Del Britton, an ISA certified arborist, met with Mayor Doug Svien, Rocky Creek Construction Co. and Council members at the Senior Center / Council Chambers building site this morning. As of the end of that meeting, the Mayor is reported to have said they will take some steps to mitigate damage to the tree but they've already spent too much to back down on the location. Rocky Creek Construction, the general contractor on the project, will develop a revised building plan that will cover less of the Seniors’ Tree critical root zone (CRZ). Some of the packed fill dirt will be removed from the CRZ and the formerly-covered topsoil will be aerated.

Although we’ll have to wait for the builder’s revised plan to know for sure, the steps they're taking to save the tree are unlikely to be sufficient to save it. Short of relocating the entire project to a better-suited site, there are no good solutions. There is just not enough room at the present location to accommodate both a building of any size and the tree’s 93-foot critical root zone. See this blog post for more information on the tree’s critical root zone.

The Council should have consulted with a certified arborist before packing 100+ truckloads of dirt over the tree’s roots, not after. At this point, it should be the public’s decision, not the City Council’s as to whether we as taxpayers wish to bear the cost of correcting the Council’s incompetence. Management Principles 101: Never assign the resolution of a serious problem to the person(s) who caused the problem in the first place. The problem maker’s priority will always be saving face, not solving the problem. It’s no longer the City Council’s decision to make.

Steps taken to save the tree are likely to make the site even less well-suited for a senior center location. Parking must be moved at least 90 feet from the tree to avoid the tree’s critical root zone. This parking will be on E. Tarleton Street on an uphill slope from the building. If you are a user of the Senior Center, the parking and traffic situation at the site should be a major concern for you.

Please visit the building site at 200 North Vine Street to assess the situation for yourself. While you’re out and about, take a look at the alternate city-owned sites at the far east end of E. Tarleton Street, at the south end of North Vine Street and in the City Park. Continue to ask the Council to move the project to one of the other available city-owned locations.

The 100+ truckloads of dirt the city has packed over the tree’s root system certainly has a price, but the tree is priceless. Call the City Council at (254) 918-1287 to let them know what you think.