EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/ CBS4) — Landscaping along El Paso roadways has become a growing frustration for some drivers this week, with concerns that overgrown vegetation is blocking sightlines at busy intersections.
One viewer said the problem became clear while leaving Chick-fil-A near Zaragoza and Rojas on El Paso’s East Side.
“I was leaving Chick-fil-A the other day and as I was turning out of the parking lot, there’s no way of seeing if there is a car coming from the turn on Zaragoza. I had to guess. Who is in charge of that area? Do they know that it’s a blind corner in a small car?” the viewer said.
Who is responsible for trimming and maintaining landscaping depends on where the vegetation is located.
The city of El Paso maintains medians, the islands separating lanes of traffic. But the areas between a property and the street, known as parkways, are the responsibility of property owners.
“If there’s any vegetation along the sidewalks or any of their landscaping adjacent to the buildings, that belongs to the property owner,” said Nicolas Ybarra, Environmental Services Director for the City of El Paso.
If those areas are not maintained, code officers can notify the property owner. If the issue is not addressed, Environmental Services can eventually perform the cleanup and charge the property owner for the cost.
For medians, the city currently has six Environmental Services crews and a third-party contractor helping with maintenance. Crews remove weeds, cut grass, trim trees and bushes, and work to ensure vegetation is not blocking drivers’ views. After that work is done, crews spray herbicide to help prevent weeds from growing back.
Ibarra said medians are typically maintained on a quarterly basis, though the schedule can vary.
“So we maintain those typically on a quarterly basis. Sometimes it might be a little bit more frequently. Sometimes it may be a bit less. Depends on the amount of maintenance needed within the median,” Ybarra said.
Residents who believe vegetation is creating a dangerous visual obstruction at an intersection can report it through 311 so crews can investigate.
If you have a topic you would like to see featured in the “What’s Driving You Crazy?” segment, send an email to mamhernandez@sbgtv.com.
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