Unlike many of his neighbors on Dreon Drive in Clawson, Steve Elliott knew some big trees that lined their neighborhood streets were going to have to go.Voters in the city approved a $64.5 million infrastructure improvement bond on Nov. 5, 2024, to complete essential repairs, maintenance, and enhancements to the city's aging core systems, including water main replacements, street and sidewalk replacements, and stormwater and sanitary sewer improvements. Dreon Street was among four streets slated to begin new water line installation this month, with road improvements coming by spring.
But then Dreon residents received a letter from the city on Sept. 16, indicating that the following Monday tree cutting would commence and that "most trees will
need to be removed."
As Elliott pondered what "most" meant, construction crews answered that question the next day. Large, orange, spray-painted X's were placed on the large trees that lined Dreon — on most every tree — marking which ones were to come down.
"At that point it was clear that it was pretty much every tree in the neighborhood," Elliott said. "So when it said 'most trees,' they weren't kidding."
All told, the city's impending work on water line and street improvements to Dreon Drive, School Avenue, Langley Boulevard and Stephen Avenue call for removing 72 large, mature trees along neighborhood rights of way.
"It's a reaction of shock, and then kind of betrayal, that the extent of this plan wasn't made clear to residents ahead of time when there was still time to have a say," Elliott said.
Tree removals began Tuesday, Sept. 29, but city officials, after an appeal from residents, agreed to only remove those trees necessary for water main installation occurring this fall. A further evaluation of the need to cut the remaining trees for road reconstruction will occur over the winter, before next construction season, city officials said.
The projects on the four streets were approved by the Clawson City Council at its July 7 meeting. If the tree-cutting part of the work was available to know, it was buried deep in an informational packet and not discussed during the meeting, said Mayor Susan Moffitt — herself a Dreon Drive resident. Council approved the $4.755 million water main replacement and pavement reconstruction contract following a brief introduction by City Manager Joseph Rheker III.
"As far as the council goes, we didn't know what we didn't know," Moffitt said. "We've never done anything like this [scope of work] before and didn't think of the consequence for the trees surrounding the work area. It wasn't highlighted, and we didn't know to ask."
Rheker did not respond to a Free Press message.
The residential neighborhoods of Clawson were mostly built post-World War II, with the trees along the streets planted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the most part. The mostly Norway maples on the affected streets are now large with spreading canopies. Minutes from a 2021 Clawson City Council meeting noted that Clawson had been declared "a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for over 25 years."
Gabe Callery said he and his partner moved to Dreon Drive just over a year ago, with its tree-lined streets part of the charm that won them over.
"Every one of the trees is fully grown, pretty massive trees that are all beautiful," he said. "There's a lot of coverage for shade when we are taking our little one on walks, and it's beautiful in the fall time."
Callery said he was "super bummed out" to learn the extent of the tree-cutting.
"It's going to completely change the landscape of our street specifically," he said.
Ken Solecki, who lives at Kenilworth Place in Clawson, has a street that looks down Dreon.
"A main draw for us was the beautiful, tree-lined streets, since they provide shade and peace and quiet as well as birds and other wildlife," he said. "We were at first excited to hear about the roads being redone, since they certainly need it. But were devastated to learn it would come at the expense of those trees."
A town hall meeting for concerned residents Wednesday, Sept. 23, included presentations and discussions with Assistant City Manager Nik Stepnitz, city Department of Public Works officials, a representative for project engineer Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick Inc. and project manager Bret Sheffler with Mark Anthony Contracting Inc. Officials noted the tree removals are required because paving machines require 3 to 4 feet from the back of curb for operation. The large trees' underground root networks could interfere with the paving machines.
Moffitt said because the water line work is what's happening this fall, with road reconstruction not happening until later next year, city officials and contractors agreed to remove only trees necessary for the water lines now, and "take a pause on the other removal of the [remaining] trees and do an assessment.""I don't know exactly what that assessment means, what they're going to do," she said. "The city administration is looking into, what are the resources to make sure that we're making a valid, educated assessment of the need to remove those additional trees?"
Moffitt did not know exactly how many of the 72 trees slated for removal would get a temporary reprieve.
The mayor said the various construction projects include new tree plantings along the streets at work completion. And she noted that recent severe storms have caused whole trees and very large branches to fall in the city, highlighting a potential safety issue.
"From an aesthetic perspective we're all very sad that these beautiful old trees are being removed, but we might have been removing them over the course of the next couple years because they are getting old and they are starting to decay," Moffitt said.
Elliott said city officials should consider drafting a tree protection ordinance that requires more examination and consultation before cutting trees for projects, perhaps including consultation with a certified arborist on what is necessary for removal.
"I'm not looking for anything overly restrictive that prevents anything from getting done; just something that forces the [examination]," he said.
Elliott also realizes those reforms, if they come at all, will probably come too late for the trees along his street. But he noted there are many similar projects to come in other Clawson neighborhoods under the bond-approved work.
"At the very least I hope it leads to broader oversight for future projects," he said.
Added Solecki, "There simply has to be a different method for redoing the road that doesn't require removing this many trees."
Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Clawson project puts 70-plus majestic trees on chopping block
