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Tree board chair asks Centerville to press UDOT and property owners over Parrish Lane landscaping
Summary
Heather Taylor, chair of Centerville’s tree board, asked the council to help restore damaged trees and better entrance landscaping along Parrish Lane after UDOT work removed or severely damaged trees; she offered tree-board assistance and a volunteer pruner to help remediate the problem.
During public comment at the Nov. 18 Centerville City Council meeting, Heather Taylor, chairperson of the city’s tree board, urged council members to press Utah Department of Transportation and impacted business property owners to improve planting and maintenance along Parrish Lane.
Taylor said crews left trees with torn roots and raw wounds, predicting many trees will decline over the next two to three years. “UDOT hacked their trees,” she said, adding that while some owners planted a few replacement trees, others replaced landscaping with gravel or non-vegetative cover that has created maintenance and safety issues adjacent to sidewalks.
Taylor told council she has already spoken with city staff (Mark Marchant, Mike Carlson and Kevin Campbell) and offered the tree board’s help; she named a volunteer, Brandon Henderson, who can perform pruning work though he is not a certified arborist. Council members responded by encouraging outreach and education to property owners and confirmed residents may approach owners to offer assistance—the city cannot require changes where property owners remain in compliance with city code.
What happens next: Council accepted the comment and asked staff to follow up with property owners and UDOT contacts to determine what remediation is possible, and the tree board offered to coordinate volunteer outreach.
