Bank trees come down for new sidewalks

Clarendon’s Downtown Revitalization Project continued this week, moving to the east side of Kearney Street and the removal of trees in front of Herring Bank.

Taking down the shade trees has sparked some comments from residents, but it was necessary to protect the new sidewalks being installed and to give way to the light fixtures that will come with the project.

Jacob Fangman, who is Clarendon’s mayor and the head of the local Herring Bank, said the trees were causing problems with the existing sidewalks. The trees’ roots have lifted and cracked the sidewalks. One section of sidewalk had been raised about 2½ inches and the gutter was starting to lift out of the street in one spot.

“People have been tripping because of them,” Fangman said. “I’ve had at least two people tell me they’ve fallen because of the damage.”

Herring Bank planted the trees and installed the existing sidewalk in 1998, but Fangman said the way the trees were planted near the bank made that section of the sidewalk not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Fangman said if the city had not gotten the grant to install new sidewalks, the bank would have had to do it for their customers. New sidewalks would have ultimately been likewise damaged if the trees were not removed.