FROSTBURG — Both a national and a local company are interested in removing Frostburg’s 19 problem trees along Frost Avenue.
During Thursday’s City Council meeting, City Administrator John Kirby provided an update on the bids that were opened Tuesday from Asplundh Tree Expert Co., based in Willow Grove, Pa., and Earth and Tree LLC of Frostburg.
Kirby explained that either company would be responsible for partial or complete removal of the trees. If partial removal of the trees is chosen, the city would be responsible for 16 inches’ worth of removal. The Asplundh bid came in at $23,818.95 for partial removal and $26,465.51 for total removal. The Earth and Tree bid came in at $13,725 for partial removal and $18,175 for total removal. The bids will be awarded at a later date.
“Earth and Tree came in really close to our starting point of $10,000,” said Kirby. “Both are very good contractors and both numbers came in very well. Both had liability insurance and both are certified tree experts.”
In addition to saving money by having the trees partially removed, the city can also make money from the removal by selling the trees for firewood, according to Kirby.
“The city has explored every angle in an effort to reduce the cost of the project and this includes city workers doing traffic control, neighborhood notification and cleanup,” said Kirby in a previous interview with the Times-News. “The trees are simply too large for our crews to remove safely.”
Types of trees that are to be removed include silver maple, red maple, Norway maple, elm, yellow poplar and black walnut. Once the trees are removed they will need to be replaced mostly by species from the the Maryland Department of Natural Resources recommended tree list. The Shade Tree Commission, which exists in the city code, has expressed an interest in re-activating.
During the meeting, Daniel Hedderick, DNR forester; Sunshine Brosi of the Frostburg State University biology department; and Corey Armstrong, landscape architect for the ACD Design Group; were appointed to the Shade Tree Commission.
“These folks are extremely qualified,” said Kirby.
Also during the meeting, an amendment to the zoning ordinance related to public utilities was proposed. The amendment would clear up old language that would cause difficulties with EverPower, according to Rich Harris, director of community development. It changes the definition of essential services to “facilities owned or maintained by public or private companies or public agencies that engage in the delivery or transport of water, wastewater, stormwater, natural gas, electric power, telecomunications, or similar services but not including new construction buildings or enclosed structure greater than 1,000 square feet in area; utility storage yards; overhead power transmission poles, towers or wires; cellular, relay, or transmitting radio or communication towers.”
The amendment would also change the definition of utility to “an entity which operates systems providing or offering to the public water filtration and supply, wastewater or stormwater collection and/or treatment, electric power, natural gas, telecommunications or similar services. ‘’
“We are changing the definitions to protect the citizens,” said Harris.
Pittsburgh EverPower Wind Holdings Inc., the developer of Pennsylvania’s Twin Ridges Wind Farm, is proposing to build a generator lead line underneath the streets of the city.
A public hearing on the proposed zoning ordinance amendments will be held July 21.
The original ordinance can be viewed on the city’s website at www.frostburgcity.com by clicking on the Planning Commission tab and then Zoning Ordinance.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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