11:25 AM: Thanks to Andy for the tip. Notices of their impending removal have been posted for weeks, and today – with two weeks to go until school starts – the remaining street trees outside Lafayette Elementary in The Admiral District are coming down.
We’ll be checking with SDOT regarding replacement plans.
3:10 PM: SDOT spokesperson LeAnne Nelson says that’s actually a crew hired by Seattle Public Schools, though replacing the trees eventually will be up to SDOT:
Regarding the trees near Lafayette Elementary, unfortunately, they have Dutch Elm Disease. Several trees were removed from the area a few years ago, due to the same disease. We estimate the trees are about 70 years old. The School is responsible for removing the remaining 4 trees. Hauling the wood away and grinding the stumps helps eradicate the infection. We’ll then come in with site-appropriate trees — more resistant to Dutch Elm — and they will become our maintenance responsibility. There isn’t a specific timeframe for planting yet.
Since we sent our inquiry to SDOT this morning, some commenters have brought up other issues that we’ll have to take to the district for a separate followup.
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