City plans to axe palms in College Park
Public notice set off debate, with some wanting replacements
About two-dozen trees —some entwined in power lines — are due to come down along Edgewater Drive this weekend.
The trees lining the east side of the artery through College Park were planted about 15 years ago as part of a streetscape by the Merchant’s Association, but as they grew taller, frequent pruning was required to keep from interfering with wires.
“We all knew this was going to happen at some point,” said Andrew Kittsley, the Orlando’s urban forester. “They only grow in one direction.”
He continued, “It was a feelgood thing and I think the feelgood has worn off.”
So come Saturday morning,
weather permitting, crews with Davey Tree Expert Company will cut down 23 trees and trim 26 more. Of the trees coming down, most are palms, while the oaks and crepe myrtle will be trimmed, Kittsley said.
Then, the tree wells will be filled with concrete to even out sidewalks, a letter sent to neighbors and business owners reads. As trees are cut down as part of the $16,915 job, sections of the sidewalk may be closed and temporary roadblocks may be needed.
The city’s public notice set off a debate on social media and the social network Nextdoor, with some residents calling for new greenery to be planted in place of the palms.
Lawrence Kolin, a Dubsdread resident for about two decades, said the highly trafficked thoroughfare could use more greenery and foliage. He pointed to other of the well-known shopping districts around the state, including Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue, lined with royal palms, and Park Avenue in Winter Park with spanning oaks.
“The less there are, the more blighted it looks,” Kolin said of the trees. “We need some green…It used to be beautiful coming into downtown…our streets that we travel and shop on should have some aesthetic value.”
City Commissioner Robert Stuart said he agrees that greenery is needed but that the existing trees were dead or obstruct parts of sidewalk, making it tough for pedestrians to pass. Some were planted near power poles and have since grown into wires. With hurricane season approaching, it created a safety risk, he said.
“We needed to increase the walkability of Edgewater Drive,” Stuart said. “Edgewater isn’t walkable…[pedestrians] can’t walk side by side with somebody.”
He said MetroPlan Orlando is developing a “complete streets” plan for the road, which will both enhance walkability and landscaping, though it doesn’t yet have funding and could be about five years from completion.
“There’s a plan in place,” he said.
While Jon Lacko, a Realtor who lives a block from Edgewater, said he’s happy to see the trees coming out and hopes the added concrete will make it easier for him to walk to Taco Tuesday or Jeremiah’s nearby.
On a recent rainy walk to Publix, he said he had to step off the sidewalk onto the street so his umbrella wouldn’t hit one of the trees.
“I think they should remove more because I don’t think Edgewater is walkable to this point,” Lacko said.
Kittsley said the city’s present options for additional greenery are limited, noting the foliage would need to be tall enough not to interfere with store signs and pedestrians but short enough not to interfere with the lines.
“So really, there’s virtually nothing that can go back in there,” Kittsley said.