A Broad Avenue resident recently asked the city not to include his property in a sidewalk replacement project in his neighborhood, so he wouldn’t lose two street trees in front of his house and the strip of grass next to the curb in which those trees are located.

Kevin Suckling of the 2000 block just north of the Jaffa Shrine made the request while also making the case for a renewed city effort to enhance and preserve its stock of street trees — a case that aligns with recommendations in the city’s new comprehensive plan.

Suckling is trying to opt out of the sidewalk project because the city in this case is planning for the new sidewalk to extend from house lawns all the way to the curb — although the project will include trees planted on the public right of way on the house side of the sidewalk.

“I was told that my property could be skipped,” Suckling stated at a recent City Council meeting. “I would like the public record to reflect this promise of preserving the trees and tree lawn in front of my property.”

City officials have been discussing Suckling’s request in house and with a consulting engineer on the project, said Interim Public Works Director Rob Crossman, when asked Tuesday whether the city planned to honor Suckling’s wish.

The trees in front of that house, however, are upheaving the sidewalk, Crossman said.

“The city’s concern is to provide a safe and pedestrian-friendly, ADA-friendly corridor that is continuous,” Crossman said, without providing a definitive answer.

There are four slab joints with uplift along the front of the property, with the maximum difference between slab levels at the edge closest to the tree lawn of perhaps 1.5 inch.

The slabs themselves seem sound.

Suckling paid for the sidewalk to be installed in 2009, he said.

The city tries to work with residents when the residents have concerns — where it makes sense to do so, Crossman said.

It’s not the first time the city has planned a sidewalk project with trees planted on the house side of the sidewalk, but in the public right of way, Crossman said.

Doing it that way reduces the chance of roots damaging the sidewalk or obstructing views or causing a nuisance for homeowners, according to a letter the city sent to Suckling.

Doing it that way also eliminates the common problem of trees at the curbside growing unsightly due to lack of homeowner maintenance and sometimes due to litter collecting around their trunks, according to Crossman.

When the area around trees at the curb grows unsightly, it undoes much of the aesthetic value of what are initially nice-looking projects, according to Crossman, adding that poor homeowner maintenance of trees on the house side of sidewalks isn’t as problematic.

He said trees at the curb can also be damaged by salt laid down to melt ice and snow.

Conversely, having trees next to the curb helps drain meltwater during the winter, making it less likely for sidewalks to be slippery at night, Suckling said.

The city will be using money from its $39.6 million grant through the American Rescue Plan Act to pay for the project, which will consist of replacing the sidewalks on both sides of Broad Avenue between Union Avenue and 24th Street.

A contract needs to be awarded this year to comply with grant requirements.

The work will be done next year, Crossman said.

Street trees are an important city feature, said Mayor Matt Pacifico at the meeting where Suckling made his presentation.

They provide shade, reduce home cooling costs, decrease noise and dust and increase property values, Suckling said.

The city needs a consistent policy for dealing with them, said City Councilman Dave Ellis.

The city needs to be sure it plants the correct species, according to Councilman Dave Butterbaugh, who referenced the planting of many Norway maples several generations ago that ultimately resulted in lots of sidewalk upheaval and other problems.

Bradford pear trees planted a few decades ago on Seventh and Eighth streets also caused lots of sidewalk upheaval, Councilman Ron Beatty pointed out.

The city tries to maintain a balance that allows for good streets, ample parking, good sidewalks and shade, with the right kind of trees in the right locations, said Interim City Manager Nate Kissell, whose permanent job is public works director.

There are situations where the space available for a grass strip is limited by the need to maintain two travel lanes and parking on each side, Kissell said.

It would behoove the city to check with homeowners if they’d like to have trees in front of their homes before embarking on sidewalk projects, to minimize instances where homeowners who don’t like those trees cut them down, Suckling said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.