Councilman Greg Lawson said during this afternoon's budget work session the tree mater was resolved during Golden Leaf funding talks when representatives from city council, the city's Beautification Committee and Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance agreed the holly trees should remain on the avenue.
The Golden Leaf funding is providing funds for sidewalk improvements in the 1000 and 200 blocks of the avenue, with the 200 block to get the first improvements next month.
At a recent Beautification Committee meeting, RABA and committee members hit a stalemate on whether there should be holly trees on the avenue or whether the city should go with the recommendation of an Eastern region forester on autumn blazes maple and theJapanese zelkova.
Council member Suetta Scarbrough brought the issue up during Public Works Director Richard Parnell's budget presentation today. "It seems the decision to keep them or try something new rests with us."
Councilman Carl Ferebee asked what tree would be easier to maintain, to which City Manager Paul Sabiston responded the holly trees. He said the biggest concern about the holly trees is that some business owners have complained they block their signs.
The trees RABA would like are bigger and taller, Sabiston said.
Lawson, however, after Scarbrough said she would like the matter discussed at the next regular council meeting, said, "Why are we still dickering over trees? It makes no sense to me."
Lawson said the matter was signed off during discussions about the Golden Leaf funds, "And now we're back at it again."
Scarbrough dropped the matter after council came out of a closed session to discuss personnel, in which no action was taken.
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