Resident asks city to spare old sycamore
NEIGHBORHOODS
The sycamore tree at the southwest corner of Bruck and Columbus streets towers above power lines and chimneys and bulges near the breaking point of the grassy strip between the sidewalk and street.
Its trunk is too wide to wrap your arms around, with thick bark turning to smooth white wood on its tallest limbs.
Paolo DeMaria lives on that corner. He estimates the tree has stood for at least 150
years, but its time could be running out.
Columbus is under a federal order to update its curb ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the sycamore outside DeMaria’s home in Schumacher Place would interfere with the current plan to install a new curb ramp there.
“It’s seen more of Columbus history than all of us except for the possibility of Auditor (Hugh J.) Dorrian,” DeMaria told Columbus City Council members Monday. “I’m 100 percent in support of installing wheelchair ramps on Columbus’ sidewalks. I’m also a believer in saving legacy trees like the one I’m talking about.”
The city of Columbus Department of Public Service regularly encounters sycamores planted years ago in the tree lawn, where their thick roots can upend sidewalks and snake under streets, said James Young, city design and construction manager. When it is replacing sidewalks or repaving streets, the sycamores sometimes get in the way.
“A lot of the older neighborhoods have trees that were planted that aren’t probably appropriate,” Young said. “Sycamores are pretty well known for getting very large.”
Columbus is spending nearly $970,000 in 2017 on a contract with Decker Construction Co. to replace as many as 220 street corners with ADA curb ramps. But it also installs curb ramps whenever it is working on an intersection.
DeMaria, who is the state’s superintendent of public instruction, told the council that he offered to give up part of his property for the city to build the ramp if it would save the tree, but Public Service Director Jennifer Gallagher said the city couldn’t come up with a solution.
Now, the city is reconsidering the offer and whether it might be feasible to save the tree.
The city forester told department officials that the tree’s roots could be damaged during preparation for the new ramp, Young said. That could put it at risk of dying and potentially create a safety hazard if it falls. DeMaria said he has offered a portion of his property along with footing the bill for any “marginal additional cost” to engineer a solution that saves the tree.
Young said the city is looking closer at DeMaria’s proposal made before it decides whether to cut down the tree. A decision is expected in the next week.
“I’m an optimist. I’m hopeful,” said DeMaria, who said he was unsuccessful in trying to save a similar tree a few blocks away. “I’m also knowing that, hey, today could be the last day.”