The City of Allegan approved a proposal to remove of 14 walnut and cherry trees from Oakwood Cemetery. The trees are in a wooded area of the cemetery near Academy Street.
The tree cutters will also clean up dead trees in the area at the public works director’s discretion. It was noted that the area would not be clear cut. Only the valuable trees will be removed, along with dead scrub trees.
The value of the timber is estimated between $10,000 and $15,000. The city will receive one/third of the timber sale, which would between $3,000 and $5,000.
Mayor Rachel McKenzie at the council’s Nov. 26 meeting asked why the city was removing trees that weren’t dead.
“Are they impeding graves?” she asked.
City manager Joel Dye said they were not; however, they were valuable trees and their removal would eliminate a future problem of having to remove them.
“Council paid $12,000 earlier in the year for a company to remove trees,” he said. “If this is a process that’s successful for us we might look at contracting people to cut our trees that will pay us for it instead of us paying someone to cut our trees.”
Terry Gowens and Kendall Smith are the persons who requested the proposal and will be doing the cutting.
Council member Traci Perrigo said the trees were in a section where Terry Gowen’s parent’s house used to stand and the trees had grown all around it in an area that was not defined.
“I think this is a very good idea,” said council member Nancy Ingalsbee. “We’re going to make some money for the city and eliminate a future problem.”
McKenzie asked that the trees being cut were clearly marked.
In an earlier meeting, The Public Spaces Commission unanimously approved the proposal as did the council.
Virginia Ransbottom can be contacted at vransbottom@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534.
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