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Dominion hates trees
09/03/2014 8:01 AM by John M
Stewart sent in these photos of recent tree trimming by Dominion on 29th Street.
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PREVIOUSLY: Chopped (3/25/2010)
I live on that block next to one of the trees. The City was the person to work on them last (a couple of weeks ago). Some times Dominion comes by and hacks off other sections contributing to the horror. I cannot get an independent workman to try to correct the tree in front of my house. We benefit from having a tree shade the upstairs front window in the summer but that is a small benefit compared to living next to such an ugly tree. I cannot think of a solution except to remove the tree and start over with a better tree for the site. Any suggestion is appreciated.
We need to run the utility lines underground. As much wasteful spending as this city approves, underground lines would not only avoid these trees being mangled but would also save a lot of us headaches when the power goes out.
I second #3
Not shown in this photograph is the empty tree planter adjacent to this tree. There *was* a lovely tree there until a couple of years ago, until Dominion’s contractor at the time (I think it was an Asplundh crew out of Pennsylvania) did a brutal hack job similar to the one shown in the photograph.
They did this even after I came out of my house and pleaded with them to go easy. They were completely and totally unsympathetic — in fact, they literally told me to “fuck off” — and continued to hack away — in fact I’m pretty sure they cut even more aggressively just to spite me. The tree didn’t make it through the winter.
Let’s be perfectly clear — the contractors doing this job are not arborists — the ones I’ve talked to are skeezy rednecks with chainsaws who don’t live around here, don’t give a goddamn about our property values or quality of life, and just want to “get ‘er done” and be gone. They simply have no regard for the tree’s health or appearance.
The people that did the whack job on this most recent tree were not from the city — it was another contractor for Dominion, I think from northern VA, I can’t recall which just at the moment. The city arborist Michael Mather is actually quite knowledgeable and sympathetic. The city Urban Forestry webpage is here: http://www.richmondgov.com/PublicWorks/UrbanForestry.aspx
They might as well just cut down the tree, rather than slowly kill it and create a public hazard. On April 30 a rain-soaked limb from just such a tree fell on my car and totalled it. Despite having multiple complaints about this problem tree, the city did nothing and denied any responsibility. Guess who ate the $500 deductible? It wasn’t Dominion.
I think it’s so funny they do this to the TREES in “historic districts”, but yet we cannot change a window, the color of our front door or mailbox without approval from the appropriate committee. We should FINE the city for the travesty of hack jobs they do on our trees…
There is an urban forestry commission that could possibly help with situations like this. Try to help. But due to complications within the city systems and lack of organized community support. The Commission chair resigned today. The unsupported tree commision may very well be dead or dying.
Plus there’s an issue with burying everything…
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/12/us/winter-storm-power-lines/
Yep that looks like the handiwork of a “woodchuck” crew (the name we used to have for the skeezy methheads with chainsaws in Culpeper). These guys are the worst and have no idea what a tree needs. Most of them come here from Charlottesville area for the day, work for cash only and blow their daily haul on drugs and booze before they get home. On top of their lack of arborial knowledge, they’re usually not insured. Why is the city hiring these kinds of fly by night operations?
Speaking of the city’s wasteful spending, does anyone know why they appear to be putting more roundabouts on Chimborazo Boulevard?
#9 @Tree … that is alarming.
At least we have one tree that is at least 100 years old near the curb but the power company and city did save it by running the wire through the tree and adding insulation around the lines that would rub against branches. But we have another tree around 50 years old in front that is leaning out towards the street and I can tell is getting worse by the sidewalk and ground around it as well as looking at it down the street. It will eventually fall taking lines and a light pole with it and any cars under them. I have complained to no avail.
@10, good point, it’s way way expensive. We’re not talking millions but bunches of billions.
Way back in the 1980s, cable tv had just come into being, and a neighbor suggested that we wait on getting cable lines run and try to get the cable company to put them underground along with the electric lines. There was vocal opposition from folks who *just couldn’t wait for cable*, and the cable lines were run above ground….fast forward a few decades, and it’s prohibitively expensive to put them underground now. It might have been too much back then, but it surely is now.
All the neighborhoods and civic associations have to unite, as a whole community to be heard at the City level on this or any issue. If our community spoke with one united voice on the trees or for that matter, most issues they would have to listen. However, as long as we are divided and address such issue on a limited scale – we get ignored and dismissed. The City has arborist and they can be called out to monitor Dominion’s hackings and abuse. However, it is like anything else in this City – you got to make a lots of noise or many voices speak, to be heard downtown.
If this is an important issue then bring it up at the big meeting tonight with Ms. Newbille ….. she will be there.
The power lines aren’t going anywhere. The talk of burying them is simply ludicrous unless you’re volunteering to foot that bill. Dominion is left with the only logical choice to protect the power lines– cut the trees. Much of this could be avoided by proper tree selection from the start. Power lines generally are only one one side of the street. All trees planted under the lines should be small ornamentals such as dogwoods, crepe myrtle, etc. On the “clear” side of the street, tall trees that contribute to the street canopy should be planted and no obstructions are present.
If these trees brought down the power lines during a storm I’m certain y’all would be complaining about the trees obstructing the power lines.
Amen #16. Living on Libby Hill is living at the end of the power line routing. I lost power more times in the first two years of living on Libby Hill than I did the entire 8 years living on 27th Street, north of Broad.
The power would go out with a slight breeze. Even the remnants of the last tropical storm caused us to lose power for 6 days.
In March of 2013 Penn Line butchered these same trees. I met with the city arborist for our area, Mike Mather (michalemather@Richmondgov.com) as well as Mark Bennett, Sr distribution forestry coordinator at Dominion. Both agreed the pruning was aggressive They promised me new trees. I cc’d CHA, PennLine and Friends of Libby Hill Park. Nothing. I’m willing to try again if anyone is interested. But year after year this happens. And it impacts the enjoyment and value of our houses. Not to mention the health of the trees.
To avoid this from happening to the cherry trees and Hawthorne tree on our block we (the neighbors) pay to have True Timbers come and trim the trees responsibly every year. By keeping them trimmed we avoid them getting in the way of the power lines etc. It is an expense, but it wasn’t outrageous, depending on how big the tree is and how much work needs to be done it was $75-150. Now before this starts a blow up on this blog about the city should be paying for this and so forth, I am only saying this is what we have personally chosen to do and that may not be an option or desire from anyone else. Our cherry trees are beautiful and we took this step to prevent what we call the “reverse mohawk” tree murder from happening.