Woodburn residents pay up for street trees

Residents of a subdivision in Woodburn will soon be billed anywhere from $500 to $1,100 for street tree removals and replacements, reported The Woodburn Independent Tuesday.

In an interview with Growth Rings, Woodburn Public Works Director Dan Brown said the nine-year-old Ironwood subdivision planted Sweetgum trees right next to driveways and light posts, causing serious damage to infrastructure.

“Back then, the sweet gum was an approved street tree and we have removed it since then,” he said.

The local improvement district project cost $85,000, $22,000 of which was covered by the city.

Brown said residents leveraged themselves as a homeowners association to overwhelmingly pass the initiative.

“When you’re doing a local improvement district, you need a majority,” said Brown. “(Homeowners) really wanted it.”

Friends of Trees works with the City of Portland to ensure the proper street tree is planted in the proper hole. This system of checks and balances ensures safe plantings that continue to boost the city’s urban canopy without causing expensive damage.

–Toshio Suzuki