Trees in medians on U.S. 41 in Lutz are being spared the ax – at least for now.
Walmart has agreed to donate $5,000 to pay for maintaining the trees, which should cover the cost for about two years, said State Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz.
The company said it would revisit the matter then, Legg said. Meanwhile, that provides time to seek other potential contributors to help cover the cost.
Hillsborough County should be credited for its cooperation, Legg said, which helped to ensure the trees were not cut down.
In January, the county marked 135 trees in the medians, either with a ribbon or an orange ‘X.’ The 44 trees with a ribbon would be saved; the 91 with an orange ‘X’ would be cut down.
Lutz resident Donald Hassinger spotted the markings on the trees and began making inquiries. When he learned the trees with the ‘X’ would be destroyed, he began rallying Lutz residents to mobilize on the issue.
After fielding protests from residents, the county put the brakes on the planned tree removals and called a community meeting.
The county had planned to cut down 64 crape myrtles, 14 wax myrtles, seven live oaks, three Shumard oaks and three red maples.
County officials told the crowd packed into the Lutz Community Center in January that it needed to remove the trees because the county didn’t have the money to maintain the medians. They had planned to turn the medians over to the Florida Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over U.S. 41.
The DOT, however, told the county it had to remove the designated trees first. Trees were selected for removal based on the tree’s type and condition.
Legg, who was present at the meeting, told the crowd he was confident a different solution could be found. He connected with Mike White, founder and president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, who called around and found out how much the maintenance would cost.
Walmart has stepped forward to cover two years of maintenance costs, Legg said. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful will administer the funds for the work.
This arrangement solves the immediate problem, Legg said.
“I think it’s a very good solution,” White said. “Walmart stepped up to the plate. Now, I think it’s time for the community to show its appreciation, by patronizing their store, by including them in the community.”
Solving the maintenance problem is more difficult than it might seem at first blush, Legg said.
“It appeared that there was a very simplistic solution,” Legg said. However, it’s not possible to merely get volunteers to do the work.
The trees are on islands in the middle of a busy highway. Anyone doing maintenance on the trees must carry a certain level of insurance, Legg said.
Legg said he’s happier with this short-term solution than with what could have happened.
“I thought it was a bone-headed move to cut down the trees,” Legg said.
The county may have been the one with the chainsaws, but it wasn’t the county’s idea to take down the trees, Legg said. That was the DOT’s call.
Walmart presented the $5,000 check during a ceremony on Sept. 30 at its 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. location in Lutz. A release from Legg’s office said the solution came as a result of a partnership between Walmart, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Hillsborough County, multiple Lutz community civic associations, Legg, and Corcoran & Johnston Government Relations.
