October 11, 2006

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            “How do we provide street trees where there are no easements or the area is too small?” Nourse asked, pointing to Wait Avenue between Franklin and Allen Road. Before the street was widened, Nourse said, it was beautiful, planted with dogwoods with large trees which provided shade for the understory dogwoods. Now there is only a strip 6 inches wide in which to plant trees, dogwoods are dying from the heat and big shade trees are needed on the south side.

            “How do we service all those additional trees?” Nourse asked. There are a great number of new street trees in Heritage. Nourse said the drought early this summer “took a tremendous toll on street trees.” There are automatic waterers, but those need refilling, and the urban forestry board does not have any town employees working for it.

            This led to the last problem. “We were reporting on trees that had been diagnosed as dead or dying that need to be removed,” Nourse said. The board discovered that the town’s public works department had put a hold on all its work orders because of the press of other work. When the board reports a tree, “it is a hazard tree and needs to come down.”

            Nourse said a tree at 315 N. Main St. “was still dead and standing when they held the children’s parade on the Fourth of July.

            “We think there ought to be a couple of [town] employees assigned to arborist duty, people who are horticulture trained and arborist trained to take care of trees and shrubs in the town,” Nourse said. “Right now the functions are being performed by three local companies.” With all the trees and shrubs in town, “it should justify replacing those companies with two employees.”

            Nourse said the town had been recognized as a Tree City USA for the 27^th year and had received a growth award “because we spend more money on our trees that other town are spending.” A large part of that is the cost of the electric department clearing power lines. “There is a natural animosity between tree people and utility people.”

            The forestry board also sponsored Arbor Day and is planning landscaping programs for North Main Street and entryways to town.

            The board is compiling a landscape ordinance with standards and approved plantings. “There has been a request for a tree preservation ordinance,” Nourse said.

            “We replant as much as we can,” he concluded.

            An earlier speaker, Louise Howard for the historic preservation commission, said it may be a losing battle to landscape the median on North Main Street.

            “Trying to keep the median on North Main Street is a nightmare. I don’t know how people can destroy something that can be beautiful. The city trucks also pull lup in the middle to pick up debris.”

            There is money from various groups to install landscaping with shrubs and flowers. “It is futile to spend that money until we get some help,” Howard said.

            The commission and the North Main residents have been trying to have through trucks banned on the street. “It is ridiculous to have 18-wheelers coming through that district.” Howard said the state Department of Transportation responded to the letter asking for the ban by saying it would look at the situation again once the N.C. 98 bypass is complete. She said the bypass is complete to Capital Boulevard and it is time for another letter.

            “Where are they [trucks] coming from and where are they going?” Commissioner Frank Drake asked. “The only thing on the other end of North Main Street is Youngsville.”

            “There has to be the right button to push,” Howard said. “If you get to the right people, someone will try to do something for you.”

            The commission and residents want signs saying no through truck traffic. “Then it will have to be enforced. And they’re still speeding on that street like crazy.”

            She said the new two-hour parking limits have changed the way people park on the street and helped.

            Joe Seigler, chairman of the new greenway committee, had a quorum of members backing him. “That’s how enthusiastic everyone is.” Seigler said the group finds it is “really exciting looking for alternative ways of transportation,” and he promised the board would be talking about some capital spending in the next few years.

            Tom Hodges Jr., the chairman, said the recreation board has helped with the design of the third phase of development at Flaherty Park, including four new lighted tennis courts and a dog park, is helping to design the first phase of Joyner Park, sponsored a Thanksgiving appreciation dinner for the parks and recreation employees and will continue to provide input and guidance as more parks and open spaces are built.

            Town commissioners told Mitchell Lawson, the chairman of the human relations council, he had “raised the bar” of accomplishment and congratulated him on the successful fund-raising from merchants who sponsored Good Neighbor Day on Oct. 27. The merchants donated $4,800, and the council spent $4,616.33 on food, entertainment and give-aways. With the $1,500 the town had budgeted for the council, there is $1,683.67 to carry over for next year’s Good Neighbor Day.

            Lawson said the council is seeking assistance from the state Human Relations Commission, which can provide help in such areas as the Fair Housing Act, cultural diversity, and the criteria for sexual harassment and hate crimes.

            “The work of the human relations council is unique because it deals with lives and relationships, with culture and class, race and diversity,” Lawson said. “The belief of this council is that our work must be carried out to help make Wake Forest truly one community and home for us all.”

            Bill Summers, a town planner, read the short report from the board of adjustment, which only had two appeals this year.

            No one was present to report for the cemetery advisory board or the senior citizens advisory board.