These two trees near the boardwalk on the Dave Clark Path are marked for felling. The walkway is being remodeled.
The proposed felling of dozens of trees in Monteith Riverpark was brought up during Wednesday’s Albany City Council meeting. However, nothing changed in the plans.
City Manager Peter Troedsson said felling old trees and planting new trees is part of the city’s urban forest program, a program that is the main reason Albany has been recognized as Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for decades.
In this case, 84 trees would be felled for the Willamette Riverfront Project and 70 new ones would be planted. (The city calls it the “Waterfront Project,” as if longshoremen work there, as in the 1954 film starring Marlon Brando.)
Some of the trees to be felled are old and stately, but many others are stunted, scrawny, and small.
Plans for the felling operation, scheduled before the end of February, were first posted here on February 2nd. The local paper followed on February 6th.
At Wednesday’s meeting, City Councilor Matilda Novak said voters had complained to her about the loss of trees. She called for the plans to be reconsidered.
Mayor Alex Johnson II countered that the renovation of the riverfront and the Monteith Path will benefit future generations, among other things.
All of the riverfront trees, hundreds of them, were assessed in 2020 by Morgan Holen & Associates, a Lake Oswego tree care consultancy.
They examined 870 trees, 594 of which are unaffected by the riverbank project.
Of the 276 within the project area, 185 are to be preserved, 84 are to be removed and seven are to be left as stumps or dead trees.
Six of the trees to be removed have a diameter at breast height of less than 20 cm, the consultants reported, 21 are considered invasive species such as black locust and 57 will have to be removed because of the proposed improvements.
As for the riverfront project itself, next Wednesday the council plans to award a nearly $8.4 million contract to build the changes in the park and along the trail. The contract is with Salem-based K&E Excavating, which was previously appointed as site manager/general contractor for the work.
Albany’s Urban Renewal Program (CARA) has budgeted $15 million for the riverfront renewal, which consists of two parts. Part 1 is the trail and park; Part 2 is the renovation of part of Water Avenue.
K&E Excavating expects to complete both parts in one season. Major completion is expected in November 2023.
Pruning should begin in a few weeks. If it happens, look out for photos here. (hh)
hh-today.com
https://hh-today.com/park-tree-removal-comes-up-before-council/
