First anger, then understanding, over some cut-down Lindenwald trees in Hamilton

At first, Troy Schwable, one of Hamilton’s top lovers of nature, was very angry to see the large trees that had been cut down on Corwin Avenue.

But after he and others expressed their feelings, and after City Manager Joshua Smith became involved on a vacation day, Schwable was reconciled that the trees probably had to go because of work on sewers and other utilities in the area.

Schwable, who noticed trees on other streets apparently had been marked to be cut down, is hopeful the city will be more careful about leveling trees in the future.

Schwable and his wife, Kathy Schwable, have done a variety of things to improve nature and natural recreation in Hamilton, particularly in the Lindenwald neighborhood, where they led other volunteers in creating the Riverside Natural Area, which reclaimed about 200 acres of former city sewage-biproduct dumping grounds. They also created a nature center at Joyce Park from what had been an abandoned building.

Early last week Schwable posted on Facebook that the neighborhood might not be “Lindenwald anymore but Lindendesert.” (Lindenwald means Linden forest in German.)

On Friday, he was pleased with what had happened in the meantime.

Residents were angered when they saw tall trees cut down on Corwin Avenue in the Lindenwald neighborhood, where the city is improving sewers and other utilities to eliminate bothersome odors. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Trees were being cut down as part of sewer repairs the city has been planning to eliminate sewer odors that have been vexing residents.

But Schwable said he and others had questions, including, “If you’ve got to cut something down because it is dead, or it is a hazard, what is the succession plan for that?” Should large shade trees that once beautified a street and will take many years for replacement trees to again create such beauty be replaced by small trees, or something larger?

“There did not appear to be any plan,” he said. “We have all seen what’s happening across the globe. We’re better than that.”

On the other hand, with construction that was planned on Corwin, he believes, “those trees would not have survived anyway.”

Schwable said Smith interrupted a vacation day to become involved after hearing residents’ concerns.

“Joshua was like, ‘Time out. What’s going on?’” he said. “I feel comfortable the citizens will have more input” in similar situations in the future. “I’m pretty happy with the response.”

Aaron Hufford of the city manager’s office on Friday said the city’s engineering department was reviewing some plans after hearing from residents.

“When we’re doing some major street resurfacing and some of that curb work and concrete work, it can affect some of the trees because they have to cut into the root structures, which can be harmful,” Hufford said.

“But we had a few folks call in about some trees they wanted to save, so we’re working with them on a plan to try to save some of those right now,” he said.

Residents were angered when they saw tall trees cut down on Corwin Avenue in the Lindenwald neighborhood, where the city is improving sewers and other utilities to eliminate bothersome odors. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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