A citywide effort to expand Toledo\u2019s tree canopy is facing resistance in south Toledo, where some residents say they don\u2019t want trees in front of their houses.<\/p>\n
TOLEDO, Ohio \u2014 A citywide effort to expand Toledo\u2019s tree canopy is facing resistance in south Toledo, where some residents say they weren\u2019t consulted and don\u2019t want trees planted in their yards.<\/p>\n
Kristine Harris, who lives on Linden Green Drive, said she came home last week to find a white flag in her yard and a notice on her door.<\/p>\n
The city plans to plant an elm tree on the tree lawn in front of her home as part of its fall planting initiative.<\/p>\n
But Harris and her husband said they\u2019ve removed trees in the past to prevent damage to their property, including cracked foundations and sewer backups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took them down, paid thousands of dollars of our own money just to prevent things from damaging our house,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Harris said she immediately called Engage Toledo and later emailed city councilwoman Vanice Williams and the Urban Beautification Committee.<\/p>\n
She said the response was consistent: the tree would be planted, and it would be her responsibility to maintain it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the tree you\u2019re going to get,” Harris said. “We\u2019re going to plant it and we need you to take care of that. Really?”<\/p>\n
She said she\u2019s frustrated by what she sees as a lack of communication and choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like being told what to do, and I don\u2019t have a choice,\u201d she said. \u201cNobody asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris said she\u2019s not opposed to trees \u2014 in fact, she loves them and moved to the area in part because of its natural beauty. But she believes the city should consider residents\u2019 input before planting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wish they would take the community\u2019s opinion into account,\u201d she said. \u201cCome and canvass first. Don\u2019t just tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also questioned the city\u2019s ability to maintain its existing tree inventory, citing a previous request to trim a dying tree that still hasn\u2019t been addressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re understaffed and they can\u2019t get to everything,\u201d Harris said. \u201cNow you\u2019re going to add 10,000 more? Do the math.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Forestry Division said in a statement that the planting is part of its routine fall program. About 1,500 trees will be planted across Toledo this season, with 320 designated for District 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrees are one of the few investments that quietly and continually give back to everyone, regardless of income or circumstance,\u201d the statement from the city reads. \u201cThey are vital infrastructure that helps keep our neighborhoods cooler, cleaner, and healthier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris said she understands the environmental benefits but believes the city is overlooking practical concerns, especially for older residents who may struggle with leaf cleanup and maintenance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of elderly people here who now have flags in their yards,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to have to rake leaves and take care of these trees. Some are on fixed incomes. It\u2019s not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also worries about the long-term impact on infrastructure, including cracked sidewalks and sewer lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take really good care of our lawn. Our house is beautiful. That\u2019s beautification in itself,\u201d Harris said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to plant a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A citywide effort to expand Toledo\u2019s tree canopy is facing resistance in south Toledo, where some residents say…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286630,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-286629","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}