Residents urge Newport to press RIDOT to replace dozens of dead trees at Pell Bridge gateway

Maureen Cronin, chair of the Tree and Open Space Commission, told the Newport City Council on July 8 that landscaping left unfinished after the Pell Bridge realignment is harming the city’s gateway and asked the council to compel the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to finish promised plantings.

Cronin said the state’s contractor removed trees during the realignment and that two-phase planting plans that the city and state had agreed to were not followed. “There are over 81 dead trees,” she told the council, and the plantings that were installed were too small and improperly planted, leaving many trees to tip over or die.

Why it matters: The gateway off the Pell Bridge is one of the first impressions visitors and residents have of Newport; commission members and residents told the council the current appearance undermines the city’s image and that the city lacks an agreed memorandum of understanding with RIDOT that would allow municipal action while the state retains responsibility.

Cronin asked the council to demand that the state fulfill tree-replacement and landscape commitments and to finalize an MOU “that allows the city to act where the state has failed.” Lily (last name redacted), a resident who led a volunteer inventory with Lisa Lewis and Cronin, said their current count is larger: “We inventoried 179 trees that were planted; 73 are alive—that’s 41 percent viable,” she said, adding that many surviving trees are “marginal” and said some plantings were over‑mulched and suffocating.

Speakers and public testimony described several specific problems: an unfinished dog park, poor rotary landscaping, and plantings installed with undersized root balls. Residents said RIDOT’s subcontractor told them crews would not return until the fall and that no MOU has been formalized to let the city take interim action.

Council response and next steps: Councilors acknowledged the problem and Councilor (last name) urged coordination with the city manager and administration. The Tree and Open Space Commission said the donor and donor-funded storage for any donated elements are in ongoing discussion, and Commission members said they would present an inventory of dead and dying trees to the city. The council received the commission’s communication on the agenda and indicated it would pursue further action; Cronin said she would ask for a resolution on a future docket to formalize next steps.

Ending: Residents and commission members asked the council to press the state to complete promised plantings, finalize an MOU, and allow the city to repair the gateway before the busy visitor season continues. The council agreed to receive the communication and to work with administration on follow-up steps.