Construction is underway at Ballard’s newest park on 14th Ave. NW, and you may have already noticed the road is now closed between 58th and 60th.
As part of the Gemenskap Park project, crews have marked 12 trees along the east side of the street to be cut down — all but a large maple tree that lives between 59th and 60th, according to the East Ballard Community Association (EBCA). The marked trees include 11 Kwanzan cherry trees and one big leaf maple tree.
Here’s the view from Google, looking east, of the trees along the east side of 14th Ave.:
We received a note from one reader — who included Seattle Parks in the email — urging the city to protect the trees marked for removal.
“(The) Parks Dept. is interested in mowing down trees instead of accommodating and working WITH existing trees,” he wrote. “When is the city and its agencies going to step up and protect our tree canopy?”
The EBCA did some research on the trees and discovered the city’s arborist advised that the cherry trees were infected with an invasive insect and the maple was “high risk.” The other maple, which will remain, was deemed healthy.
The project calls for 24 new trees to be planted to replace the 12 that will be removed — 6 of the new trees will be 14-feet tall when planted.
“Although we will be losing the spring blossoms from the cherries, the new trees were selected for their spring flowering nature and many will have beautiful colors in the fall,” explains the EBCA.