Build The Light Rail, But Spare The Trees

Century old palm trees lining the desert city centre in Arizona are to be displaced not removed, to make way for Light Rail.

1 minute read

October 15, 2003, 5:00 AM PDT

By Ambar Mukherjee

"The plan is to remove the 110 palm trees during construction, then return them to the same stretch on Central Avenue. The cost of removal, nursery storage and replanting is $3,000 per tree. 'Historic properties are not just buildings,' said Barbara Stocklin, the city's historic preservation officer. 'Sites, objects and streetscapes can be historic. If this were the halcyon days of urban renewal in the 1960s, the trees would simply be knocked down in the name of progress.'"

Thanks to Ambar Mukherjee

FULL STORY: Saving trees a tall task for light-rail planners

Tuesday, October 14, 2003 in The Arizona Republic

History / Preservation Arizona

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