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Staff and residents flag SR 45 oak removals; Power Line Trail bid scheduled
Summary
Committee members and a public commenter raised concerns about mature oak trees slated for removal on an INDOT SR 45 project; staff said right‑of‑way and replanting are under review. Separately, Rebecca Swift said the long‑planned Power Line Trail will be put out to bid Feb. 11 and will require a temporary Rogers Street closure.
During committee communications on Jan. 28, residents and staff raised concerns about the imminent removal of mature oak trees for an INDOT project on State Road 45 and were briefed on related local coordination. Rebecca Swift said Haskell estimated 14 mature oaks flagged for removal and that 105 replacement trees would be needed to meet the city’s mature‑oak equivalence standard.
City engineers said INDOT described the trees as being within its right of way, while city staff noted portions of the north and south legs are city streets and may fall under city jurisdiction. Staff said INDOT has not provided documentation to establish right‑of‑way conclusively and encouraged residents to submit formal comments through INDOT’s established process.
Swift also announced the Power Line Trail project will go to bid on Feb. 11; the project—long in planning—would build a multiuse trail under a Duke Energy easement near Switchyard Park and require a temporary closure of Rogers Street north of the park entrance to install a raised crosswalk.
City and county staff agreed to continue coordination with INDOT on tree location, jurisdiction and required permits and said they will follow up with the public and affected stakeholders as project schedules firm up.
The discussion underscored a recurring implementation issue: multi‑jurisdictional projects frequently require cross‑agency coordination on right‑of‑way and replacement plantings, and residents were encouraged to submit comments through the formal INDOT comment process.
