In response to public outcry, the city of Dover has all but given up on a proposal to remove 75 trees on North Bradford Street. The question the city is now trying to tackle is how to preserve as many trees as possible, while also getting more than half a mile of North Bradford Street and its sidewalks back into compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act standards.
While the city is now prioritizing keeping its trees, Kesha Braunskill, urban and community forestry coordinator for the Delaware Forest Service, said that does not mean all 75 trees will remain standing. Based on her preliminary evaluations, she said at least a dozen trees will still need to be removed. Those, she said, are trees in natural decline or with disease. “We’re looking at it from the perspective now — what are the alternatives for tree preservation,” Ms. Braunskill said.
- I imagine that they want the trees to stay, so they have something to hide behind when the shooting starts. — Brooks Keen
- Clearly, you have no idea what you’re talking about. — Benjamin Black
- I know exactly what I am talking about. It would be a huge shame to lose those mature trees. Just playing with a little humor in some stressful times. — Brooks Keen
- I have a thought: We need to be in ADA compliance, so take down the trees. Period. — Benjamin Black
- Reduce the street to one-way and move the sidewalks away from the trees and toward the road. Homeowners get to keep their trees, less roadway to maintain and almost that entire area is serviced by alleyways to the east and west of Bradford Street. Ralph L. Taylor Jr., Matthew Lindell and David Anderson: Thoughts?. — Jonathan Contant
- Sounds good to me. Better than the solution of slash and burn. — Bob Beckman
- Great idea. I live nowhere near the area, have driven through there, but to cut those beautiful, old trees down would be shameful. Your idea would be a win-win for both sides. If they do this, instead of kicking up their feet, saying “problem solved,” they should consult with managers of other cities that may have had similar issues but rectified them by coming up with a method to prevent the damages the roots cause sewer and waterlines. Then, when the problem resurfaces again, they’ll have the knowledge to take care of it. — Michael Jones
- Destroy trees but not shrink the road. That’s the mentality of America. Of Delaware. Trees in Delaware are just “objects that get in the way,” whereas roads are “what’s very important and why we need wider ones.” Keep the trees. Widen the sidewalk by shrinking the road. — John Smith
