Letter: Save West Harrison's Trees!

The sidewalks along Macri Ave. in West Harrison are in pretty bad shape.

Tree roots have dug the walkways from beneath, leaving some unwanted—and possibly dangerous—obstacles along the path to Preston Elementary School.

But is replacing the sidewalk worth sacrificing the trees that line the quite residential neighborhood?

Baxter Martin, 12, who lives on the street says no, and decided to reach out to his local government.

"As you know, the trees on the Macri Ave curb are being cut down due to sidewalk replacement," he wrote in an e-mail also sent to Patch. "These trees help make our street one of the most beautiful in West Harrison! They may be replaced, but will take years to grow to the size that they are today."

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Baxter reached out to some of his neighbors, who agree. Alternative suggestions included using bricks and sand to replace to sidewalk, allowing the tree roots to remain, or moving the new sidewalk around the trees.

Either way, some homeowners in the area are looking for an alternative.

These beautiful trees are much more important to the beauty of our neighborhood than a few bumpy sidewalks," Baxter continued in his letter. "There are many more options than cutting down the trees."

Signs are posted on Macri Ave. indicating the tree cutting will begin this week. New trees will be planted as replacements soon after.

Do you think this is fair? Do you have another suggestion? Let us know in the comments section below.