Hillcrester Filbert Vigil hears from the city…
Richmond Street tree can’t be saved
Hello Mr. Vigil, We’ve investigated the situation with the tree and the repairs needed at the SE Corner of Pennsylvania & Richmond. We’ve found the following:
1. An Arborists’ report indicates that the tree is diseased and is bleeding sap. It has “Conks” on the north side of the trunk. The fungi producing the conks grow by attacking and breaking down the tissues of another plant-in this case, the wood elements of the tree. A tree with conks develops masses of rotten wood or is hollow where the rotten wood has disintegrated. The extent of rotten wood or hollow can be estimated by sounding the tree with an ax, using a standard increment borer, or using a Shigometer. It’s hard to say how much longer the tree may live and how unstable it is or may become.
2. The tree is very near a fire hydrant which is a possible conflict.
3. I understand there is a request for a stop sign here. The tree would be in conflict with a stop sign. The same is true of the proposed curb ramp.
4. The sidewalk and the curb and gutter are severely damaged on both sides of the tree, which has overgrown the parkway area. This is a tripping hazard to pedestrians in the neighborhood. To remove and replace the sidewalk and the curb and gutter would require arborists to cut into the flare of the tree and this will probably cause it to die or to become unstable and fall over. The tree is so large that diverting the sidewalk and curb/gutter would create a significantly non standard configuration which may cause confusion for pedestrians and motorists as well as significant unbudgeted costs to the City.
5. The tree has pushed the curb out and it is protruding into the roadway at such an angle that it is a danger to cars and it is diverting drainage into the roadway rather than keeping it in the gutter. The adjacent pavement is degrading faster, possibly due to this increased drainage in the roadway.
After considering the big picture, we plan to remove the tree and replace it with a healthy new tree that is more suitable for the parkway size. This will allow us to properly repair the sidewalk, curb, and gutter, thus eliminating the problems noted with regard to the fire hydrant, the stop sign, the proposed curb ramp, and safety and drainage issues. We believe that this decision is in the best interest of maintaining sidewalk and roadway safety in the neighborhood.
