In South Bend, Indiana (via the South Bend Tribune), a ginkgo is among the trees that gave their lives for new road construction:
The Gallays are losing their horseshoe driveway and are afraid of water draining off the road and pollution from passing traffic, which promises to increase in the future.
They and other neighbors also are distressed by the old-growth trees that have been lost to the construction.
Fegaras said InDOT follows federal highway guidelines regarding the acquisition and clearing of the right-of-way.
“There is not a set rule for acquiring right-of-way,’’ she said. ‘Each parcel is considered individually based on the road design in that particular area.’‘
“I had a beautiful gingko tree,’’ Pamela Connor said.
Tanya Barnett, who lives with three generations of her family just west of Capital Avenue, said they lost both pine and deciduous trees from their front yard. The trees served to filter out the lights and the smells from passing traffic, she said. They also provided shade to help cool the house.
“They’ve changed the whole dynamic of the neighborhood,’’ she said.
The Gallays have a different tree issue. A large pine tree in their front hard was not cut down, but some lower branches were hacked off on the side that faces Day Road. The pruning left the tree with an unbalanced appearance.
“That griped me,’’ Virginia Gallay said.
Losing their driveway was bad enough, she said, “but chopping the tree, that was uncalled for.’‘
Posted by Kelly Schmitt Youngberg