Why Do Some Route 30 Medians Look Like Overgrown Weed Patches?

Caption: A village of Frankfort median vs. a Frankfort Township median.

Why do some highway medians on Route 30 through the Frankfort area look colorful and well kept, while others look weed-strewn vacant lots or the front yard of an abandoned foreclosure?

That depends on who’s responsible for greenery maintenance — the Village of Frankfort or Frankfort Township.

Ahead of the Route 30 widening project, the village asked the Illinois Department of Transportation to allow trees, flowers and grass in the medians. The village now pays Bill’s Landscaping in Frankfort $55,461 to take care of the greenways, according to a Sun-Times Media report.

The township didn’t want landscaped medians.

But the state left the medians open throughout Route 30’s stretch through the Frankfort area. That’s why the medians in township territory from Harlem Avenue to 84th Avenue are weed strewn — except for the ones that border land within the village, like those in front of Plank Trail Estates.

“The village negotiated a deal with the state for landscaped medians. The township made no such deal,” Township Supervisor Jim Moustis said. “If it were up to us, we would not have done it.”

Frankfort Township didn’t want them then and it doesn’t want them now. Thus far, the township’s stance appears to be “not our problem.”

“There has to be a solution,” said village manager Jerry Ducay in the Sun-Times Media story. “Regardless of where you live, we all share the same pride in our community and we need to be sure the quality of life is maintained.”