Richardson will expand its Matching Fund Beautification program to include some projects on private property, specifically medians on public streets. The City Council agreed to the change at its Nov. 2 meeting. The program is run by the parks and recreation department, which partners with homeowner associations, neighborhood associations and other civic groups to improve landscaping on public property.
Shohn Rodgers, assistant director of parks and recreation, said the program was developed in 1972. Partner groups apply in the spring and work with city staff on designs. The city matches 100% of partner group funds for projects on public or city-maintained property. The city committed $80,000 to the program for fiscal year 2026-27, and it manages projects and maintains the property afterward.
The change followed an application from the Knolls and Breckinridge Homeowners Association. A median at the main entrance of the Knolls at Breckinridge neighborhood was damaged in a vehicle collision, Rodgers said. He said the association maintains the median, which is on a public street, as part of its common areas. Rodgers said the change would require a Chapter 380 agreement with the association and would mean the city does not provide long-term maintenance on private property. According to a city analysis, homeowner associations own 281 parcels in Richardson, and roughly 25 of those are medians that could join the program. Council member Curtis Dorian said the program is valuable to neighborhood associations and the city.