A contingent of residents spoke to the Sherburne County Commissioners Tuesday, hoping to save their trees from removal as part of a road project this year.

 

Residents and property owners on Co. Rd. 93 in Becker Twp. asked the board to revise a road project that would, if done as planned, take an additional 17 feet of right of way on both sides of Co. Rd. 93.

 

Justin Hoffman, representing a group of property owners who couldn’t all be present at Tuesday’s meeting, presented the board with a petition signed by 62 of 63 residents on the street.

 

The proposed project would need to remove hundreds of mature trees in that additional right-of-way. The county’s policy has been to expand county roads from 66 feet to 100 feet.

 

Hoffman said 39 properties have been slated for condemnation, all with mature trees bordering the roadway.

 

“This would virtually eliminate all the trees between the road and our homes,” he said. “Our beautiful trees make this stretch a wonderful place to live. These trees are the only barriers that keep our yards and homes private and buffered from the county road.”

 

He said the county considers Co. Rd. 93, a 2.3 mile roadway that runs north/south from Co. Rd. 4 to Co, Rd. 16, a minor collector. He said the county could come up with a better plan that wouldn’t need to remove the trees.

 

Ron Hirsch said the county completed a reconditioning project on Co. Rd. 35 that didn’t expand the road, but kept it about the same width. He felt they could do the same on Co. Rd. 93.

 

“Have a little common sense,” he said. “This is kind of a jewel to the community.”

 

“The county values trees in public areas, in parks and trails,” said Mary Kay Hirsch.  “It should follow that the trees that make our private properties park-like are equally or of more valued by the property owners of this county.”

 

“We didn’t make Sherburne County our home because of the five-star restaurants, the huge shopping malls or because we love asphalt,” she said. “Most of us don’t work here, but commute hours a day so that we can come home to a beautiful place to live filled with trees and wildlife.”

 

Dave Anderson said not only will the project remove mature pine trees, but 14 other species of trees, nine species of shrubs and his favorite tree in the forest, a creeping juniper which is a threatened species in the state.

 

“I place great value on each tree, not monetarily, but  because of their ecological benefit,” he said.

 

The trees provide homes and a food source for deer, a variety of squirrels, woodpeckers and many other species of birds, including the indigo bunting and scarlet tanager.

 

“I hope we can work together to save the trees along Co. Rd. 93,” he said. “Once you get into the forest and look at them, they are absolutely incredible - and irreplaceable.”

 

Laura Vollkemer said she and her family moved from a small city lot in Zimmerman because of the trees and the privacy they provide. Taking them down would eliminate that. She said there is almost no traffic on the road, so widening it to add bypass lanes isn’t necessary.

 

“We live in the country. We’re fine with slowing down so you can turn into your house,” she said. “We don’t need bypass lanes. Drive down our street and see the amount of trees that will be taken down. It is truly devastating.”

 

Since it was a public comment period and not on the agenda, there was no action by the board.

 

Afterwards, Board Chair Tim Dolan said the board will take the testimony under advisement and talk with the highway engineering department to see what they recommend.

 

“Everything that is staked out is part of our best practices,” he said. “It’s just part of our normal county road process for making safer roads.” 

 

Administrator Steve Taylor said nothing is final yet. There is still time to make changes.