LETTERS: BETTER APPROACH NEEDED ON TREES

To the editor:

The Downtown Neighborhood Association includes homeowners and residents in the historic downtown area of Cape Girardeau. We appreciate the historic value of our area and have worked to maintain our homes and properties to reflect these values. It is with concern that we have written to Mayor Al Spradling and City Council members for assistance.

In the past few weeks there have been several old trees taken down on Lorimier and Themis streets. We understand the issues of disease and liability that the trees present. However, our concern is with the decision process by which the trees are destroyed. Some of these trees are almost 100 years old and provide shade to homes which do not have the luxury of central air conditioning. They are trees we played in as children and the trees our forefathers planted with pride. As we are reinvesting in our oldest part of town and increasing property values, it is not in our or the city's best interest to denude the area of one of our best assets.

We understand there is a Tree Advisory Board which oversees the removal of trees, but we question who is on this board and their expertise in determining the fate of our historic trees. We understand the destructive nature of the root system of some of these trees but question their removal for this reason when the roots continue to grow for possibly 10 years after a tree is cut down. Would it not be better to deal with this problem in a more construction nature? This might take some creativity, but the benefits would be worth the efforts.

There are communities across the country which have dealt with this problem. Perhaps we could examine their decisions and results before we take the easy way out.

As liability is another issues, we question how homeowners are approached when a tree is deemed removable. We all have liability in every aspect of our lives and must expect responsibility from ourselves and our government. Only after all possibilities have been exhausted should a tree be removed.

We ask that the mayor and City Council members, as our representatives, investigate this situation and help us retain the Old World charm of our historic downtown neighborhoods.

BILL DUNN

President

Downtown Neighborhood Association

Cape Girardeau, Mo.