Trees are typically not a controversial topic, but the possibility of removing and replacing the trees on State Street has created noise in recent discussions about the street’s future.
Fueled by the concerns of residents and area business-owners, the debate over exactly what will happen to State Street’s horticulture ensues as the Downtown Coordinating Committee and the Madison Common Council look to adopt a final plan for the State Street Redesign Project.
The tree debate originated from the design plan stipulation that all of the 162 trees on the perimeter of the street be replaced over time by taller, stronger trees.
The plan, drafted by the design firm Wallace, Roberts and Todd, LLC of Philadelphia, says many of the trees on State Street are declining in health and would not be salvageable during construction.
But opponents of the plan object to the uprooting of over a hundred trees and claim the trees are healthy.
“I’m not an arborist, but I’ve been putting up lights on the trees for 20 years,” said Mary Lang Sollinger, Downtown Coordinating Committee chair. “We have to take them all down every April because the leaves and blooms get so full.”
Bill Fruhling, principle planner from Wallace, Roberts, and Todd, said the trees are not able to grow to their full potential because they were originally planted in small holes, which do not let the roots expand.
“The fact is, the environment that the trees are currently in doesn’t allow them to be very healthy,” Fruhling said. “They are essentially potted plants.”
To combat this problem, the design plan proposes a new technology using a mixture of gravel and dirt to help the roots expand, and an underground irrigation system to ensure the trees get an adequate supply of water without making them vulnerable to salt and other street hazards.
The plan will also plant taller trees in an effort to better showcase storefronts and raise the ceiling of the street.
The existing trees on State Street are mostly thornless honey locusts, with some breeds of ash. The design plan proposes using skyline honey locust, ratmore green ash, Mancana ash, new horizon elm and regal elm trees.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said varying the breeds on the street would help ward off potential problems–if one breed contracts a disease, not all trees would be infected.
The committee voted Thursday to hire an independent arborist to assess the status of the trees on State Street and make recommendations for the future of the street’s tree population.
Verveer said he anticipates the arborist will provide recommendations within the next few weeks.
“Everybody loves trees,” Verveer said. “I love trees as much as the next guy. But the fact of the matter is, the current trees aren’t going to last forever. We might as well face the reality and replace them with heartier trees that have been genetically engineered to handle an urban environment.”
Fruhling said although cutting down live trees is not ideal, replacement may be necessary for the redesign of State Street.
“Nobody wants to propose cutting down trees,” Fruhling said. “But I think given all the research so far, the street needs to be reconstructed. If we try to work around the existing trees, it’s not very likely many would survive.”
The Downtown Coordinating Committee will hold another meeting to discuss the tree removal plan and other State Street design options Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Civic Center.
