By Taylor Hale
STEVENS POINT – A local neighborhood is putting the beauty back into their boulevard.

John Schultz of Schultz Energy Consulting was tired of seeing his neighborhood’s landscaping falling prey to over-fertilization or underwatering, offering a drab entryway to their community.

He felt that his neighbors were also sick of the poorly maintained roadway landscaping and median, so he took it upon himself to do something.

Schultz spoke to the current manager and got their permission to move forward with plans to improve the median with new plants and landscaping, adding a welcoming entryway to the community. He drew up his plans, working with professional landscapers and horticulturalists to find resilient plants that would work well next to the roadway.

“I took everything to the city and they were shaking their heads,” Schultz said. “They liked the idea, but we would have to do all the maintenance work on the land and landscaping going forward.”

The city approved Schultz’s plans last August, and he moved forward with fundraising. Schultz said the project is estimated at $15,000.

His current fundraising efforts have netted him over $8,000, but he and his team are still working hard to raise the remainder.

Schultz said he is asking his neighbors and peers in the city for help in any way they can. There is no set deadline for their fundraising, but Schultz hopes to see the project nearing completion by next summer.

“We plan to have garden beds where people can adopt and decorate how they want, with their plants,” Schultz said. “I think that allowing people to adopt certain areas brings in more spirit, and lets people feel like it’s theirs.”

The median is located on Birchwood Avenue in Stevens Point, south of Old Hwy 18.

Schultz expects the median to be mostly complete by Sept. 29. To donate or to learn more about the project, contact Schultz at 715-340-2970 or john@schultz.net.