A decision by the city of Corry Tree Committee to remove 46 crab apple trees along Smith Street dominated Monday’s city Council work session, with public comment and Council response consuming 45 minutes of the 80-minute meeting.
Despite significant opposition from residents and concerns raised by the city solicitor, the tree removal continued Tuesday morning, prompting sharp condemnation from residents and newly-elected officials.
“This early morning raid is the action of bullies,” said Corry City Council member-elect Chuck Gray. “Bullies are souls to be pitied. They inflict pain to feel better about themselves. Today, bullies inflicted pain on the citizens of Corry. Soon, better choices will be made.”
Gray was inferring that in three weeks, four of the five city council members will be new as these incoming individuals were victorious in the November General Election.
“At the end of the Council meeting last evening, a pause was going to be taken to investigate if the tree committee had received approval from council for the additional funds to be spent removing trees along Smith Street,” Gray said. “Then, late last night, direct orders were sent to the tree service to complete the job without a pause. This isn’t proof that permission wasn’t given via a Council vote, but it sure doesn’t pass the sniff test.”
Without issuing any kind of public notice, tree committee members hired L&D Tree Service to take down the trees and work began Monday afternoon. Citizens took notice of the removal shortly after trees began coming down, which prompted several residents to attend Council’s Monday night work session and take to social media to spread the word.
The elephant in the room was eventually addressed Monday night when City Administrator Joanne Smith asked Councilwoman Kristen Lindstrom, director of parks and public properties, to provide an update on the project.
“The tree committee started tree removal late this fall and used funds in the budget for tree lawn removal,” Lindstrom explained. “There were donations for pruning, and they took a vote to remove trees on Smith Street. There was a survey done in 2023 that found that 84% of the property owners wanted the trees removed. It’s not using city budgeted money, but donations to the tree committee.”
Lindstrom said the committee received a quote for the removal of 46 trees and stumps for $3,500, which works out to a cost of $76 per tree. She explained that L&D Tree Service began work Monday, earlier than expected, and that “there were some signs put up, I understand, on some trees that were asked not to be removed.”
Residents who live along Smith Street posted signs on several trees asking for them not to be cut down.
City Solicitor Lydia Caparosa addressed the legal framework, noting that “there’s nothing really specific as to the approval process in the current tree committee ordinance.”
She explained that since the trees are in the right of way, the city generally has authority to remove them, though property owners had been responsible for maintenance.
Lindstrom defended the decision to remove rather than prune the trees, saying an arborist determined that “pruning is not going to add any beauty to the tree, nor will it help with growth. [Pruning] should have been done 20 years ago or more, and no one maintained them, to my knowledge.”
The trees were originally planted by Penelec in the 1980s, but the utility company declined to prune them since they weren’t interfering with power lines.
West Smith Street resident Karl Hens emerged as a vocal opponent, telling Council he had consulted an expert before any work began.
“A few years ago, after (Mayor) Mike Baker stopped by, I asked an expert with an advanced degree in forestry to come and check it out and he said, ‘Do not cut those trees. Those trees have a lot of advantages that provide shadow and early season bee advantages.’ And he analyzed them and said, ‘Under no circumstances cut those trees,’” Hens said.
Hens challenged the legal basis for the removal.
“The law is that the removal by municipality or city is an abuse of homeowner rights, unless the tree may be proven to be public safety hazard, an obstruction of public right of way or necessary for paving projects such as street widening,” Hens asserted.
When Hens asked each Council member when they first heard about the trees being cut on Smith Street, most said they learned of it only that afternoon.
Mayor-elect Jeff Fike said, “1:30 this afternoon.”
Councilman Lucas Jones and Councilman William “Buzz” Hammond both responded, “this afternoon.”
Only Lindstrom said she knew “since the meeting in November.”
City of Corry Mayor Mike Baker acknowledged, “Two months ago, (tree committee member) Bob Brown spoke here in Council about it.”
“And we all objected,” Hens responded. “They discussed they had plans, that’s all. Despite the objection of the residents of Corry and a lot of the homeowners on those streets. There are some trees that have to come down, but the majority are excellent. They have a lot of life left. And then when you cut trees down, you’d better have a replacement strategy and discuss it with the owner.”
Hens expressed further frustration with the process.
“I think it’s very upsetting, because we’re talking about transparency,” Hens said. “How can we come to an agreement? Despite all the objections we had in the last meeting when Bob Brown mentioned it, how is this possible?”
Lindstrom responded by pointing to a lack of public participation in tree committee meetings.
“It’s possible because there’s meetings held once a month, and nobody shows up at them with their concerns or their information from their expert arborist,” Lindstrom said. “It would have been interesting to have that information, but I didn’t.”
Lindstrom suggested planting replacement trees on the opposite side of the sidewalk, on private property.
Hens also questioned the economics of the project.
“Something isn’t adding up,” Hens said. “You remove 46 trees for $3,500. I’ve had trees removed from my property. I pay $500 to $1,000 per tree. It does not make sense that you can remove 46 trees for $3,500.”
Fellow West Smith Street resident Bill Beggs appealed to council on Monday night.
“For the beautification of Corry, those trees are very pretty in the spring, and what we’re asking for is stopping the project right now,” Beggs said. “We’re asking for a halt for the destruction of the beautification of Smith Street. Whoever’s in charge on city Council, call the company, have them pause, stop it right now.”
Columbus resident Jennifer Utegg spoke about the trees’ importance to the community.
“The crab apple trees are one of Corry’s iconic sights — it’s beautiful in the spring. You can’t drive through Corry without knowing that the crab apple trees are Corry. It’s beautiful.”
Utegg challenged Council’s approach.
“I would like to ask Council why — when you clearly have citizens that are objecting to this — why, in good faith, wouldn’t you take a step back and just say, ‘Okay, if there’s one complaint, there’s enough? Because that comment was made about the trail: If there’s one [complaint], there’s enough to shut it down. Why wouldn’t you apply that to this situation? You clearly have people that live there with those trees they don’t want cut down.”
Councilman William “Buzz” Hammond acknowledged the complicated situation.
“The tree committee is separate from city Council, and they’re their own identity,” Hammond said. “They were empowered to make a deal. Nobody really took the proper amount of time to think it all the way through. But, the tree committee feels they did, because it’s been talked about for 18 to 24 months.”
Caparosa raised important procedural concerns about whether the tree committee had proper authorization to proceed, noting that if the crab apple tree removal wasn’t part of the approved work plan, “then they would have to get approval from Council before they move forward.”
She explained that according to the ordinance, “If the activity is a deviation from either the plan or the budget, it says in the ordinance that they have to get approval of Council, and I don’t know in this case if it’s enough deviation from the plan or the budget.”
The solicitor then made what appeared to be a clear recommendation:
“I think the easy thing right now is for Joanne [Smith] to reach out to the tree company to say, ‘Hey, we need to pause this to just evaluate.’”
Tuesday morning brought a dramatic continuation when L&D Tree Service returned at 8 a.m. to continue cutting trees along West Smith Street.
Despite the unresolved questions, Brown called L&D Tree Service Monday night and told them to proceed with Tuesday’s work. Brown said on scene Tuesday morning that the donation money had to be spent by the end of the year and could not wait. Additionally, an email was sent to city officials Tuesday morning from Smith saying the project would proceed.
Baker was on scene Tuesday watching the trees being taken down from inside his vehicle. Fike and Gray were also on scene trying to get answers about why the project was still proceeding. Brown ultimately called city police to respond to the scene.
City of Corry Mayor-elect Jeff Fike, left, and Smith Street resident Karl Hens, center, speak with City of Corry Police Lt. Richard Bayhurst Tuesday morning about the legalities of the Smith Street tree removal.
Following Tuesday morning’s events, Hens issued a statement condemning the decision to proceed.
“After many concerns were brought up at last night’s city Council meeting against brutally savaging and cutting many of the 46 very healthy crab apple trees — that were confirmed not to interfere with electrical or even internet service — after strong opposition from homeowners who had these trees in front of their homes, Mike Baker and Bob Brown did not stop, and with vengeance against the residents of Corry continued this morning to keep cutting down the beautiful and healthy crab apple trees along Smith Street.”
Hens explained the ecological importance of the trees.
“Crab apple trees are not only beautiful when they bloom, they are fantastic for bees, offering abundant spring blossoms that provide a vital early food source while also serving as excellent pollinators for apple trees and providing habitat for wildlife,” Hens continued. “I find it sad that, despite massive opposition from the residents of Corry, the city took it upon themselves to cut and destroy these beautiful trees that truly gave Smith Street the fabulous character and appeal that it had.”
No one from the tree committee has yet divulged who made the donation to have the trees cut down.
The Journal reached out to Smith for comment on this story. However, a response was not received as of deadline.
*Erin Passinger contributed to this story.
Comments are closed.