Battle begins over Yale tree removal

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A plan to take down some trees along Yale's campus has some some people living in the area putting up a fight.

Eighteen trees are slated to be removed along Prospect Street between Grove and Trumbull as part of a project to revamp a section of the street on Yale's campus.

At least one resident wrote a letter and several have called the city questioning the cost and the need to change landscape that appears to be in good condition.

"All the trees were slated for removal," Susan Klein said as she gestured towards posted signs.

Some of the 18 Norway maple trees slated to be removed are fairly young, while others are decades old.

"I was upset to see these healthy, mature trees were being taken down," she said.

However, the city says the trees are not in good condition.

Klein immediately wrote to the city's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Trees. The response explained that Yale wants to remove the invasive species of trees as part of a beautification project.

"I'm not sure that these trees are the ones to use as an example to start with," she said.

Yale will pay for the tree removal and replacements. The university is consulting with the Urban Resources Initiative, or URI, on the project.

"Norway maple is known to be a very fast growing species and has weak wood, and in the recent storms we've had, trees with weak wood lose their branches and cause problems," explained Colleen Murphy-Dunning, URI's director.

Officials say the shallow roots will make it difficult to landscape underneath.

The plan is to replace the 18 trees with 21 non-invasive trees, like high quality Scarlet oaks. Some of the younger maples may stay.

"I think that there are other areas that are really in need of trees and other kinds of planting," Klein said.

The tree removal project is not a done deal. The City Parks Department still has to approve it and because there was at least one objection in writing, a public hearing will be held. Klein is asking anyone with any questions to please show up.

"I'd like to hear more justification for why this particular spot was picked," she said.

The public hearing is expected to be in mid-September.