The Public Works Department has awarded a contract to Care Of Trees Inc. to trim the parkway trees on specific streets in an effort to supplement our in-house tree trimming program. They have been instructed to prune the trees to the same high standards that we ourselves use, which is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A-300 Pruning Standards. The reasons for trimming are as follows:
- Safety- Trees must be trimmed up high enough to prevent injury to people and damage to property and vehicles.
- Health- By removing some of the branches within the trees canopy we are able to promote better tree health by reducing the ability of a disease or insect infestation to get started and to make the tree less likely to break in high winds.
- Aesthetics- When the trees are trimmed and low limbs are removed, we are able to train the tree so that large limbs will not have to be removed later to provide clearance. Trimming also will allow other plants room to grow thus preventing overcrowding.
Special Notes:
ONLY AREAS 1 AND 3 WILL BE TRIMMED AT THIS TIME. The funds budgeted for parkway tree trimming only allow us to contract for areas 1 (orange) and area 3 (green) according to the tree trimming map. Area 2 (blue) will be trimmed by Public Works staff during the year as time allows.
Under NO circumstances will trees be TOPPED! Topping is the practice of reducing a trees size by cutting the upper limbs back to a common point. This practice, which used to be common, will not be allowed as it has been found to weaken the tree and invite infection and decay. We also no longer use wound paint on the cuts. This practice also has been found to be detrimental to the tree and invites infection and decay.
The Care of Trees Inc. is scheduled to begin in early March and will move as quickly as possible to complete their work. As we all know the winters in Chicago can be very unpredictable and our contractor will work whenever possible depending on snowfall. In most cases they should be able to complete the work in front of your home in one day so that you will have minimal inconvenience. The contractor will not begin working until after 7am on weekdays and 8:30 on Saturdays, they will stop working at 5pm on all days and will not work on Sundays. They will also make every effort to not block the street or your driveway to allow you access to your home the majority of the time. There may be times however, when your driveway may be blocked for a short time and the Contractor will be happy to remove the debris should you need to get your vehicle out of your driveway during this time. All branches and other debris will be cleaned up before the end of each day.
If you should have any questions about the tree trimming please call Ken Loar, Village Arborist, at (847) 367-3726.
