SNOHOMISH — The trees around the Avenue A gazebo needed to come down after all.
The reason? Their roots have pushed on the piers holding the gazebo up, city project manager Brennan Collins told the City Council last week.
Sometime soon after, these trees were felled to stumps.
If the trees were left alone, the gazebo’s footings will eventually be too unsafe to have people on the gazebo, the city said.
“We have no choice but to remove the trees near the gazebo,” Collins said.
The gazebo stands on seven pier blocks. Each one has shifted, Collins said, especially the ones along the south side of the gazebo.
The trees were a contentious point for the project months ago. The initial plan was to remove them to create a clean landscape which wouldn’t let needles and debris drop onto the gazebo’s new roof. A pair of City Council members objected loudly and a plan rewrite saved all but one tree; that tree posed a fall risk toward the gazebo.
The city will replace the trees one-for-one, Collins said. They’ll work with the city’s tree committee to prevent having the future trees cause the same problem with the gazebo in the future.
The gazebo is nearly done with its full refurbishment.
Palmer Bodin, who owns the local company Nordic Home Solutions, organized the rehabilitation. The gazebo rehab includes a new deck, new ceiling, new railings and a new roof.
The job was expected to be done last week, Bodin said.
The city’s parks board will hear similar updates on the gazebo this week at its Wednesday, Aug. 24 meeting. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Snohomish Carnegie, 105 Cedar Ave., and on Zoom.
Previous coverage:
SNOHOMISH — The Avenue A Gazebo is now getting a full refurbishment. The plans are a new deck, new ceiling, new railings and a new roof.
It’s being done as a gift to the community by businessowner Palmer Bodin of Nordic Home Solutions. Everything except the roof could be wrapped up by early August.
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