A neighbor sees that two old maples are marked for death row. Where does he go to challenge their fate? This woman has the answer.
Christy Hass (pictured) was waiting to conduct a tree hearing on Wednesday night at the administrative offices of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and (of course) Trees, at the corner of Edgewood and Yale Avenues.
By state law, explained Hass, who is the Elm City tree warden, each time the department decides to remove a tree, for reasons of damage or age, for example, public notice must be posted, and opportunity given for a hearing.
On this night, Hass gave Board of Parks Commissioner Clifton Bush, Jr. a hug while she waited for the aggrieved party to arrive. It seems two old maples on Willard Street had received their death warrants. A neighbor, reading the notices, thought too many trees were being removed.
“I’m waiting for him, — ¬ù Hass said. “Because the procedure is clear. After I post notice that a tree is being removed, any aggrieved party has a right to come here and make the case as to why the trees should not come down. In this instance, these two trees are very old and it is time. I listen and then after I make a decision, and if the aggrieved party still disagrees with the decision, he can take me to superior court. — ¬ù
Tree deaths (like that of this copper beech, slain by a landlord on Colony Road) have been known to stir up passionate opposition.
In her eight years as New Haven’s tree warden, has Hass’s arboreal judgment ever ended up in court? “Never, — ¬ù she said. “Absolutely never. The state gives a lot of protection to our trees. — ¬ù Then she went off to see if the complainant had arrived.
Epilogue: Reached Thursday, Hass said a neighbor did indeed appear at the hearing with his alderwoman, Ina Silverman. He explained that he understood the two sugar maples were unhealthy but that he nevertheless loved them, and asked why they could not be allowed some more months or years?
“So,” explained the tree warden, “I went out with an arborist earlier today and we examined the trees. They’re both in bad shape, damaged by sidewalks as well as, we think, having been hit by cars at a certain point. They’re only twenty years old but I don’t think they had much of a chance. Here was our judgment: We are going to take the first one down, the one nearest the street. The second one we will prune seriously, but if in the process we discover, as we go back into it, that it’s severely damaged, we’ll take that down too.”
And the aggrieved party’s next move? “He has ten days to appeal to State superior court for a further hearing. (Why a state jurisdiction? a reporter wanted to know, if the trees are the city’s? Because in its wisdom, Hass explained, the State wanted to have the decision regarding such environmental issues be above local politics) “Look, I love these trees too. I’m responsible for them, for the canopy they provide, and the ambiance of the city, and the heating and cooling functions they perform. But we’re also responsible for branches falling on people. We don’t allow that to happen either. It’s a balancing act.”
Hass estimates that every year New Haven removes anywhere from 500 to 800 trees. She wants New Haveners to understand that if they see a notice for removal on a tree, it does not mean that it will happen immediately. If someone wants to appeal, that must happen within days of seeing the notice, however; then the process described ensues. Unless there’s an emergency, which gets priority, it can take months for a posted tree to come down, due to the backlog. In this instance, definitely the one, and perhaps both maples in question will be gone within two months.