The city has unanimously voted to consider and research meandering sidewalks, in an effort to save old-growth trees from being destroyed to create pathways.
“We should be employing every state-of-the-art practice to keep current trees on our streets, prolong the life of trees, and protect our trees from future removal,” stated Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal. “Maximizing the creation of meandering sidewalks allows for a picturesque alternative to removing trees.”
One alternative to tree removal is creating meandering sidewalks that curve the sidewalk away from the tree root, allowing the root and tree to stay intact, while also providing for an ADA accessible path along the public sidewalk.
Lowenthal introduced an agenda item to request that the Department of Public Works and the Tree Committee determine the feasibility of incorporating meandering sidewalks into the City’s tree root repair programs when applicable, while working in conjunction with other cities utilizing similar methods to save old-growth trees.