Newport Tree Board denies removal of Main Street silver maple after residents appeal

The Newport Tree Board voted on December 11 to deny a request to remove a large silver maple in the public right-of-way on Main Street, after a nearby resident urged the board to keep the tree for its aesthetic value.

Longtime neighbor Roberta May Dietrich of 221 Main Street told the board the tree "is beautiful" and "embellishes the skyline," urging members to preserve it rather than remove it. She said the tree adds to the neighborhood view into Cincinnati and that removing it would be "a shame." Her comments came during the public hearing portion of case NTB2539.

City arborist Cassandra told the board the tree has shown repeated dieback and has required pruning in multiple seasons. She described the condition as "borderline," said the species (silver maple) is mature and unlikely to recover substantially, and framed the question as whether the city should continue annual pruning or remove the tree. Cassandra did not characterize the tree as imminently dangerous; she said the arborist team could continue to hold the tree in place and monitor it.

A board member moved to deny the removal request; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call. One board member declared a conflict of interest and did not participate in the vote. The board recorded that removal would "harm the public safety and welfare and will injure the essential character of the neighborhood" in the motion text used to deny the application.

The board did not order immediate removal or require pruning at the meeting; members left the tree in place and the case was closed by denial of the removal request. The record contains a discrepancy in the address tied to this case (the application text at different points lists 224 Main Street and 229 Main Street); that inconsistency appears in the hearing record.