CAMBRIDGE, Md. – City officials say they cut down about 15 trees at Long Wharf Park because the trees were sick, dying or dead. Some residents say they are concerned about what they call a lack of communication from the city before the trees were cut down.
Some people in the community say they are especially concerned about the trees cut down in the part of the park where the farmer’s market is held.
Mary Handley grew up three blocks from the park and spent the first half of her adult life enjoying the park. She said the city should have been more open about its reasoning.
"My main problem is the lack of transparency in the decision making process,” Handley said. “The citizens want to know what was the timeline, what were the decisions that were made, and more specifically, why? Had they been more transparent half of this backlash might have been avoided.”
She also questioned whether the city weighed what the trees mean to the community.
"I don't think they did their due diligence to determine what the value of trees are to people, how they honor our lives and future generations if they have to be taken out," Handley said.
She said several questions will be submitted to the city manager and city council, "giving them the opportunity to make the citizens more aware of what this process was."
David King, who sets up a nonprofit vendor stand at the Cambridge farmers market, said residents deserved a chance to weigh in.
"There was no communication. There was none whatsoever,” King said. “...If the city is going to be cutting down trees on public land in an historic district, they should at least give the citizens the opportunity to hear about that and know about that, know about the whys, the where of how it's going to happen, and what sort of input the citizens can have. If there's, if the trees are diseased, explain it to us.”
How the city made its decision
City Manager Glenn Steckman said the city grew concerned in late winter and early spring, when residents began complaining about fallen branches and limbs. Volunteers who maintain two monuments in the park also raised concerns about the number of trees that had come down.
Steckman said the city's staff arborist only helps with pruning, so the city hired an independent arborist to evaluate the trees. Steckman says the firm recommended removal of the trees due to disease and old age. Emerald ash borer – a type of beetle – had infested the ash trees, while other trees were found to be dying of old age.
An aerial view from Chopper 16 shows where some trees once stood along Water Street in Cambridge, Maryland. Cambridge City Manager Glenn Steckman says the ash trees were infected with emerald ash borer, a type of beetle. (WBOC)
When asked specifically about the trees in the area of the park where the farmer’s market is held, Steckman responded:
“There is a group, a clump of trees that we decided to remove to do some improvements in that area,” said Steckman. “They were also sick and dying. All the trees that we have removed have been trees that are either dead on the way to being dead or very sick.”
After receiving the report, city staff recommended that the commissioners approve removing the trees and stumps so replacements could be planted. A motion to do so was approved by commissioners 5-0 on Sept. 14th. The city then went out to bid and chose a company for the work.
"Anybody who follows council meetings is aware of what the city is doing,” said Steckman. “You know, we allow you know, we have a town hall stream so you can watch it. You can dial into it to follow it. You know, only when something happens that someone didn't like, then they start getting upset about taking down trees.”
During the meeting on Sept.14th Commissioner Brett Summers mentioned the idea of waiting to gather more public comment before voting. Wayne Suggs, Director of Public Services, raised concerns over waiting. Suggs said Shore Rivers, who the city is working with to make a restoration plan, had to put in the grant application for the trees the following day.
Suggs expressed concern that the city may lose the opportunity to work with the organization if the vote is pushed back.
Steckman said the city's goal was to be proactive rather than wait for a tree to fall.
“No one is happy about this. I'm definitely not happy. I love trees, I love to see the beauty of trees." Steckman said. "...I don't think any decision like this is made lightly. Obviously removal of trees in any community I have been in, even if the tree is clearly dying, has always been a cause of concern for some people. And just because the city staff recommended it, it didn't mean that we just didn't care. You know, we want to make sure that our trees are maintained.”
Steckman also sought to clarify what he called “rumors” the City had seen circulating Facebook.
“But the one thing I also want to make sure there's a we are hearing rumors and we want to clarify this. The trees were not removed for installing the berm. The berm has, is not being installed in the near future. So there was no connection to that. We are also hearing certain people were lobbying to have residents were lobbying to have the trees removed, especially one resident on Water Street. That's not true. This was a city staff led project. Making your recommendation to the commissioners to address us. Originally, we thought we were only going to be removing a few trees. It became a lot more than we anticipated.”
What happens next
The city plans to plant about 29 new trees throughout the park, working with ShoreRivers. Steckman said the replacements will be native, salt-resistant trees. He said the city hopes to plant this fall, which he called the best time to plant so the trees can root.
Steckman said the plan of what should be planted around the farmers market area has changed a little because of residents' concerns, and that he expects a couple of trees to go in near the farmers market.
King said some neighbors plan to hold what they call a "memorial service" for the trees on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Steckman posted a statement to the City of Cambridge’s facebook on Monday.
