Planner outlines tree‑list process, constraints and what will go into the RFP

Leanne Wagner, a city planner with a landscape‑architecture background, told the committee the River Street project is in an early public‑input stage and that much of the species selection and planting detail will be established at the construction‑document and RFP stages.

Wagner said the street tree list is intended as guidance for the landscape architect and noted the city has added more suitable species to the list than in earlier drafts. She highlighted maintenance considerations such as fall foliage and fruiting and explained that some species are excluded or reintroduced based on long‑term care needs and the presence of overhead power lines.

On scope, Wagner clarified that the city's replacement and maintenance offer is focused on trees planted in the planter strip (the public right of way). Homeowners may plant other trees on private property but city funding and routine watering described in the plan would cover planter‑strip trees only. Wagner also said that construction will be staged and that plantings typically occur near the end of construction, meaning neighbors will see a transition period between demolition and new plantings.