highways," said Tony Crapraro, of the Public Works Department.

He said about seven or eight state roads will be affected in the county, but only two - U.S. 301 and U.S. 41 - are in south Hillsborough.

Sandy Council, of the Ruskin Community Development Foundation and Ruskin Chamber of Commerce, said she has been trying to recruit sponsors to maintain landscaped medians on U.S. 41 and possibly spruce up new ones.

The foundation paid $10,000 in 2002 for a landscape plan for nine medians on a 1.7-mile stretch along U.S. 41 between College and 19th avenues. Four of the medians had received state-approved landscaping, courtesy of local businesses and nonprofit agencies.

Crapraro said the foundation had agreed to maintain the medians to meet state standards, which include mowing grass to a certain height and keeping trees and shrubs from blocking motorists' visibility. However, the foundation defaulted and the county took over maintenance about three years ago, he said.

For the state to assume maintenance, all vegetation except for Bahia grass and palm trees must be removed, said FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson. The state does not have the financial resources to safely maintain medians with other types of trees and shrubs, she said.

If no sponsors step forward, Crapraro said, "we will follow through with what needs to be removed."

He said the foundation has been given two extensions since notification of the budget cuts went out in late summer or early fall. Even so, he said, the county likely would consider another extension if the foundation had a realistic plan to take over maintenance.

The cost of maintaining the four landscaped sections and five other medians that have grass and palm trees has been about $15,000 annually, said Julie Johanboeke, of the Public Works Department.

For information about becoming a median sponsor, call Council at (813) 645-7710.

Meanwhile, representatives of three businesses signed papers Tuesday at the Riverview chamber office agreeing to maintain medians where crape myrtles were planted.

Chamber President Jim Johnson said Trish Brandon, owner of Total Tree & Lawn Care in Brandon, offered a discount price to Serenity Meadows and Four Paws Veterinary Hospital in Riverview to maintain the medians.

Brandon said mowing will begin this month. She said she has plans to nourish and enhance the crape myrtles in some medians along the 2.5-mile strip south of Bloomingdale Avenue.

Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at (813) 865-1566 or sgreen@tampatrib.com.

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