Trees Saved When Our Powers Combine

People always talk about the power of community organizing but honestly sometimes the problems seem too big and institutions so entrenched that it is easy to feel like we have no power at all. But this is an example of the fact that The Power Really Is Ours (with or without magic Captain Planet rings lol)

Recap: 

• The city is planning on doing some water main work on my street 
• Plans were to destroy 42 100-year-old trees aka "pave paradise"
• A community member happen across this information and started sharing it.
• Members of the community got together and created a save the trees group.
• We sent numerous emails to our alderman, other government officials. 
• The city was like well how about we only cut down like 30 100-year-old trees 
• We had several community meetings with all the relative parties

Great Up Date:

After fighting with the city for a couple months they considered other options and decided to choose an option to save the trees. (Now this means the trees could have been saved all along but if we had not spoken up they would have all been gone)

The below is the email we got from our Alderman. 

Highlights:

• We may still lose a tree or two but that sure beats the original 42
• The alderman gets credit for escalating community member concerns up the chain of command until the people in charge understood the importance of considering all their options 
• BUT if community members had not spoken up and organized I wonder if the alderman would have done anything

I will say it feels really good to get a "win" on a campaign I was part of even if only in a small way. 

Dear neighbor,

I am thrilled to share that a modified plan for the water main replacement project on Paulina, Melrose, School, and Ravenswood has officially been approved by the city's Office of Underground Coordination (OUC). The Department of Water Management (DWM) will now move forward with a new plan that will save a majority of the trees that were previously identified for removal. This is a significantly better outcome than what was outlined in the initial version, which would have necessitated the removal of approximately 42 mature trees. 

My office requested that DWM research the possibility of relocating the new water main to the west side of Paulina, closer to the center of the street. This alternative design was finally authorized earlier this week by OUC. Based on the revised plans, DWM does not anticipate any trees on Paulina being torn down by the project. However, they cautioned that one or more trees could be impacted on a case-by-case basis (e.g., if a particular tree's root system reaches much farther under the street than expected, or if an ash tree is found to be sick).

Regarding the remaining 10 trees on School and Melrose, DWM has listened to the community's calls to employ "trenchless" technology. They have prepared an RFP to identify a private contractor to line individual buildings' private drains. Whether that technology can be used to save a particular tree will have to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

With the new plans authorized and ready to go, the Department intends to begin work on Monday 2/7, with sawcutting of the road tentatively scheduled for Wednesday 2/9. Crews have begun staging barricades and equipment and ask that residents follow the No Parking signs on Paulina starting tomorrow Friday 2/4. Before construction starts (possibly tomorrow), the Bureau of Forestry will trim trees along these streets to ensure that branches are not in the way of construction equipment and vehicles.

I am very proud of the way our Lakeview community came together and of neighbors' incredible organizing to preserve our trees. It was invigorating to fight alongside you to keep Lakeview and the 47th Ward green. You spoke loudly and the City heard you loud and clear.

Next week, Joshua Mark from my office will begin sending regular updates on the project's progress to the recipients of this email. In addition, impacted neighbors can get on that list by emailing him at josh @ aldermanmartin.com.

Best,
Alderman Martin
47th Ward