Council weighs safety and harvest options for Aura parkland stand near highway

Councilors spent substantial time on the Aura parcel, a parkland strip adjacent to the highway that contains some large and potentially hazardous trees. Presenter noted the adjacency to the highway and the difficulty of safe removal, saying phased harvest may be required because "you have to shut down the highway or you have to crane it up or you have to do something because it's right there on the edge." (Staff member)

Options discussed included leaving the stand alone and removing only dead or dying trees at a cost, attempting selective removal with traffic control and flaggers, or removing the top stand first then the bottom to prevent windthrow. Committee member raised the financial trade-offs: the parcel is "not gonna be a big moneymaker" because access and traffic control can erase potential revenue. Council agreed to inspect Aura in person and return with recommendations in a follow-up workshop.