A major renovation to a historic stretch of Moss Avenue requires the City of Peoria to remove 27 trees along the work zone.
Public works department spokesperson Nick McMillion said the tree removal is expected to start next week as part of an $11 million reconstruction of Moss between Western Avenue and Sheridan Road.
“These trees that are in city-owned right of way along Moss Avenue, they've grown rather large and they are busting up the curb, the gutter and portions of the sidewalk. So ultimately, they need to be removed for these new infrastructure improvements to go in,” said McMillion, adding the city tried to protect as many trees as possible.
McMillion said the total reconstruction project includes new stormwater infrastructure, new curbs and gutters, and upgraded pedestrian accommodations in addition to improving the roadway.
He said the project corridor includes roughly 110 trees in total, and 68 of those being preserved will have protective measures put in place during the construction.
“A lot of these trees that are being removed are either diseased or dying in general. So ultimately, it's a safety issue for these trees to remain, whether or not the project was taking place,” he said.
Moss-Bradley Residential Association president Jan Krouse said the city “bent over backwards” to keep residents informed about the tree removal plans.
“We've had five or six meetings from the very inception of what they were going to do. They took concerns; they took questions. We asked that they just be as prudent as possible when removing the trees,” said Krouse, who also serves on Peoria’s Historic Preservation Commission.
“There are some areas where there are carriage ways going up to the houses that are on that easement, and they're going to repair or rebuild the ones that are necessary. Down towards Sheridan, there's a lot of the old hitching posts that are still out front; they're going to preserve those and reinstall them when the project is done. So they're being very, very sensitive to the historical things.”
McMillion said the trees slated from removal range from 20 feet tall to more than 100 feet.
“There's a wide range of ages, and we're not 100% sure when it comes to specific age, just because that's kind of hard to tell,” he said. “But diameter wise, they range between a couple of feet to several feet in diameter. So it's kind of all over the place.”
Krouse said originally the city intended to remove more than just the 27 trees ultimately selected. She said while removing trees and reconstructing the roadway will cause some inconvenience, it’s worth it.
“If it rains, there's lakes in certain areas and the roadway itself needs a lot of repair. I just feel like maybe it's hard to see the big picture,” she said. “I think the good is going to outweigh the bad in the long run.”
