Augusta staff is put on the spot over downtown tree teardown

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - If Savannah and Charleston can preserve their historic trees, why can’t Augusta? That’s what elected leaders asked the city staff Tuesday — and didn’t get a clear answer.

It’s the latest twist in a controversy over some “improvement” plans that left some streets bare and sidewalks unshaded over the past year in other parts of downtown.

But having lost that fight, neighbors are drawing a line when it comes to Telfair Street – showing up at meetings, calling city leaders and demanding answers.

The trees were among several matters taken up by Augusta Commission Tuesday. Because they met at the committee level, actions taken Tuesday will have to go before the full commission.

The a recent town hall meeting about the work that’s being funded by the federal Transportation Investment Act.

The project includes stormwater and drainage system upgrades, curb and gutter reconstruction, new sidewalks, milling and resurfacing, streetlight replacement, and “selected tree removals and replacements.”

It’s the tree removal that’s getting the ire of residents.

This uproar comes after neighbors failed about a year ago to save trees the city tore down elsewhere downtown like 13th Street. The city blamed the trees’ roots for problems with roadways, sidewalks, curbs and sewage lines.

Whenever there are big projects concerning trees in Augusta, the city’s tree commission steps in.

Most people didn’t realize we had one.

The tree commission is a group of arborists who are responsible for evaluating city plans and giving suggestions all in the interest of making sure the city keeps its identity as the Garden City.

Augusta Tree Commission Chairman, Roy Simkins, says a lot of people’s concerns could have been avoided if the tree commission was involved more.

“It was recognized as a Garden City, and they’re getting ready to de- garden, this city,” said Roy Simkins.

Simkins has been part of the Augusta tree commission for more than 25 years.

He its their involvement has declined over the years.

During a presentation Tuesday, leaders learned there were 43 questions and answers at the recent town hall meeting, with 65% of those specific to the project.

Of those:

• 12 were on construction communication.
• Four were general.
• One was on traffic.
• Eleven were on the trees.

Simkins says the city could have avoided a lot of headaches over trees if they included the tree commission from the beginning.

“Unfortunately, they should have gotten a consulting arborist in from the beginning so he could be involved with the planning and the design of what they’re gonna do,” said Simkins.

Tonya Bonitatibus sat quietly in the audience on Tuesday to hear the presentation.

But she’s been vocal in the past, saying that once those old trees are gone, they’re gone.

It’ll take decades – maybe even hundreds of years – for the new trees to reach the size of their predecessors.

”This isn’t something that tomorrow, you can go back and put a Band-Aid on and be like, ‘Oops, we’re just kidding. Let’s put that 100-year-old tree back,’” she said a few days ago.

In the face of the uproar, Augusta Engineering Director Dr. Hameed Malik said at Tuesday’s meeting that his staff is exploring options where they can keep some shade trees.

But Malik said the staff can’t really “go back to the drawing board on this” since construction is already in progress.

But he said his team is working with concerns while also continuing construction

It was Mayor Garnett Johnson and Commissioner Sean Frantom who brought up Savannah and Charleston, asking how these two stately historic cities are able to keep their historic trees, while Augusta can’t.

Commissioner Jordan Johnson says communication does need to get better, but when it comes to projects like this, starting over is too costly.

“We’ve already started a project. And unfortunately, we’re working on a pretty tight timeline. And so, stopping the project is not going to be feasible right now. But we can absolutely save some trees in the process,” said Johnson.

The city’s engineering staff didn’t have a clear answer other than that those cities have different infrastructure.

Moving forward, the construction engineering company says it will evaluate the trees and construction methodology to see if some changes can be made.

An engineering representative said right now, crews would have to replace 550 trees if they cut all of them down.

Commissioners asked if there was a way to shave this.

Again, the engineering staff again didn’t have a solid answer.

In other matters

Commission on Tuesday approved a motion for the city’s risk management to proceed with the repair/replacement of the Emily S. Tubman Monument, not to exceed $150,000.

Part of the approval included accepting a Porter Fleming Foundation Grant for $25,000 to go toward that. Leaders are saying the full amount to repair is $135,000, and there are three sources of funding: $25,000 from insurance, $25,000 from the grant and $100,000 in federal money.

The monument was damaged roughly two years when a car ran into the marble, knocking down its four pillars on Sevenths Street near Greene Street.

Also Tuesday, leaders requested that the Augusta Housing and Community Development Department give a presentation on the process of home renovation assistance procedures and the funding allocated for the program.

Commission member Stacy Pulliam says community desires home renovations and called on department Director Hawthorne E. Welcher to speak about the process and programs available.

Pulliam is requesting a work session for it, saying she gets a lot of calls about the program, especially from the senior population.

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