Safety improvements planned for Tara Blvd.

EAST COUNTY — Randy Kraft sees the issue of limited visibility around medians in his community through the eyes of a resident first, and as a community official second.

 “Part of the problem is Florida is extremely lush and things grow like weeds,” said Kraft, a resident of Tara Preserve since 2005 and the secretary of the Tara Master Association. “Some plants have increased in size and the sight line for people entering onto or turning off of Tara Boulevard has become more difficult.”

Kraft’s concerns were addressed at the Master Association’s Board of Directors meeting May 28, when officials voted to improve the line of sight at each intersection on Tara Boulevard spanning from State Road 70 to Tara Preserve Lane.

The board will seek advice from field professionals in the next few weeks to determine which greenery to cut back, costs and other project specifics, Kraft said.

Officials did not expect the work to impact traffic once it begins.

At the board meeting, attendee Manatee County Commission District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said nine accidents have occurred on Tara Boulevard between April 2013 and April 2014, due to limited visibility, according to the county’s Public Works Department.

She also drove her Volkswagen on Tara Boulevard and noticed the road’s condition had deteriorated. 

“When you drive through Tara Boulevard and you really pay attention, you can see it has been compromised,” Baugh said. “(Resurfacing) needs to be done.”

Manatee County has included resurfacing of Tara Boulevard in its 2015 fiscal year budget.

County officials will set specific timelines for the repairs to Tara Boulevard in the fall, but construction will likely start before spring 2015, said Chad Butzow, deputy director of the Public Works Department’s Field Operations Services.

Kraft says with the fixes planned, he looks forward to once again seeing the aesthetic that drew him to the community nine years ago.

“It’s a beautiful area,” Kraft said. “I’m not sure how long people have been concerned about these issues, but its been a long time coming. We need this.”