Residents of Sewickley street protest loss of old trees for repaving
Wood chippers instead of woodpeckers have been hacking away at the trees along Centennial Avenue in Sewickley.
A road reconstruction project, which has drawn significant backlash from residents, will remove 33 shade trees, including London planes and pin oaks, that line the street. Though a petition to save the trees collected 195 signatures, the removal began as scheduled this week.
Anna Villella, a Sewickley resident for the past 32 years, said Friday that she was upset the borough council decided to move forward despite the opposition.
“It’s frustrating that no one on this street had a word in the decision,” Ms. Villella said. “I chose to live here because of the character, and now they’re just taking it all away.”
Friday morning, 15 residents gathered on Centennial Avenue to protest what they called the lack of transparency in the removal process. They said some trees that had not originally been marked for removal were being cut down.
According to Ms. Villella, the additional trees were removed at the request of individual homeowners, circumventing the usual approval process.
“If I want to plant one or cut one down in my backyard, I need a license,” Ms. Villella said. “But now they’re taking down ones in the middle of the road just because a homeowner says he wants it gone. My question is, who is responsible here? How are these decisions actually made?”
Mark Jones, who has lived in Sewickley for three years, said he and many of his neighbors were frustrated by the lack of communication by borough management. Although residents were notified of the reconstruction project, he said, they didn’t know the big, century-old trees would be affected.
Mr. Jones said a similar reconstruction project occurred in 2012 on another street. Then, residents were given more notice. After residents met with borough council, he said, a compromise was reached that allowed the reconstruction to proceed while preserving the trees.
“My allegation is that not informing the residents was intentional,” Mr. Jones said. “Residents didn’t have the time to affect the removal of these trees. Now we’re left with stumps and lollipop trees that will never shade our street again.”
Last week, residents presented a compromise to borough council that would leave the trees untouched, Mr. Jones said. Instead of reconstructing the sidewalks, the plan proposed only to repave Centennial Avenue.
The plan was rejected, 52.
Borough manager Kevin Flannery said the road reconstruction project is part of a 20-year development plan, which he said had been extensively discussed within the community. According to Mr. Flannery, the sidewalks had to be reconstructed because of safety concerns.
“If you look at it very simply, it’s just not safe,” he said. “The trees lean into the street, which prevents people from parking and stops street cleaners from working.
“Most of the sidewalks do not meet any safety standards and pose a significant tripping hazard. We also have to install ramps compliant with the [Americans with Disabilities] Act, and that’s not possible with the trees.”
Mr. Flannery said the trees will be replaced with smaller ones more compatible to the area. Recommendations from residents will be considered when choosing the type of trees for replanting.
Mr. Jones and Ms. Villella both expressed dissatisfaction with the replanting plan. Because the trees being cut down are more than a century old, Mr. Jones said, young, replanted saplings will not provide the same shade and character.
“The trees here used to shade the whole street because they were so mature and large,” Ms. Villella said. “Even if they replant every single one they tear down, we still won’t have shade like that again, not in my lifetime.”