HELENA — Residents of Rodney Street tell MTN they learned Monday that trees on Rodney Street were set to be cut down this week. But the City of Helena announced a hold on those plans less than 24 hours later.
“It would be nice to have a little input from our neighbors. And like I said, we love this historic district. It's so full of character and charm for us, and this is why we live here,” says Rodney Street resident, Carol Swanson Frisch.
Some residents told MTN that losing these trees could impact the character of this historic neighborhood. The area has already undergone a change with the Rodney road reconstruction project.
“I mean, it's going to totally change the landscape of Rodney St. It's already changed. So yeah, discussion would have been great. But when I reached out to the commission and the mayor, Sean Logan got back with me, he's the only one I heard from. And he said they didn't even know anything about it,” says Rodney Street resident, Karen Reese.
MTN reached out to the city to ask about the trees. They said they heard concerns from residents and have postponed the work that was set to start on Wednesday.
The interim City Manager requested the postponement of the tree removal in order to allow staff to further discuss the decision and plan, and allow for public comment.
When asked about the decision to remove the trees, a city spokesperson said the City Arborist determined that the structural integrity of the trees on Rodney Street was compromised and that they pose a safety risk to the public.
City leaders are expected to discuss the plan at their administrative meeting on Wednesday.
