A Phase E sacrifice: More than 100 established trees have been removed from Tracy’s residential landscape
Tracy residents shouldn’t be stumped about last week’s tree removal on the east side of town, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it. The harsh reality is, it’s a necessary evil as the City clears the way for the Phase E infrastructure project.
In essence, and like it or not, century-old infrastructure — watermains, and sanitary and storm sewer lines — and the rocky roads that cover it have a shelf life and have taken precedence over trees, some of which were in bad shape already because of age or disease.
“Most were in the boulevard; if they were in the boulevard and an ash tree … we couldn’t figure out a way to justify keeping them,” said Tracy Development Director Tom Dobson.
Some residents’ properties have trees — many of them ash trees — in the target area that are likely close to succumbing to disease, Tracy City Administrator Jeff Carpenter said.
“We couldn’t go to a place and say, ‘Are you going to try to save this tree, because you’re on the edge of possible disaster whether this tree is going to make it or not,” he said. “I believe everyone of them would say ‘take it out.’” The City of Tracy is involved with the DNR’s ReLeaf program, which is a statefunded initiative providing money to improve community forest health, manage pests like the emerald ash borer, and plant trees.
As far as the Phase E project is concerned, the cost of the current tree removal is worked into the $9 million-plus overall price tag. Of that, $1,090,200 will come from assessments on properties adjacent to the project. Earlier this year, the Tracy City Council voted to cap assessments on Phase E at $7,900, an increase from $7,500 from previous infrastructure projects in town. Treatment costs for an ash tree would be on top of that and at the homeowner’s expense.
City officials have not taken tree removal lightly, or have painted it with a broad brush, They have toured the areas in Phase E in the hopes of salvaging some trees, and, in fact, have saved some that had been marked for removal.
“We actually took down at least three dead trees,” Dobson said.
However, any tree that impedes with a water or sewer line, no matter what shape it’s in, has been or will be removed. In many areas, tree roots were within in a service area. Roots have also been responsible for literally lifting curbs in some areas.
The alternative to preventing lines from being damaged by a tree’s root system would be to reroute lines, which would come at a substantial cost.
“The only reason we are doing (Phase E) is because the infrastructure on that side of town is gone,” Dobson said. “We found out from Bollig that we’re the only city they know that has a dedicated trailer for water and sewer main breaks. We have had so many of them. That side of town, (a break) isn’t even a surprise anymore.”
Dobson and Carpenter said homeowners are free to plant trees in the future, but not in the boulevard areas, some of which are only about 3 feet wide.
“We encourage people to put in trees — yes, you should put in trees, but you’ve got to put them in your yard where they’re not going to bust up a new sidewalk …” Carpenter said. “We are trying to look ahead 30 years from now — don’t create a problem where five administrations from now are going to have to fix.”
The root issue in Tracy has become serious enough that those wishing to sell their home are now required to include the cost of an inspection and potential repair of damaged lines worked into a purchase agreement with the buyer.
Some blocks in the Phase E area has had at least 12 trees cut down.
Phase E will affect those who live on Morgan, E. Union, State, Elm, Emory, North 1st St. East and 2nd St. East streets.
