If anyone has been curious as to where all the sweet gum trees along E Howell Street have gone, I have included a message from the City of Seattle Parks Project Manager:
As part of the Seven Hill Park project we are repairing the sidewalk along E Howell Street, which was heaved and broken by tree roots. The street trees adjacent to the park sidewalk along E Howell are sweet gum. There were four sweet gum trees when we started design. One came down in a winter storm a year ago. Another now has significant rot throughout the trunk. The sweet gums also have large roots growing into the sidewalk area. We inspected these roots after removing the sidewalk. Based on their growth pattern, we determined that it will be difficult to root prune these trees and it will be difficult to rebuild the sidewalk around them without both compromising the future health of the trees and the future condition of the sidewalk. Our best long term option is to remove the remaining three street trees, install root barriers to protect the sidewalk, and to replant with street trees which will match the trees within the park.
We will be planting four disease resistant elms trees within the park, mirrored by four elms along the street, for a total of eight new elms. This will create formal promenade of trees known as an allee*. As they grow the trees will form a grand and integrated canopy.
For information on Seven Hills Park, go to http://www.seattle.gov/parks/proparks/projects/7_hills_development.htm and for information on the Howell Collective join us for a meeting!
