The spruce tree in front of Ignacio Town Hall, currently adorned with holiday lights, might have to come down.
Soon.
In his staff report for the Dec. 17 town board meeting, Public Works Director James Brown said, "We have an issue with the Town Hall Christmas tree. To begin, this tree was planted in the wrong location because of how big this tree will grow in its lifetime. It has been suggested by CDOT that this tree be removed because of the safety hazard for loss of sight for cars pulling out of the north driveway."
He suggested removing it and planting another tree in the Ben Nighthorse Campbell Park on Candelaria Heights that elementary school kids can decorate for Christmas.
At the Dec. 17 meeting, trustee Tom Atencio argued against removing the tree. "That tree to me is part of the town. It's been here as long as I have been. ... If it's a hazard, let's trim it on the bottom."
Brown told trustees the tree has been there for 35 years. It has broken out the curb on the west side, he said. Atencio doubted that the tree caused it.
Town Manager Lee San Miguel said it's a hazard because it blocks the view of oncoming traffic for cars trying to pull out of the town hall parking lot.
"Trim the bottom eight feet," Atencio countered.
It won't look natural, San Miguel said. "It will look top-heavy. The issue isn't the aesthetics. It's traffic safety." He suggested replacing the tree with a potted tree that can be planted in the park when it gets too big for the container, and start again with another potted tree.
"Unfortunately, (the current tree) was planted in the wrong place," he said.
Trustee Alison deKay commented, "I don't think it will get any easier if we let the tree stay there. I love trees, but..."
An audience member suggested hiring an arborist to see if the tree can be preserved.
"We already did that," Brown said. "The issue is, there's so much river rock, you'd kill the tree trying to dig it out. It would cost $10,000 with no guarantee the tree would survive."
He said, "There have been some close calls."
San Miguel said, "We'd like to clear everything out, the sooner the better in terms of safety. We'd wait for Christmas to be over."
Atencio protested, "That tree has been there for 35 years, but all of a sudden it's a problem? If it was safety, we should have gotten rid of the auto parts building (Dub's). The building is more of a safety factor than that tree."
Town Clerk Georgann Valdez commented, "I'm against removing it, but driving in and out every day, you have to stick your car out there (onto Goddard) to see."
Trustee Edward Box III said, "The traffic here has changed," so the lack of sight distance is more of an issue.
The tree is just going to get bigger, deKay said.
Mayor Stella Cox directed Brown "to get more information about how you will resolve this, whether it's cutting down the tree and putting something else there that's not a safety issue."
Community Development Director Dan Naiman cited the pending opening of a Subway in the corner building just south of town hall. The owners plan to do some landscaping. "I asked about a shade tree far enough back (from the street) that it wouldn't be a sight issue. There's a median between the town hall and the Subway that has a red twig dogwood. They want to put boulders there. I asked them about planting some small trees there."
