Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Tree Talk

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Street Tree Replacement

Langport Road residents recently expressed concern to Tree Commission members about the City policy on street tree replacement. Langport Road is currently lined with 40 year old honeylocust trees which make a beautiful canopy over the street. These trees are long lived and very large, crowding the five foot wide tree lawn and causing problems with sidewalks, driveways and drains. As individual trees run into problems with decay and disease they are removed.
City statute requires the replacement of each tree removed at or near its original location.

Upper Arlington forestry was guided for many years by a plan drawn up in the 1940's by Dr. L.C. Chadwick of the Ohio State University. Dr Chadwick felt that the best way to get a diverse urban forest was to specify a different specific tree for each of the streets in Upper Arlington and to require that all trees planted in the public right of way be that specific species. This plan was never totally implemented as most streets were never planted entirely at the same time. Barrington Road has only two of its "official" sugar maples on the entire street whereas Berkeshire Road has quite a few of its "official" sweetgums. The arrival of new tree pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer and the Gypsy Moth have led the City to back away from monoculture planting on any street in favor of a variety of trees alternating along all streets. We will sometimes cluster small groups of like varieties together but we are unlikely to ever plant an entire boulevard again in the same species. We are also backing away from extensive reliance on native species as they are the species targeted by exotic Asian pests.

The main selection criterion now is tree size. The planting site is classified in regards to width of the planting strip, proximity to power lines and a determination of small, medium or large is made. The official City list of small, medium and large desirable street tree varieties can be found at www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/forestry/streettrees/default.asp .
The City forester will typically recommend one or more of these varieties as a replacement to the homeowner and homeowner input is expected and welcomed. Adjacent property owners are not officially consulted. Non replacement is not an option under the existing City code.

Langport Road residents can rest assured that no honeylocusts on their street will be removed unless they become individually problematic. Residents upset at the notification that "their" street tree must come down have the right to appeal the decision to the Tree Commission and they are welcome to fund a horticultural second opinion if they so wish. Two Golden Rain trees have been placed on Langport to replace individual honeylocusts lost but the Golden Rain Tree is not the "official" Langport Road tree and no more will be placed there if individual property owners object.

Arlington has also posted a list of undesirable street trees on the Web site. Some of these trees are beautiful and desirable plants but are better not placed in the confines of a typical tree lawn.

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340