Sean C. Morgan
Public Works crews are planning to remove five trees in the Main Street median strip within the next month.
The trees are leaning or outgrowing the median planters, according to city communications specialist Lagea Mull. The Park and Tree Committee recommended the removal and replacement during its meeting on Oct. 23.
“Sometimes our urban trees outgrow the space in which they have been planted,” Mull said. “Removal of these trees allows for opportunities to plant new trees and shrubs, which can add diversity and beauty to our surroundings.”
As trees mature in the parks and streets, regular inspections help identify changes in a tree’s health, she said. Disease, insects and damage from the elements can become serious problems for the tree and the safety of the public.
Street trees have a “life plan” and must be removed before they cause damage, she said.
Public Works Operations Manager Dominic Valloni said the Park and Tree Committee and staff will make sure there’s a plan for replacing the trees.
The committee is in the process of determining the best species for the median planters, Mull said.
Public Works must complete its work in the median quickly enough to rebuild the irrigation and have the planters ready for the Beautification Committee to plant in the spring, Valloni said.
Removing the trees and especially the stumps will be more difficult than other settings, Valloni said. Stump removal will require quite a bit more work for the crews to remove without damaging the concrete planters.
The bigger trees are taking up the entire width of the planter, Valloni said.
Valloni said Public Works will remove a tree each from in front of the Rio Theatre and Figaro’s Pizza and two or three trees from the span between Safeway and Les Schwab Tire Center. He expects to begin the work later this month or in early December.
Mull said the removal could take up to five days. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction between 12th and 18th avenues while staff remove the trees.
Valloni said one crew will cut the trees and a second will remove the stumps. That timing could be affected by emergencies, such as a leak, and other priorities that draw crew members away from the project.
Members of the Park and Tree Committee are Chairman Wally Shreves, Lena Tucker, Alice Smith, Nancy Patton, Bob Dalton, Debra Sue Northern, James Curtis and City Councilor Dave Trask.