The City of New Westminster is taking steps to address a thorny issue in the West End.
John Unger appeared before city council on May 1 to express concern that boulevard trees in front of his home are causing root shoots to pop up on his property – making it so his grandchildren can’t even play in the front yard because the shoots have pointed thorns.
On June 12, city council approved a staff recommendation to remove the Black Locust Tortuosa tree fronting the home in the 1400 block of Dublin Street, due to the “disproportionate impact” on the adjacent private property relative to other boulevard trees in the city. The city will also further assess the condition of the same type of tree planted elsewhere on the block to see if they’re problematic.
During a visit to the property, staff confirmed the roots were extending well into the resident’s front yard and thorny shoots were beginning to emerge from the roots. The tree roots have also begun to lift the sidewalk and crack the pavement on the adjacent roadway.
While there were at least nine other trees of the same species planted in various locations in the city in 2002, staff don’t believe any of the other trees are exhibiting the same issue to the extent they’ve been seen at this property.
“The root shoots associated with this species of tree have pointed spines/thorns,” said the staff report. “While the shoots can be removed by cutting, this action has the propensity to stimulate the growth of even more shoots. The site visit also revealed that the property owner has fairly large garden areas in the front yard. It is speculated that the cultivation of the soils in these gardens may be unintentionally causing further distress and stimulating the growth of shoots to the roots of the street tree that extend beyond the property line.”
