The area around a removed tree has raised pavement and curbs the city wants to address before thinking of replacement plants.
SNOHOMISH — Late November's snowstorm severely damaged many of First Street's substantial mature trees, which the city said forced it to chop four down.
While unpopular to do, "we didn't have any choice" because of public danger, city public works director Nova Heaton said last week. Two were split down their trunks.
What's to replace them?
The city is considering to temporarily install planters in the locations where trees were taken out. First, though, it needs to take care of a few items, “most importantly the curb height and stump removal,” city spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
The curbs around many street trees are buckled upward. A standing tree at Avenue A and First Street has raised and uneven sidewalks around it and at the crosswalk; along the problematic sidewalk between Avenue A and Union, the unevenness is highlighted with orange caution paint and at its approach it is stenciled: “Caution historic sidewalk."
The city will ask the community next year for suggestions on the replacement street trees as one piece of a bigger master plan for fixing First Street's underground utilities and sidewalks, Heaton said.
Maples, chestnuts, oaks or a handful of other deciduous tree types could be what are recommended, but not pines or cedars, from the city's code on street trees.
The trees on First Street are Sweetgum trees, people familiar with them said. These ornamental trees have shallow, tough root systems and can reach 50 to 80 feet tall at maturity.
Snohomish's long-term plan is to select street trees whose root structures have thick taproots that go straight down, Heaton said.
The city already had a plan in mind to remove these four Sweetgum trees, plus two more, because their roots are damaging sewer lines and the limbs are getting into power lines. An arborist agreed they had to go.
What's been lost were some behemoths. One stood taller than First Street’s tallest building at 1118 First St.
Ardent tree supporters called it sad.
"This was a hard week for us who love trees," Bonny Headley told the City Council last week.
The four felled trees are two on opposite sides to First and Avenue B, one at First and Avenue A and the entrance of Kla Ha Ya Park at First and Avenue C. These were near Joyworks, Antique Warehouse, Piccadilly Circus and the public bathroom.
The downtown plan calls to remove two others: One at First and Avenue C outside Worthy home furnishings, and one near First and A outside Pie Dive Bar.
The city is learning if it can file for federal disaster relief funds for the early November windstorm and late November snow damage. November's windstorm cost the city an estimated $50,000 in repairs, Heaton said.
