City to Cut Down Four Trees in Early August

The city plans to remove four trees in early August that are either dead or dying and have been identified as hazards in high-traffic areas.

Crews will cut down two poplar trees in the Miller Avenue median at Camino Alto, one pine tree on Camino Alto near the entrance to the Community Center, and one tan oak tree located at Marion and Cascade.

The poplars on Miller Ave. were planted in the 1950’s and with proper water and light should have lived up to 80-years-old. But years of flooding during high tides exposed the roots to saltwater, and Parks and Recreation staff  “have detected the death of the tree’s inner core, called the heartwood, as well as an increase in dropped dead limbs," according to a release from the city.

With the trees being so close to the heavily used roadway, and serving as a popular lunch spot for high school students, the city determined it necessary to have them removed.

They’ll be replaced with “new, more resilient tree species,” as outlined by the Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan, which was created to improve the Miller Avenue transit corridor and requires the preservation of the open meadow appearance of the Miller Avenue median in this area by planting large signature trees over time as existing trees require replacement. 

The tree removal project is a part of the city’s Vegetation Management Program, funding by the Municipal Services Tax approved by voters in 2006.

It will take about one day, with lane closures both inbound and outbound on Miller Avenue. Camino Alto and Cascade may also be temporarily closed during the process.