Another “demolition”: 45th/Trenton “sad tree” coming down

| Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

The Schuck’s/Hancock building (Fauntleroy Place) isn’t all that’s coming down today. Elise sent the shown-above photo of the tree on the southwest corner of 45th/Trenton — known at her house, she says, as “the sad tree” — posted last month for removal (June WSB coverage here) after utility-related tree trimming in the area (May WSB coverage here) left it in somewhat unsustainable shape:

City Light had told WSB that its owner agreed to have it removed (at city expense), with two “power-line-appropriate” trees to be planted in the spot. From one of our previous stories, Jenny had sent this photo of how what she called the “candelabra tree” once looked:

Though City Light said the work on this tree was done appropriately, and its demise can instead be blamed on the unfortunate fact it grew under power lines, the utility also told us in May that the trimming on another tree nearby was botched badly enough that the crew that did it was removed from the contract.

Neighbor July 22, 2008 (1:59 pm)

Am certain that cedar was here long before white settlers brought “progress,” and hope soon we will truly become their guardians by saying “trees come first, dammit.”

Jenny July 22, 2008 (5:01 pm)

I can’t begrudge the owners for deciding to have the tree removed. Sure, “trees come first”, but in this case it looks like the only alternative would be to remove the power lines and install them underground. Or maybe to simply move, and tear down that house and all the houses on the street so that they wouldn’t need any power lines running in that spot. The question becomes, how much are YOU willing to chip in to do what it would take save the tree?

I truly will miss that tree. But life’s a series of tradeoffs, innit?

Sorry, comment time is over.