U.S. 27 Median To Look Greener

SEBRING - Trees will soon sprout on the U.S. 27 median, starting at the Sebring Parkway and continuing north for 2,800 feet.

Five wild date palms and ornamental peanut sod will cover the median, which serves as a gateway to Sebring. Until last week, the median was covered with patches of brown grass.

Sod Services, of Okeechobee, started work on Thursday. David Eng works for Sod Services and expected to plant trees within three weeks, followed by the plating of ground cover vegetation.

A $175,000 highway beautification grant from the Florida Depart of Transportation will pay for the improvements.

Eng and a crew of five were digging a two-foot deep ditch down the center of the median. Workers were placing two-and-a-half inch PVC piping in the ground. The crew will add lateral lines for sprinklers, at a depth of a foot, with 1 1/4 inch pipe, which will taper to 1/2 diameter pipe.

Twenty-six valves will control up to 400 sprinkler heads. Sod Services performed similar highway beautification projects in Vero Beach, Leesburg, Jupiter and Stuart.

Chad Clouser, from Heartland Designs Inc., of Sebring, was chosen by city council to plan the project almost two years ago.

Clouser chose the ornamental peanut as ground cover.

"It's a flowery yellow-orange," said Clouser. "It grows about six inches high. It's a pretty nifty ground cover - it's drought tolerant and doesn't need mowing.

"You're going to see a lot of ornamental peanut in the future. The only maintenance required is to pick the trash out of it."

A metered "evaprotranspotation system" on the south side of U.S. 27 will automatically control water use in real time. The device will ration water based on the wind, temperature and sun intensity levels.

Clouser assured the city that the project would fall within legal parameters for water use during the ongoing drought. For about 60 days, the plot will be watered regularly, and then once the plantings are established and rooted, the water level would be closely monitored.

Scott Noethlich, Sebring assistant city manager, was pleased that the project is under way and watering restrictions will be observed by the city.

"These plants will need to get established and they'll be drought tolerant," said Noethlich.

FDOT requires that the trees are no closer than 173 feet apart due to existing sight lines for drivers, said Clouser. The city considered improving a third strip of median, in addition to the two now under construction, but passed after learning that no new trees were allowed to the north.

Median trees are not allowed within 500 feet of existing bill boards, said Clouser.