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Athens Shade Tree Commission presses for bigger tree pits, species changes as utility work proceeds on Carpenter Street
Summary
Commissioners pressed city staff and the landscape designer to prioritize tree health as conduit work proceeds on Carpenter/Court Street, asking for larger planting pits, native species, contractor protections and a site walk before final plantings are set. The project uses state Appalachian grant funds and the planting window is constrained by an accelerated timeline.
The Athens Shade Tree Commission on April 15 urged city staff and designers to change planned plantings along Court/Carpenter Street as a utility-relocation project moves underground.
The commission learned the work is part of the Appalachian Community Grants Program and said the grant timeline is accelerated. "This project...it's the Appalachian Community Grants Program. It's a state funded project...that grant funding source cuts off in November," a staff member said, noting the city-contracted scope is conduit installation while utilities will later pull their own lines.
Resident Glenn, who had been invited to speak, framed the discussion around public-health benefits and tree survival. "The heat island has got to the point where it's no longer just uncomfortable. It is potentially a health hazard," he said, urging the commission to use sidewalk work as an opportunity to expand tree pits and improve long-term shade.
Commissioners and staff discussed technical constraints: the plans call for much smaller tree pits than professional guidelines recommend (the plan notes a 6x4 ft pit, or about 24 cubic feet). Commissioners cited ISA guidance for substantially larger soil volumes and said even modest increases beyond the proposed pits would improve tree survival. One commissioner proposed pairing adjacent pits and removing concrete between them to create larger connected planting areas without deep utility rework.
Staff identified American StructurePoint as the landscape-design firm and said many plantings were already bid; revisions would require price updates. "Any revisions to the planting list I'll have to get prices on," the staff member said. Commissioners asked StructurePoint to consider native alternatives to some non-native ornamentals and to confirm whether planned conduits run under existing trees.
Speakers also pressed for clearer coordination with contractors. The city representative said contractor documents include boilerplate planting and protection specifications and that most plantings will occur at the end of construction, but added that some details are unclear in the current plans. The contractor will begin boring conduit the following Monday and staff expected to receive an updated phased schedule in about two weeks, creating a short window to propose changes.
On maintenance, a public-works representative asked whether city departments could water exposed, stressed trees during construction; staff suggested Parks & Rec could help and agreed to try to schedule watering while plantings are still vulnerable.
Next steps agreed at the meeting included the commission contacting StructurePoint, arranging a ground-truthing site walk with the contractor and design firm, exchanging maps/schedules, and returning recommendations on species and pit sizing before final plantings are set. The commission also noted the city has a tree reserve in collaboration with Menards and that protective measures are included in contractor specifications.
The meeting produced no formal policy change on the project; members focused on coordination and technical fixes. The commission agreed to follow up with StructurePoint and the contractor and to reconvene with any proposed planting revisions.
