Members of the Board of Selectmen at their most recent meeting voted unanimously to approve a contract with a well-established, local tree care company to address what officials say has become a safety concern along a heavily used road and public park.
Hutchinson Tree Care Specialists Inc. will prune a long row of tall pine trees fronting Irwin Park along Wahackme Road following a 3-0 vote at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting.
Pine trees that line Irwin Park along Wahackme Road. Credit: Michael Dinan
Bob Horan told the board that he’s been watching the trees “for a while.”
“The trees are loaded with dead and broken branches and more importantly there are a lot of invasive vines growing up in the crowns of the trees,” Horan said at the meeting, held in Town Hall. “For safety, for the future health of the trees and aesthetically, it’s a project that I have been kind of keeping an eye on.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kit Devereaux and Nick Williams approved the $9,100 contract.
It also includes removal of a decayed silver maple tree at Weed Street and Richmond Hill Road and pruning of three sugar maples on Brookside Road near the Darien line, Horan said.
Hutchinson won the bid at a very reasonable cost, Devereaux noted, saying the New Canaan company came back “so far below the others it is wonderful.”
Williams asked Horan how New Canaan is faring this fiscal year with the tree removal budget. Horan said about half of it has been spent.
Wonderful to see such proactive management of our New Canaan trees. Would also be wonderful if a portion of the Town Tree Budget was allocated towards planting trees so that our many streets such as Cherry, White Oak Shade, Elm, Pine, etc. remain true to name and our Public Parks have magnificent specimen trees 100 years hence.
Pruning is frequently needed but would anyone else be interested in seeing our tree warden suggest the planting of new trees rather than primarily spending the allocated Buget on tree removals? How about replacing some of the trees that have been taken down over the years along South Avenue?
The town of New Canaan is flirting with litigation over a large oak tree in center field at Mead Park. The New Canaan High school boys baseball team plays all of their home games here. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured due to the tree being on the field of play. It’s a health risk and and a safety risk that is avoidable. This tree needs to be removed.