Neighborhood Revitalization (greenspace) Roadblocks

[locosan]

Please help - our "inner city" neighborhood is trying to build a greenspace over huge stormdrains (underground) -these are NOT sewer drains!. We planted 40 trees - Anaqua and Redbud over a 3 block area. The City is trying to get us to remove the trees - "because the roots will clog the stormdrains". I am no arborist but i need help - ammunition - in fighting this. Any info on these trees roots etc. would help -- these drains are dry most of the time esp. now as we are in a drought San Antonio Tx-- thanks

 

[coveredinsap]

You need an attorney, not advice from here. Once you have an attorney, then you can go about getting ammunition for your attorney to use in your fight, if you still need it. (My experience has been that once city government sees that you have an attorney on your side, they generally back off.)

Your attorney can also hopefully advise you on ways to keep the city from resuming the fight at some future date.

 

[treeseer]

You need an attorney, not advice from here. .

I don't think it's lawyer time yet.

How deep is the storm drain? What is the soil like in between? What are the joints in the pipe like? How much does the city (say it) supports greenspace? Document how the city's fears are unjustified when compared the trees' benefits, not the least of which is...stormwater control.

Next time I recommend laying a porous barrier below the planting.

 

[locosan]

i'm looking for specifics

Thanks to both who replied - The stormdrains are the kind you can walk inside of them i think. the dirt is - a guess at about 3 feet deep and not good - black clay with flint. what i am looking for is if anaqua and redbud have "spreading roots" and how deep - also the cement drains are butted together at the seams -- even if the roots go thru - since it is dry most of the time wouldn't they just "not grow there" ? Locosan
p.s we're saving the lawyer for the "flop house" and zoning issues we have ;-)

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

locosan, if you do a search on coveredinsap you'll find he's NOT highly regarded on this site.


3' deep over storm drains? I think the city is likely to win on this one. Did you do any research BEFORE you planted trees?

 

[locosan]

Neighborhood research - revitalization

One of our neighbors works for the city - and got a tentative go ahead - we got the 3 signatures we needed and have now been told a 4th is needed - who? i don't know. This area is being used as a dumping ground - drinking area. My view - i see no harm and only good in the park. The roots are not tap? on these anaqua and redbud - they are approved native plants by the city. The drains are huge and "dry" most times - scientifically i don't think they would be capable of clogging these drains and i'm looking for facts to support this "notion". thanks for info locosan p.s. their is a big debate going on because developers are stripping land all around s.a. and the city is trying to preserve and plant trees