Board OKs Landscaping Plan

By ANGELA DELGADO The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 12, 2007

For a year, residents have complained about added noise the Race Track Road widening has brought to their homes.

For a year, residents have asked for a solution to the problem.

In April, the county commission was almost set to award the disgruntled neighbors with a $115,000 deal that would provide them with vegetation as a buffer. But Commissioner Ken Hagan wanted more discussion on the matter.

He asked county staff to meet with the Waterchase property owners association to make sure residents supported the landscaping concept, which offered vegetation but expected the trees to be planted and maintained by residents, not the county.

Wednesday morning, the association met with residents, but without county staff, and addressed concerns and questions it had with the landscaping.

Treasurer Laura Bisesi was the most vocal, asking whether the landscaping would affect the community's budget, and how close the trees would be to the neighborhood's outside wall.

For the past few weeks, heated e-mails have been passed between homeowners and board members on how the board should vote. Rumors circulated that the board was going to use the money for other Waterchase issues, causing tension.

"No one ever asked that [the association] get any of the money," Bisesi said. "You did all the work. It's all yours."

With that, board members approved the landscaping plan, which has the community receiving 600 red cedar trees and spacing them approximately 6 feet apart at a cost of about $114 each.

They did have a condition, though: for the residents to discuss the landscaping with the board if and when the commission awards it.

Reg Alford, with the county's public works department, said now that the homeowners board has signed off, he will review it before taking it to the commission. He couldn't give a time frame.

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.