Longmont Plans Replacement With Tree Saved From City Project
Longmont Plans Replacement With Tree Saved From City Project
Following a Boulder County District Judge’s ruling on Wednesday, the City of Longmont will move forward with plans to replace a cottonwood tree on the 400 block of Pratt Street with a mature tree that was saved from another City project.
The City planned to remove and replace a cottonwood tree in the adjacent right of way of the 400 block of Pratt Street because the tree had been determined to be a member of a nuisance tree species and is situated on City property. Longmont, like most Cities and Towns in Colorado banned the planting of cotton-bearing cottonwood trees many decades ago. After years of consultation with these property owners and their neighbors, the City was unable to foster a consensus solution, and arrived at a decision to remove the tree.
“It’s unfortunate that it ended up in this situation,” Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez said, “The City worked very hard for the past 25 years to minimize the negative effects from the old cottonwood tree without much success and City staff were really hoping for a compromise that the neighborhood could agree on.”
“We understand the family’s connection to this tree and that is why we ultimately made the decision to replant a 25-foot non-cotton bearing cottonwood tree at this location,” Dominguez said. “Normally the City replaces trees with much smaller trees.”
During those 25 years the City attempted several mitigation strategies, including the use of hormone injections, enlisting the fire department to spray down the tree, and hiring contractors to physically pick and remove the cotton-bearing seed pods.
A Longmont family asked the District Court to block the removal of the tree claiming that they have a property interest in the tree due to their care for the tree and the fact that the branches and roots cross the property line. The judge in the case disagreed with that argument and said that the City went to extensive lengths to mitigate this issue. He added that the City’s approach was the opposite of arbitrary and capricious because the City followed its standard operating procedure and engaged the neighborhood before reaching a decision.
Removal was planned on Monday, March 20 but the family was granted a temporary restraining order from the Boulder County District Court to block the removal. The court ruled on Wednesday that Longmont has the legal authority to remove a tree from City property.
Consistent with the community’s long term commitment to our urban forest, the City plans to replace the tree with a large tree that fits into the City’s forestry plan. The tree comes from another City property that is undergoing development. No date has been set for the replacement.
The City planned to remove and replace a cottonwood tree in the adjacent right of way of the 400 block of Pratt Street because the tree had been determined to be a member of a nuisance tree species and is situated on City property. Longmont, like most Cities and Towns in Colorado banned the planting of cotton-bearing cottonwood trees many decades ago. After years of consultation with these property owners and their neighbors, the City was unable to foster a consensus solution, and arrived at a decision to remove the tree.
“It’s unfortunate that it ended up in this situation,” Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez said, “The City worked very hard for the past 25 years to minimize the negative effects from the old cottonwood tree without much success and City staff were really hoping for a compromise that the neighborhood could agree on.”
“We understand the family’s connection to this tree and that is why we ultimately made the decision to replant a 25-foot non-cotton bearing cottonwood tree at this location,” Dominguez said. “Normally the City replaces trees with much smaller trees.”
During those 25 years the City attempted several mitigation strategies, including the use of hormone injections, enlisting the fire department to spray down the tree, and hiring contractors to physically pick and remove the cotton-bearing seed pods.
A Longmont family asked the District Court to block the removal of the tree claiming that they have a property interest in the tree due to their care for the tree and the fact that the branches and roots cross the property line. The judge in the case disagreed with that argument and said that the City went to extensive lengths to mitigate this issue. He added that the City’s approach was the opposite of arbitrary and capricious because the City followed its standard operating procedure and engaged the neighborhood before reaching a decision.
Removal was planned on Monday, March 20 but the family was granted a temporary restraining order from the Boulder County District Court to block the removal. The court ruled on Wednesday that Longmont has the legal authority to remove a tree from City property.
Consistent with the community’s long term commitment to our urban forest, the City plans to replace the tree with a large tree that fits into the City’s forestry plan. The tree comes from another City property that is undergoing development. No date has been set for the replacement.
