The tree between the street and the sidewalk has died, who do I call?

My understanding is that the tree belongs to the town.  Is that correct?  If so, do they replace it or do I have it removed?

Yes the town is responsible for it.  Call public works, tell them the tree is dead and needs to be removed.  I'm not sure if they will replace it, but I know they will remove it.

We are thinking about getting solar so we would probably be better off if they simply got rid of it.

Before calling the town I'd call these folks....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G880gxjj9dI

Jackson_Fusion said:

Before calling the town I'd call these folks....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G880gxjj9dI

I can't believe that's real. Unbelievable.

GoSlugs said:

We are thinking about getting solar so we would probably be better off if they simply got rid of it.

Please reconsider.  One or two houses on a block don't make a huge impact, but on my street we have lost most of the curb trees over the last 10 years and since the homeowners have all decided against new ones the look of our street has changed for the worse.

My house is one of the very few on the entire block that still has a tree on the berm.  And though my property is only 25' wide I am actually toying with the idea of planting something else, like a dwarf cherry if there is such a thing, just to add some more green to our bare little street.

ETA:  After writing the above an idea popped into my head, see if you can get a short type of tree from the town and you can have a tree on the berm AND still have solar.  I'm told they give you a choice of trees.

spontaneous said:

GoSlugs said:

We are thinking about getting solar so we would probably be better off if they simply got rid of it.

Please reconsider.  One or two houses on a block don't make a huge impact, but on my street we have lost most of the curb trees over the last 10 years and since the homeowners have all decided against new ones the look of our street has changed for the worse.

My house is one of the very few on the entire block that still has a tree on the berm.  And though my property is only 25' wide I am actually toying with the idea of planting something else, like a dwarf cherry if there is such a thing, just to add some more green to our bare little street.

ETA:  After writing the above an idea popped into my head, see if you can get a short type of tree from the town and you can have a tree on the berm AND still have solar.  I'm told they give you a choice of trees.

Something to think about.  I wouldn't mind a 20' tall tree, I just don't want something shading my panels and potentially falling on my house.  

A few years ago the town planted a small flowering cherry tree on my berm, it looks great, gives a little bit of shade and is just the right size. I actually called the town and requested this.

emmie said:

A few years ago the town planted a small flowering cherry tree on my berm, it looks great, gives a little bit of shade and is just the right size. I actually called the town and requested this.

I'm just going to say that I hate those little f*ing trees. They are all beautiful and everything, but then they try to gouge out your eye.   

marylago said:

emmie said:

A few years ago the town planted a small flowering cherry tree on my berm, it looks great, gives a little bit of shade and is just the right size. I actually called the town and requested this.

I'm just going to say that I hate those little f*ing trees. They are all beautiful and everything, but then they try to gouge out your eye.  "> 

Then be glad you don't live on a county road.  My mom does and the county planted hawthorn trees on her berm.  They're of a reasonable height, and look pretty, but they have these insane inch long thorns on them.  The trees are still young so the branches are at the perfect height to hit people.  I went out with pruning sheers and took off the branches that had the potential to injure anyone walking down the sidewalk.

LOL, there are no branches hanging so low as to put your eye out.

@GoSlugs, Please request a replacement street tree from the town.  As Spontaneous notes, it makes a big difference in the aesthetics of a street/neighborhood to have well established street trees.

While picking a variety that is not likely to get too big is okay, please don't request a small ornamental tree.

Small ornamental trees don't provide many of the other benefits that street trees provide - cooling, reducing the need for watering lawns, making it more pleasant to take a walk on a summer day, and, believe it or not, extending the life of the street asphalt.

Also, to the extent the tree shades your house in summer, it will reduce your cooling needs. 

can a new tree be put in the same area?  would there be a problem with the roots left behind from the old tree?

emmie said:

LOL, there are no branches hanging so low as to put your eye out.

:-D

When a very large tree was removed from the berm in front of my house, the town cut the tree down but left the stump for what I seem to recall was a year or more. Then, once the roots were easier to pull, the stump was removed.  True story:  that stump was so wide that passers-by used to have their children stand on the stump and pose for pictures.  The tree was replaced in the same spot, with a young tree of a different species, once the stump was removed. The replacement is doing well.

I spoke to the tree guy last week about the tree in front of my house.  It is dying, and he is going to remove it maybe next year.  He offered a replacement and said he would like to move it a few feet to give it a better chance to survive, but if I insisted he would put it in the same place.  I have solar panels that are partially blocked by it, but the tree was there first and wins.

As they wear their fleece jackets made from synthetic fibers derived from petroleum. 

marylago said:

Jackson_Fusion said:

Before calling the town I'd call these folks....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G880gxjj9dI

I can't believe that's real. Unbelievable.

yahooyahoo said:

As they wear their fleece jackets made from synthetic fibers derived from petroleum. 

marylago said:

Jackson_Fusion said:

Before calling the town I'd call these folks....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G880gxjj9dI

I can't believe that's real. Unbelievable.

Of course, cotton is murder, don't you know that?