if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.width = requestedWidth + “px”; document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.margin = “0px 0px 10px 10px”; } Mahtomedi has to decide whether it should cut down about 80 trees this month to make way for water, sewer and road improvements or hire someone later to do the work.
The $3.9 million project along Old Wildwood Road was approved in May. It will hook up about 60 homes to water and sewer lines, as well as rehabilitate the street from Highway 244 to Lincolntown Road.
Arcwood Road, Edgecumbe Drive and Salem Place also will have street improvements.
City engineer Jay Kennedy will ask council members tonight to allow Mahtomedi to start clearing the trees later this month.
He said if the city waits until late spring or early summer when construction starts, there is a higher chance of spreading diseases to other trees.
“We’re just trying to remove the trees at a more optimal time so fewer surrounding trees are at risk,” Kennedy said.
But some residents don’t like the idea of the city clearing the trees before hiring someone to do the project.
Mike Klabunde has been against the improvements from the beginning. He said he didn’t want a water and sewer hookup and now he’s also going to lose 20 trees on his lot.
Each resident benefiting from the improvements also will be assessed about $17,000 per lot.
“You move into an area because you like what you see,” said Klabunde, who has lived in his Arcwood Road home for nine years. “We liked the privacy. It’s a beautiful wooded lot and they’re going to rip it apart.”
Kennedy said the idea that the city
is going to clear the heavily wooded area of all trees is false. The trees being cut down are in the right of way, he said.”These are thick woods we’re talking about,” he said. “Even if we were just rebuilding the road, there are trees that would need to come down. The streets are in terrible condition.”
