Adopt-A-Median Application

Program Overview

The City of Altoona’s Adopt-A-Median Program empowers neighborhoods to beautify public spaces. The program aims to improve quality of life, promote community involvement through landscaping projects, and infuse the city with color and creativity.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the program, a project must meet the following requirements:

• g. , Homeowner’s Association, Block Club, Chamber of Commerce) or City Council members.
• Cost: Total project cost must be under $10,000. 00.
• Height Restrictions: Freestanding objects (like signage) must be below 36 inches. Exceptions include murals on existing walls, approved flag poles, and new trees.
• Technical Review: Projects cannot require extensive technical review regarding street alignment, drainage patterns, or traffic lanes.

Application Requirements

To be considered complete, applicants must submit three (3) sets of the application packet containing:

• Completed "Adopt-A-Median Neighborhood Beautification Partnership" Agreement.
• Completed Maintenance Agreement.
• Completed Waiver and Release of Claims Form.
• Current photographs of the project site from multiple angles.
• A listing of materials with estimated costs (including plant species, quantities, and paving materials).
• Scaled project plans showing proposed encroachments relative to existing infrastructure (poles, sidewalks, curbs, etc. ).

Processing Time: Allow a minimum of 3 months for processing, review, and approval.

Partnership Agreement Terms

• Community Group Responsibilities: Provide labor and materials, maintain the area (including watering), follow the approved plan, and pay for lost or damaged tools loaned by the city.
• City Responsibilities: Assist with approval, pay for investigation costs, waive permit fees, loan hand tools (rakes, brooms, shovels), and provide liability coverage.

Landscaping & Tree Guidelines

• Maintenance: The applicant is responsible for all costs of planting, removal, and maintenance. Weeds must be removed, dead plants replaced within one year, and vegetation trimmed to less than 36 inches above the street.
• Planting Restrictions: Plantings on city right-of-ways are limited to a maximum mature height of 3 feet to ensure sight distance is not impaired, particularly near traffic signals.
• Tree Protection: Excised roots must be protected until backfilled. Pruning/removal requires a permit and must be done by a certified arborist. No landscaping should occur within the tree's protected root zone without approval.
• Visibility: Trees must be located to minimize the risk of being struck by vehicles and must not block traffic signal visibility.

Fixed Objects & Lighting

• Fixed Objects: Installations like monument signs or flag poles must be breakaway or crushable to minimize risk to drivers. Except for city-approved flag poles, fixed objects must have a maximum height of 3 feet.
• Lighting: Only solar lighting is approved for illumination.

Safety & Permits

• Digging: If improvements involve digging, applicants must contact PA One Call by dialing 8-1-1. Utilities must be marked at least three business days before excavation.
• Inspection: Contact the Public Works Department for inspection prior to commencing work.