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Commission plans fall planting along bike path, coordinates with university and soccer club; proposes pruning/replacement for Central street trees and edits to,
Summary
The commission discussed a fall planting along the bike path (an estimated ~75 trees at 50-foot spacing and 6–8 at soccer fields), coordination with university approvals and the soccer club, concerns about declining silver maples on Central, and proposed removals of non-native or invasive species from the commission’s suggested tree list.
At its May 20 meeting, the Athens Shade Tree Commission discussed logistics for a fall planting campaign along the West Side bike path and at nearby soccer fields and proposed edits to the commission’s suggested tree list.
The chair said the plan would place trees in the right-of-way between the bike path and power lines and estimated that planting a tree every 50 feet along the stretch could yield about 75 trees, with an additional 6–8 near the soccer fields. The chair recommended flagging exact locations, confirming tree species that will not interfere with power lines, and coordinating approvals where university property abuts the right-of-way.
A staff member noted the university wants final oversight for trees planted on its property and the commission discussed coordinating with the soccer-club leadership to identify practical planting locations and a date to walk the field with flags in place. Commissioners agreed to measure spacing, place flags and then order stock from Menards or use the tree bank.
Commissioner 6 raised safety concerns about two declining silver maples on Central that are tangled in wires and have large dead limbs. Commissioners noted that engineering and public works typically handle pruning of mature street trees, that the city sometimes contracts local arborists, and that AEP may engage if trees are within the utility’s liability thresholds.
On the commission’s suggested tree list, the chair proposed removing several species—including Norway maple and golden rain tree—because they are invasive or poorly suited as street trees and said the list should prioritize native species where practical. Commissioners suggested removing non-native Asian ornamentals in some cases while keeping practical ornamental options that do not create ecological problems.
Next steps include site walks with flags, confirming university approvals where required, selecting species that avoid conflicts with power lines, and editing the commission’s suggested tree list to prioritize natives and remove problematic species.
