Trees hijack State Street redesign project. It may sound a like a headline from the Onion, but it’s not fiction.
Last week the proposed State Street Redesign Project, which has been slogging through committee after committee for years, hit yet another snag.
The problem this time: trees.
Trees may not seem like a particularly controversial or inflammatory topic, but they certainly have some people in Madison up in arms this week. A large contingent of people connected with the redesign have expressed outrage because some of the trees currently lining State Street will need to be replaced in order to make way for wider sidewalks and more outdoor café seating. These protestors conveniently ignore the fact that a number of experts, after finding the trees in question to be on the verge of death, recommended they be replaced. Instead, the protestors have moved onto “more important” questions: What kind of trees should take their place? Elm or Honey Locust? What kind of fertilizer should be used? And what about the Christmas lights?
I could give more details of this absurd debate, but I won’t; it’s too stupid and frustrating. It’s completely ridiculous that the City Council could allow itself to get hung up over something so trivial and inane as the fate of a bunch of dying trees. If you have ever wondered why people describe Madison as 25 square miles surrounded by reality, this squabble should put your curiosity to rest.
Admittedly, the State Street redesign will probably not be held up indefinitely because of the trees, but that’s not the real issue at stake. The tree dilemma is important only because it’s indicative of a much larger problem.
This isn’t the first time the redesign project has been held up by frivolous details. The protestors have their hearts in the right place, and their passion and enthusiasm is admirable, but they definitely have misplaced priorities. Or, more accurately, they have no priorities at all.
To let something as crucial to Madison’s future as the State Street Redesign Project languish in committee because people cannot agree over what kind of tree to plant would be a needless tragedy. People are so busy nitpicking over the details that they’ve lost sight of the bigger picture.
In other words, they can’t see the forest for the trees.
If you want to get anything done, you have to choose your battles. Not everything needs to be an all-out war, and some things are just not worth arguing over. Trees are an important part of the downtown landscape, but they aren’t worth sacrificing the entire State Street redesign.
Madison would be much better off if people got their priorities straight and directed their energy toward things that actually matter. Anyone tempted to chain themselves to a State Street tree as the ultimate act of martyrdom should remember there are plenty of real problems downtown–homelessness, binge drinking, affordable housing–that aren’t getting the attention they need. If people focused half of the energy they currently are aiming at asinine details of the redesign plan on something worthwhile, they might be surprised at the results.
