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Designation Directs Median Maintenance

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By TOM BRENNAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2008

BRANDON - BRANDON - The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce is scrambling to save the greenery in the medians and along State Road 60 after being told by state and county officials there isn't enough cash to maintain them during these tough economic times.

Yet county contractors recently installed $117,000 worth of trees, grasses and sod on Lumsden Road between Kings Avenue and Providence Road.

Steve Valdez, a county spokesman, said the one stretch of road got a horticultural facelift and another may be abandoned because they have different designations.

"We had to cut out maintaining landscaping on the state roads, but we can still afford to do it on county roads - at least for now," he said.

For years, the county kept up flowers, trees and shrubs on certain state highways because residents wished to beautify their communities.

But as budgets shrank, county officials decided to shift that responsibility back to the state. However, the Florida Department of Transportation only mows grass in road medians and won't maintain landscaping, so Department of Transportation representatives told county officials existing landscaping must be torn out and replaced with sod.

The state would like to know if private enterprises will take over maintenance of the S.R. 60 median landscapes by the end of this summer. Officials then turned to civic groups for help.

They found groups in Riverview that adopted U.S. 301 but couldn't find any that would agree to maintain the medians along U.S. 41 in Ruskin.

Laura Simpson, a chamber vice president, said the group is considering proposals from member landscapers for the S.R. 60 work and hopes to have a decision by the end of July.

"The chamber is committed to coming up with a program to at least maintain what we currently have," she said. "But we will have to partner with the business sector and the community. The chamber can't do this by itself."
Financial fears didn't stop county commissioners from approving the Lumsden Road project April 2.

Crews are installing 117 Washington palms, three queen palms, 97 slash pines, three Japanese privets, 2,919 plugs of giant Aztec grass and 1,009 square yards of Bahia sod.

The price tag includes paying crews $7,850 to maintain the plantings for three months.

"The landscape design doesn't have all the flowers and showy-type shrubs, just trees which are cheaper and easier to maintain," Valdez said.

He said county workers have fielded numerous telephone calls from residents wondering about the apparent contradiction. He explained the county doesn't have a choice on state roads.

"Either we find someone else in the private sector to take over, or we have to return the medians and the rights of way to their original sodden state," he said. Simpson said she is refining cost estimates and establishing sponsorship levels in hopes of persuading businesses or civic organizations to maintain landscaping along S.R 60 between Interstate 75 and Valrico Road.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

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