Parkway trees to be trimmed more often

Beginning this year, one third of the Village’s 18,000-plus parkway trees will be trimmed, rather than one quarter as in past years. An analysis of annual requests for pruning beyond the previous four-year cycle found that more than half of the complaints came from the quarter of the Village scheduled to be trimmed in the next cycle. By reducing the time between pruning, Village foresters will evaluate the trees more often and identify potential problem branches before they become issues. More frequent trimming also means the visual impact will be more subtle.

2019 trim area…The new, three-year cycle means that all parkways trees south of Madison Street will be pruned this winter. Crews follow the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for tree care to address three key issues — tree health, resident safety and protecting property from damage. Dead or dying limbs are removed and canopies are raised to allow for safe vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and to create appropriate clearances for adjacent structures and signs. Residents are urged to move their cars from the streets when temporary no-parking signs go up to allow private contractors to prune parkway trees quickly and safely. More information on the care of the trees on public property is posted at www.oak-park.us/trees.