Politics & Government

Dozens of Trees Coming Down Along Clifton Boulevard

More than 60 trees are expected to be cut down over the next several years. City officials say the trees are dying and pose a hazard.

Dozens of trees are set for the chopping block along Clifton Boulevard.

About a dozen have already been cut down. The others are marked with a painted white dot. 

The city has a total of 60 trees — pin oaks, red oaks and a few maples — on the list. Twenty-six of them are coming down this summer, including a few on West Clifton Boulevard.

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City officials said the trees — all on city-owned tree lawns — are a hazard and are at the end of their lifespan.

Some residents have their concerns.

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Lakewood resident Scott Rush said he thinks more could have been done to save the trees. 

“It is unfortunate that some of these trees, that are obviously old, appear to be stressed and succumbing to external ailments,” he said. “However, it is not uncommon for many older oaks to self-prune, where they will lose limbs. I hope that the city is taking this into account before removing the whole tree.”

Rush, who earned a PhD from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, said questions remain.

“In light of the health and poor vitality of many of the replacement trees planted by the city, I wonder if a more holistic approach aimed at saving older trees would be better suited,” he said.

The stumps of the cut down trees reveal that they are more than 100 years old — but some of them also show signs of decay.

Pat Lewis, the city’s manager of the division streets and forestry, said that the trees “are stressed because of salt and sidewalks” and a few are diseased. 

“They are considered a living hazard,” he said.

“When I moved here 25 years ago, the canopy of Clifton Boulevard was beautiful,” Lewis said. “But eventually, they have to come down.”

Mayor Michael Summers that the trees on the chopping block are in a state of decay and dying.

Power lines and proximity to the street make them a “high-risk situation,” he said.

“Once we are served notice that a tree is unhealthy, we can’t ignore it,” Summers said. “We are obligated to take action.”

Planted around the same time — more than 100 years ago — the trees are “at the end of their natural life,” he said.

The cost of removing each tree is about $1,800, with the money coming from the city’s reforestation fund. 

About 15 trees will be cut down each season “over the next several years.” 

“It’s a tragedy to lose them,” said Summers.

Other trees around the city — including maple and ash trees — are also coming down. He said that each tree cut down will be replaced starting next spring.

 “As a community, we’re going to have to come to grips that we’ve got to deal with this — on our terms or on nature’s terms. One way or the other, these things are not going to be standing forever.” 


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