In an editorial titled “Stockade side-walk about” the Schenectady Daily Gazette has once again called for saving the Stockade’s trees, even if it means not repaving some of its sidewalks — and even if it takes a year or two to hammer out the details with Stockade residents.  (June 25, 2010)   See our prior posting “The Gazette favors trees over sidewalks,” April 17, 2010, reporting on that day’s Gazette editorial.

Today’s editorial says Stockade residents:

“were entirely right in condemning the city’s act of environmental vandalism two years ago when it chopped down some majestic old trees on North Ferry Street while repaving the street and redoing the sidewalks there. It was a major mistake, compounded by the fact that the city didn’t consult people in the neighborhood before doing it.”

[See our posting of June 18, 2010 (with numerous photos) covering a recent Gazette news article blaming No. Ferry St. lessons for a delay in repaving Washington Ave.]

The editorial also notes that the City “messed up” on No. Front Street when it did not enter into contracts with every property owner and did not collect from all of those who had extras like brick or bluestone installed during the sidewalk repaving.  It quotes General Services Commissioner Carl Olsen saying he won’t start the sidewalk work  until he has signed contracts and money up-front from residents on Washington Ave.

Like the proprietor of this weblog (prior post), the Gazette asserts that the fate of the trees on Washington Avenue — even those “whose roots have heaved some of the sidewalks” — “shouldn’t be left to residents to decide about keeping, or be responsible for.”   The editorial concludes:

“Even if it costs extra to reroute the sidewalk around large trees, as was done on Lowell Road in the GE Plot, that’s how it should be done and the city should pay for it. If rerouting isn’t possible, then the street should be repaved without redoing the sidewalk.

“And if it takes another year or two to work all this out, that’s OK. It takes a lot longer than that to grow a tree.”

Many thanks to the Gazette opinion staff.

Fifteen property owners and residents of Washington Avenue met last night (Sunday, April 18) at the home of Bob and Sylvie Briber to discuss the repaving of the street. I am very happy to report that there was a quick consensus among the group that we attempt to save as many trees as possible.  The group also agreed to bring in a private arborist to help evaluate the trees.

Gloria Kishton, President of the Schenectady Heritage Foundation, chaired the meeting (quite ably), and the Foundation’s Vice President, Rob Petito, acted as the conscientious scribe.   Gloria and Jack MacDonald are jointly serving as intermediaries between the City Engineering Department and Washington Avenue property owners on the repaving project. Jack, a civil engineer familiar with the City’s procedures with construction projects, gave information on the project’s history and processes.

Despite the rather surprising consensus on the trees and other issues, I will admit that there was not complete agreement over whether the glorious box elm tree pictured at the head of this paragraph is a “good tree” worthy of being saved.  By now, you know my opinion on saving that glorious woody plant.

Following up on yesterday’s initial report on the tree v. sidewalk debate [“Stockade residents: Save trees over walks,” Daily Gazette, by Kathleen Moore, April 15, 2010; link (subscription req’d)], the lead editorial in today’s Schenectady Gazette comes down strongly in favor of saving trees rather than repairing sidewalks.  (“Editorial: Schenectady should spare trees, spoil sidewalks, April 17, 2010; subscriber link)  We couldn’t have hoped for a better editorial.  Here are a few excerpts:

• “As important as good sidewalks are to an urban streetscape, trees are more so. At least in a historic neighborhood like Schenectady’s Stockade.”
• “there’s vigorous opposition to the plan, and city officials can’t pretend otherwise.”
• “[City officials] They need to listen. It is possible to constrict or reroute sidewalks around the trees, as was done on Lowell Road, in another of the city’s historic neighborhoods, last fall. And if that simply can’t be done, then patch as effectively as possible or don’t do anything.”

follow-up (June 25, 2010): See our posting “Gazette again roots for Stockade trees.”