They paved paradise and put up a parking lot ...

In our neighborhood the city is planning work which will mean the removal of close to 30 trees that are over 100 years old. This really feels like an example of "paving paradise to put up a parking lot" There has been a local effort to change the cities mind and we have been talking to our alderman (FYI alderman are the local level officials in Chicago) but he has limited power.

As posted on the Facebook group: West Lakeview Trees:

We are working to save our matures trees from being destroyed as part of water main work scheduled for immediately after the holidays, and to also set a precedent for other neighborhoods. We do not want to have the same kind of destruction here that has happened in Andersonville and other areas. Currently, all the trees on the east side of Paulina St. between Roscoe St. and Belmont St. as well many trees on surrounding streets will be cut down unless alternatives are found.

We have been writing emails and contacting anyone who might be able to stop the project for a moment such as City COO Paul Goodrich (paul.goodrich@cityofchicago.org) and saying:

We are writing to express our strong opposition to the Department of Water Management's plans to cut down at least 29 mature trees in the 47th Ward starting next week as part of the water-main replacement work on Paulina and surrounding streets.

The Department of Water Management has not completed a thorough investigation into available, less-destructive alternatives to traditional trenching that would spare these important trees. This project should be stalled until that investigation is completed to the satisfaction of the community and Alderman Martin.

You have the power to stop this project from moving forward. I urge you to do what's right and to delay this work until a fair exploration of alternatives is conducted.

We have numinous reasons the project should be paused including but not limited to:

• Tree's importance for the wider ecosystem
• Tree's ability to keep our neighborhoods cooler in the summer
• Trees help absorb runoff rain water so there is less flooding
• Trees increase property values
• There are a wide range of alternatives that would save the trees
• There are cheaper alternatives that other cites nearby have used 

Over all when we have asked for a pause and for all options to be shared the response from the government has felt something like:

We have always done it with trenches that destroy all the nearby trees and we don't want to deal with considering other options even if it would save us money. This is how we do it period and we won't change our minds no matter what you say.

Also we need to do it right now because we don't want to bother rescheduling, we can't tell you why we need to do it right now and not wait a month and see if there are other options, but we need to do it right now (maybe because if we wait you will get more organized against it?)

But as the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) Said: 

"The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common - they don't change their views to fit the facts. They change the facts to fit their views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs changing."

And you can make your own conclusions which of the two above categories the upper level political figures here in Chicago fall into (or what ratio of the categories they fall into)

We are still fighting, still trying to get our voices heard but come Monday they might "pave paradise and put up a parking lot." I know politics is complicated at every level and there are lots of other things on the political table but the destruction of our trees when there are other options that could and should be explored just feels like an unnecessary way to hurt us.

So if you have any secret Chicago government powers please help and if not please send positive energy that will lead to an New Year's Carol where those in charge will have a change of heart and will save our trees.