TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — The Twelve Oaks subdivision in Town 'n' Country in Hillsborough County is known for its tall laurel oak trees. Neighbors like Sue Pritchard are surrounded by them.
What You Need To Know
- Several trees in Town 'n' Country were downed by last year's hurricanes
- Sue Pritchard is looking for trees that should be taken down ahead of this year's storm season
- If you see a tree in the public right of way that you need the county to check, then you can fill out a request online. Just click here
“We do love them very much,” said Pritchard. “When the builder built Twelve Oaks, he didn’t actually put in any trees and the people who bought here complained, and he came back and put in some oaks around all the boulevards.”
But this past hurricane season, many of those trees came crashing down. One landed right in front of Pritchard’s house.
“Thank God it didn’t hit our house, but it was still an expense to deal with,” said Pritchard, who is the president of the Twelve Oaks Civic Association. “And we miss our tree.”
With another hurricane season approaching, Pritchard does not want a repeat performance of downed trees. That’s why she has been driving around the neighborhood, looking for dead trees to report to the county.
Pritchard reported 20 trees to the county and she has spread the word for others to look out for dying trees as well. If reported, Hillsborough County states it will send out a team to take a look, but the tree has to be in the median or between the sidewalk and the street. That is typically the public right of way.
County crews will add a blue dot for trees that need to come down.
“We had so much damage in Town 'n' Country last hurricane season that people are still recovering from it,” Pritchard said. “I’d hate to see more damage caused next year over something as simple as removing trees.”
Pritchard admits she’s no expert, but she plans to keep checking the trees in her community. And she is encouraging others to take a trip around their own neighborhood to do the same.
If you see a tree in the public right of way that you need the county to check, then you can fill out a request online. Just click here.
