[Durham INC] Durham Closing Portions of Duke & Gregson Streets for Tree Project Dec. 28-30

Wed Dec 23 10:31:10 EST 2009

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

For Immediate Release:  December 23, 2009

City of Durham to Close Portions of Duke and Gregson Streets for Tree
Removal Project Dec. 28-30

Temporary Street Closures Necessary to Remove Existing Trees for
Replanting Efforts Beginning in January

DURHAM, N.C. - Beginning the week of Monday, December 28, Durham
motorists should note temporary detours on Duke and Gregson Streets as
the City of Durham makes way for more than 100 new trees to be planted
next month.

For the first stage of the project, the City is partnering with Duke
Energy to remove 30 existing street trees, most of which are in a state
of decline due to years of heavy pruning to keep them clear of existing
overhead power lines.  In order to remove the existing trees and other
debris to make way for January's replanting effort, the City will
temporarily close these two streets next week.

On Monday, December 28, Gregson Street will be closed between the 600
and 1200 blocks so that 13 trees can be safely removed.  Traffic detours
will be put into place during daylight hours and normal traffic will
resume on Gregson Street on Tuesday, December 29.  Tree removal will
only take place during daylight hours and the detour will only be in
effect during this time.

On Tuesday, December 29, Duke Street will be closed between the 700 and
1200 blocks so that 17 trees can be safely removed.  Traffic detours
will be put into place for two days during daylight hours and normal
traffic will resume on Duke Street on Thursday, December 31. Tree
removal will only take place during daylight hours and the detour will
only be in effect during this time.

According to Alex Johnson, urban forestry manager with the City's Urban
Forestry Division in the General Services Department, Duke Energy's
partnership with the City for the first phase of the project is a
collaboration that benefits both the company and Durham's taxpayers.
"Duke Energy is interested in this partnership because of the presence
of overhead power lines and the continual challenge they face in keeping
the lines clear while keeping their crews safe since both of these
streets are major arterial routes," Johnson said.  "Duke Energy is
funding the removal of the existing trees through its budget, which
ultimately saves our taxpayers.  Our partnership is truly a win-win for
Durham and Duke Energy."

The second stage of the project, which is funded by $108,572 in federal
stimulus funds from an American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
sponsored streetscape replacement project, will begin in January with
the planting of over 100 new trees on these two streets.  According to
Johnson, the new trees have been specifically selected to be compatible
with both North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and Duke
Energy design standards and will range in species types, including
Avondale Redbud, Chinese Pistache, Crepe Myrtle, and Oklahoma Redbud.

According to Johnson, the new trees will solve several issues that are
regularly encountered by the community, the City, and Duke Energy on
these two busy streets.  "Gregson and Duke Streets are State roads that
go through the heart of Durham and are considered by many to be major
gateways into our community," Johnson said.  "We have lost the majority
of the original street trees on the noted blocks of these two streets in
recent years due to their age and the effects of decades of heavy
pruning since the trees were planted many years ago before the age of
overhead power lines.  This project is ultimately going to beautify
these two important street corridors, reduce the periodic maintenance
from both the City and Duke Energy, and reduce the risk of potential
tree failure from these heavily pruned, and in most cases, declining
trees." 

According to Cavett French, a member of the Trinity Park Neighborhood
Association's Tree Committee, the replanting effort is a welcome project
to the community.  "Instead of having these trees come down in the next
few years with no replacements, the neighborhood is gaining a greater
number of trees, which will be appropriate for planting under power
lines.  The aesthetic benefits for the affected blocks of Duke and
Gregson Streets are tremendous and we are very excited to see this
project underway," French said.  

According to French, the Tree Committee has been actively involved in
this project and undertook door-to-door canvassing with fliers this
summer to ensure residents knew about this project in addition to
regular updates in the neighborhood newsletter and list serv.  "We have
had only positive comments from the fliers we took to the owner-occupied
houses on the blocks directly affected by the tree removal and
replanting, the articles about the project in two of our newsletters,
and a description of the work on our listserv," French said.  

For more information about this specific replanting project, contact
Johnson at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21275, via e-mail at 
Alexander.Johnson at durhamnc.gov, or visit the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/works/construction_projects.cfm.  For more
information about the City's Urban Forestry Division, visit 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general/forestry.cfm.

About the City's Department of General Services

The City of Durham's Department of General Services provides timely,
cost-effective and high quality services in eight core business
functions: Administration, Cemeteries, Facilities Operations, Landscape
Services, Parking Contract Administration, Project Management, Real
Estate, and Urban Forestry.  For more information, visit 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general> . 

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