By John Ney

Riverview Chamber members look on as business owners from Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, Four Paws Veterinary Hospital and Total Tree Care sign contracts to maintain the crape myrtle trees that line U.S. Hwy. 301 in Riverview.

Three local business owners met at the Riverview Chamber of Commerce recently to sign contracts with Total Tree Care to maintain the flowering crape myrtle trees that line the median on a two and a half-mile stretch of U.S. Hwy. 301 between Bloomingdale Ave. and Gibsonton Dr. in Riverview.

Approximately 15 people from the Riverview Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Department of Transportation, Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management, and Hillsborough County Public Works Department attended the contract signing event which was held in late November.

"We are here to celebrate a success today," says Riverview Chamber President Jim Johnson. "I want to thank each of you for being here. I also want to thank our Executive Director Kitty Cunningham who stayed on top of this effort."

According to Trish Brandon, owner of Total Tree Care, along with Serenity Meadows Memorial Park and Four Paws Veterinary Hospital, her company will pay a portion of the $9,800 annual cost to maintain the 121 trees. The trees were slated to be cut down by the county due to budget cuts.

"The county maintained the median at an annual cost of $14,000," says Brandon. "We originally saw something in the paper and decided to attend a meeting to learn more about what was going to happen with the trees. Since the county was going to cut down the trees, we decided to get involved to maintain the trees. That is our business. Our goal is to not only maintain the trees but to enhance them by planting additional plants and shrubs."

Michael Wick, president and general manager of Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, is the honorary mayor of Riverview. Wick says he believes part of his responsibility as honorary mayor is giving back to the community which is why his company is contributing towards the trees’ maintenance. "Preserving these trees will maintain the beauty of Riverview," he says. "This is a family area. We wanted this project to say welcome to our home."

Dave Tyson, who co-owns Four Paws Veterinary Hospital with his wife Kim, says the opportunity to assist with maintaining the trees just fell into their lap. "We are new to the area and saw this as a chance to do something nice for the community. It would be nice if 20 other businesses in the area also got involved in the future."

The pink flowering crape myrtle trees were planted in 1999 after the chamber received state and county matching grants of $80,000 to beautify the roadway.