HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2014-10-15STAC Minutes October 15, 2014
Present: Nina Bassuk, Cynthia Brock, Judy Fogel, Jeanne Grace, Pamela Markham,
Judith Maxwell, Monika Roth, Debra Statton
Forester’s Report: the crew is halfway through stump grinding. No removals right now ---
trying to do winter-heavy removals since easier when less foliage. Removals planned include the
ashes and Norway maple in Thompson Park.
Lots of storm damage this past winter made for an enormous pile of stumps to grind. The
City’s renting a tub grinder and operator from Rochester (no travel time charged since this
company does the Town too.)
Will swap out cherries when Snow Goose cherries arrive. One on Aurora and one in front
of CTB downtown, so going to put the Snow Goose there. (NB don’t put cherries in structural soil.)
Finally, after us working on this for a year, Jeanne is meeting with Lisa and Joann on
Friday to go over our proposed site plan review criteria.
DEC is giving Ithaca a $5,500 grant for trees (and watering bags) to replace the badly-
trimmed street trees, to be matched by the labor of planting. The educational component is a sign
to explain why we’re taking them down.
Nina’s composting/remediation project to enrich the soil with compost and mulch at time
of planting will go with the replanting.
Jeanne has been working with Ithaca’s sidewalk replacement program begun this year.
Contractors hired by the City are doing big expanses, and are proving very good, receptive,
cooperative ---for instance going down less than their specs of 6” base and 4” sidewalk when tree
roots nearby would be injured.
Nina mentions that as part of her breakout zone project ten years ago, they put structural
soil under sidewalks to direct roots under the sidewalk and into the lawn beyond. Now they’re
seeing some sidewalk heaving on the control areas from that project where this wasn’t done.
Cynthia brings up the south side of Clinton and Prospect where there’s a washout under
the new sidewalk.
Old Elmira Road: the first half of the north side of the road has oak, London plane, and sweet
gum growing there already. For the rest, tree lawns are planned for 12” of soil above 16” depth
(for total of 28” depth of soil), with sidewalks a little further down. Paving and tree lawns are
coming in Spring. The engineers’ plan is to use DOT grade soil or “topsoil.” Nina will do a soil
health test---get sample soon.
Species selections: With water table so high, the soil is wet, and alkaline. This combo isn’t
easy, and narrows down the choices, ruling out Tupelos for example which need acid/neutral and
wet.
1) London plane is one choice. There are some new ones other than Bloodgood, like
Liberty Exclamation (not so much mildew in fall)
2) Quercus macrocarpa likes highly alkaline and the flood plain. Heritage is a
macrocarpa-robur cross. Have to get them small in spring, l ½ inch.
3) Catalpa would do well (do better even if big). Purple-leaved.
4) Liriodendron Emerald City would do well, no so long and lanky as the species, and
doesn’t get too big.
All four of these are big-leafed so the four species together would make for a uniform
look.
For the north side of the road need to keep at 20’. The tree lawn there is wide.
1) Zelkova Wireless is vase shaped, Zelkova City Sprite is oval
2) Parrotia needs drier
3) Cercis can tolerate poor drainage, but Forest Pansy is not as hardy as the green.
4) Sorbus alnifolia
5) Crabs Royal raindrops, (2 rootstocks that don’t sucker)
Get all b/b, paid for by City capital projects
Esty-Plain Tree Planting. NYSEG moved the wires on Esty last week, so we can plant Esty and
Plain but not Court. Save Court for spring. 30 trees, all bareroot, to be planted by Nina’s students.
Still have to dig out residential side of Plain since the highway crew didn’t do it, although they did
do Esty and Court. There’s a gas main leaking under the sidewalk on Plain. Needs to be fixed
before planting—gas will kill the trees.
Species: Autumn Blaze and Freeman maple, Streetkeeper honeylocust. Underwires:
Royal Raindrops crab, Snow Goose cherry, Aesculus Fort McNair, Acer miyabei.
Ashes for removal are going to have a supplemental sign explaining why they have to come
down. Chionanthus identified as alternate host for EAB.
Next meeting Wed, Nov 19th Cooperative Extension Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra S