PORT TOWNSEND — Four poplar trees along Walker Street north of the Jefferson County Courthouse are likely to be removed in response to safety concerns after a large branch fell during a March 2 windstorm, the Port Townsend city manager said.
“It is not a done deal,” David Timmons said.
“But we are going to have to do something, either remove the trees or commit to their maintenance, topping them off to make sure they are safe.”
Patti Reynolds — who lives at 538 Walker St. with her husband, Harold Nelson — would be pleased to see them go.
She initiated a letter of complaint signed by four residents of the street last week after a large branch blew down during a windstorm last Wednesday, knocking out phone and cable service for the block but causing no property damage or injuries.
But Scott and Linda Spurgeon, who are Reynolds’ next-door neighbor at 509 Walker St., wants the 75-foot trees to stay in place.
“We love these trees and we don’t want the city to cut them down” reads a sign in front of their house.
Reynolds said residents on Walker Street between Franklin and Clay streets feel the aging trees are hazards on a street often used for parking by people with business at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., a block away.
Scott Spurgeon said the two families have never agreed about the disposition of the trees, which are directly in front of the Spurgeons’ house “and provide a buffer between us and the street.”
Reynolds said residents have urged the city to remove the trees since 1999. She has advocated their removal since she moved into the neighborhood in 2005 and spoke up again at Monday night’s City Council meeting.
That’s when Timmons announced the intention of possibly removing the trees.
Arborist James Causton of Port Angeles inspected the trees Friday and is expected to submit a report soon, Timmons said Monday.
Causton has inspected the trees in the past and has not recommended their removal.
But Timmons said Monday night that removal of the trees is likely now.
“These trees are not long-lived, and they are coming to the end of their life expectancy,” he said.
Poplars can be seen throughout Port Townsend and “were popular boulevard trees,” said Timmons, who added that the city lacks records of the number of trees in town.
The four on Walker Street were deserving of immediate attention because of their location in a populated area and the recent incidents, he said.
Causton has estimated it would cost $4,000 each to remove the trees, Timmons said.
The city will consider alternatives, such as replanting other trees between the poplars before their removal so as not to change the look of the neighborhood, Timmons said.
Reynolds said that if the trees are not removed, the city would be liable for any property damage or personal injury resulting from a falling branch or tree.
Last week, Ralph Williams, who lives at 538 Walker St., agreed with Reynolds, saying the city hasn’t responded appropriately to the danger.
Spurgeon pointed out that poplars trees are all over Port Townsend.
“I don’t think they pose a safety hazard more than any other tree, and I don’t think these particular trees should be removed,” he said.
Spurgeon does not know whether the prospective buyer of his home perceives the trees as a safety hazard or an asset but feels “the controversy has caused a lot of negativity” that could hurt the sale.
Spurgeon moved into the neighborhood at about the same time as Reynolds.
Spurgeon said he feels the removal of the trees continues a trend of city government to remove that which draws people to the town.
“By taking away these trees, the city is removing some of the funkiness and character of the town that people really like,” he said.
“A lot of the city’s so-called improvements are only making Port Townsend like everywhere else.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.