And now this from TreeWatch . . .
This was sent in from TreeWatch:
Just learned yesterday that the City Public Works Department granted permits to the Capital Improvements Department to cut down another five trees as part of "Phase 1" of the Coconut Grove BID sidewalk "improvement" plan. This is in addition to the nine going down on Florida Avenue.
The newly doomed trees are four mature mahogany trees, two each on Virginia and Mary Streets and one pink Tababuia also on Mary. None of these trees were discussed at the two public meetings previously held to introduce the public to the BID's plans. This is the first we hear of this, and we cannot help but wonder, how many more are they looking to take down in order to replace them with the expensive ($10,000 per) Silva Cell Trees.
Silva Cell is manufactured by only one company. In Florida it has been used in only three projects. All of them parking lots. "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone...."
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Just learned yesterday that the City Public Works Department granted permits to the Capital Improvements Department to cut down another five trees as part of "Phase 1" of the Coconut Grove BID sidewalk "improvement" plan. This is in addition to the nine going down on Florida Avenue.
The newly doomed trees are four mature mahogany trees, two each on Virginia and Mary Streets and one pink Tababuia also on Mary. None of these trees were discussed at the two public meetings previously held to introduce the public to the BID's plans. This is the first we hear of this, and we cannot help but wonder, how many more are they looking to take down in order to replace them with the expensive ($10,000 per) Silva Cell Trees.
Silva Cell is manufactured by only one company. In Florida it has been used in only three projects. All of them parking lots. "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone...."
For more info on TreeWatch, join their Facebook page.
posted by Tom Falco at 7:50 AM
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4 Comments:
I am just happy these people are not running the national parks and monuments.
This article incorrectly states the number of Silva Cell projects in Florida as three -- it is actually eight, five of which are in the Miami area (including Lincoln Park, New World Symphony, U. of Miami and 1111 Lincoln Road). You can see our full project map here:
http://www.deeproot.com/products/silva-cell/map.html
DeepRoot, the manufacturer of the Silva Cell, is not involved in making recommendations about which trees should stay and which should go. However, the Silva Cell system was designed specifically to aid long-term tree growth in heavily paved areas such as streets, parking lots, and plazas. We hope that goal is achieved on all projects that we are involved in.
If you have any questions about how the Silva Cell is used, we'd be happy to talk more - leda@deeproot.com.
I noticed my street (Center St) also has several trees marked for removal. Are these trees also part of the BID plan?
Dear Leda at Deeproot
First thank you for responding to our post, and clarifying that there are five more Deeproot Silva Cel Projects in Florida than the ones we originally counted (the 4 on the beach are all next to each other and so the marker are all one on top of the other). However, the fact remains, these are pretty much all parking lots or plazas.
It is important to note that TreeWatch does not have an issue with the Silva Cel System. It is a wonderful product that ensures and protects NEW TREES, and one that should definitely be considered in projects in which we encourage canopy -- such as parking lots, plazas and newly created streetscapes. I have seen personally, and think that the Lincoln Center Bosque is quite remarkable, but the trees planted were huge to begin with, and the space was designed there to allow the planting of such huge trees.
Coconut Grove is an old neighborhood, with trees that don't necessarily line a street, but appear to meander, as in many cases, sidewalks were built to respect the existing trees.
I have not seen a case study on your site where Silva Cell trees were retrofitted to go with existing canopy in an existing streets cape. If you can direct me to one it would be great.
The examples I see in your case-study are all new, and most of the trees are the typical, newly-planted stick figure trees, which will grow eventually.
What we are afraid of with this particular project in Coconut Grove is that trees are being sacrificed in order to then use the space created to fit new trees with the Silva Cell system, which cannot possible be as grand and impressive as the ones in Lincoln Center because, as has already been stated by the landscape company handling the project, the new trees to be planted are limited in size to the area allotted in which they are being retrofitted.
Even if the replacement trees were grand, there is just something wrong with taking down trees that could live as indefinite and long lives as you or I. When you then multiply that by dozens of trees in a small, highly pedestrian area, it completely changes the character and uniqueness of the neighborhood.
If urban designers can find ways with Deeproot to integrate Silva-Cel system trees without the removal of existing trees, then it truly would be a remarkable product indeed! Perhaps this can be encouraged in Coconut Grove.
Liliana Dones, GroveTreeWatch@gmail.com
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