CA assumes maintenance of Pebble Beach medians
By PHYLLIS HODGES
Conversion of some N. Pebble Beach medians to Florida Friendly Median Conversion landscaping has already been accomplished.
BILL HODGES PHOTOS
The Sun City Center Community Association’s primary reason for existing is to serve the residents of SCC. Historically, that has meant maintaining the three CA-owned facilities. Three years ago, however, Minto, which had been covering maintenance of 31 Pebble Beach medians, announced its intention to depart SCC upon build-out. That meant the median’s upkeep would revert to Hillsborough County, which the CA board determined would not be in the best interests of SCC residents.
Discussions with Minto led to the company continuing to cover median costs through 2014, and then CA sharing the expenses, paying one-third in 2015 and two-thirds in 2016. (Minto expected build-out in 2016 but has since extended that estimate to 2017.) The CA board, considering alternatives with no Minto funding, reached an agreement with the county — effective January 1, 2017 — that would transfer responsibility for the medians to the CA. This does not include the privately owned medians in Renaissance.
Maintenance of S.R. 674 medians through SCC by residents begins at this point just east of Cortaro. The foreground shows the contrast to state upkeep, which is essentially the same as county standards.
Incoming CA President John Luper views this arrangement as essential going forward. “Sun City Center in the near future will no longer have a developer building houses to attract potential residents. As we continue to maintain and improve the CA facilities to be compared to the best, we need to also give the medians the attention they deserve to preserve a positive impression of the community. I agree with the decision made by previous CA directors to avoid having the medians maintained to the much lower standards of Hillsborough County,” he said.
Who has been paying for the median upkeep since SCC was created?
The median maintenance has been fully funded by the developers who were building new houses at the time due to their vested interest in SCC’s appearance to attract buyers.
How have CA member dues been affected?
Treasurer Neil Rothfeld said the CA’s share of median maintenance for 2015 and 2016 did not affect member dues and will not affect dues for 2017. He explained that income from Freedom Plaza membership dues and other cost-saving measures are offsetting the added expense.
What convinced the CA to get involved?
They point to the unsightly S.R. 674 medians beginning just east of Cortaro Drive that are maintained by the state. (State standards are essentially the same as county maintenance.) One has only to note the contrast with the medians east from that point through SCC, which are maintained by the Greater Sun City Center Beautification Corporation (GSSCBC).
Does the Greater Sun City Center Beautification Corporation have any role in this issue?
This group (GSCCBC) was created in 1991 by the then-developer as a nonprofit corporation to maintain the medians on S.R. 674 in such a manner as to reflect the beauty of the community. The current contract between the GSSCBC and Florida Dept. of Transportation was renewed in 2015 for 10 years. Maintenance cost is borne by owners of any dwellings after October 10, 1991, either in SCC or Kings Point. They pay an annual assessment of about $36 annually. To help with the cost, owners of housing units built prior to that date are asked to contribute to the corporation through an annual appeal. The GSSCBC has no role in maintenance of the Pebble Beach medians.
What is the CA’s plan going forward to keep costs as low as possible? Who is implementing it?
Florida Friendly Median Conversion landscaping and slow-drip irrigation will ultimately be prominent in the medians to trim maintenance costs. County grants will be pursued as much as possible. Ed Barnes, a previous CA president and instrumental in negotiations with Minto, is chairman of the Florida Friendly Median Conversion Committee. The nine-member committee includes master gardeners and others with landscaping experience. They will be pursuing annual $25,000 grants (the maximum) from Hillsborough County to help pay the expenses incurred. Some such grants have already been obtained that were used for work on some of the N. Pebble Beach medians. More conversions will be started this month in that area.
Over the past three years, the CA directors have made a concerted effort to reassure CA members that the actions being taken are in their best interests. Any further questions or input can be directed to jluper@suncitycenter.org.
