Plymouth Residents Concerned About Hundreds of Trees That Could Be Cut Down

The neighborhood will be a lot less shaded.

But that's not the main concern of Plymouth residents living on Orleans Lane who have recently learned 800 to 1,000 tress could be cut down in their neighborhood, reports the Star Tribune.

John O’Hara and Erich Schroeder told the Tribune the city only recently informed them of a project moving forward to cut down the trees to help with erosion issues of a nearby stream. 

The recent study conducted found pollution like phosphorous in a New Hope lake about a half mile away, which violates state standards, and the pollutants come from the Orleans Lane area where all those trees reside. It seems to mainly flows through the north branch of Bassett Creek and its tributaries that flow during spring snowmelt and summer downpours. The project would cut down most of the trees along a 30-foot corridor on both sides of the tributary in the park area, reports the Tribune.

Both residents tell the Star Tribune that the stream is pretty dry most of the time and flows about 50 days out of the year. But city staff who have studied the area say removing the trees along the creek bed will help to increase sunlight and enable new plants to grow that will rebuild the corridor and reduce erosion.

The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission and Plymouth officials decided to look for ways to improve the Northwood Lake's water quality in New Hope. Funding for the nearly $1 million stream improvement project in Plymouth could come from local property taxes through the Watershed Commission, according to the Star Tribune.

The Watershed Commission is slated to make a final decision on the plan at a meeting Thursday, Sept. 19, at Golden Valley City Hall in Golden Valley.