The removal of five mature spruce trees between Walnut and Pine streets on Hailey's Main Street has ignited a barrage of angry protests by city residents and officials.
For all their size, the entire process to limb the trees, cut them down and cart away the remains didn't take long to complete over the past weekend. Nor did the highly visible process escape the notice of many Hailey residents.
The site where the trees were cut down was once a U.S. Forest Service ranger station, Hailey city clerk Heather Dawson said. She said the Forest Service sold the property in the early 1990s.
Hailey planning director Kathy Grotto said the decision to cut the spruce trees was done without any regard to the city's desire to preserve its distinct downtown charm. An obviously upset Grotto didn't mince words Monday when she spoke about the loss of the trees, which were apparently planted by Forest Service rangers sometime in the 1930s, she said.
"They have no clue what makes Hailey so special," Grotto said of the property's current owners. "And they have no respect for those of us who live here and cherish those irreplaceable trees."
Grotto said the tree removal was likely done to maximize the value of the property, which she said is currently up for sale, for a potential buyer who might wish to redevelop it. "Clearly the value of the land is high and they want to utilize every square foot," Grotto said. "They were thinking about their bottom line."
Grotto said the property is owned by Michael O'Neil, of Ketchum.
Although the city of Hailey is currently working on a draft ordinance to regulate the demolition of buildings considered of historical importance, the ordinance wouldn't have had any impact on situations such as Sunday's tree cutting, she said.
"Unfortunately the cutting of trees doesn't require a demo(lition) ordinance," Grotto said. "It's a huge shame."
That said, she said the act may spur the city into quickly creating an ordinance to regulate the cutting of trees in Hailey. "I would not be surprised if we were directed to get a tree ordinance on the books as soon as possible," Grotto said.
Grotto's prediction rang true late Monday as the Hailey City Council met for a regularly scheduled public meeting at City Hall.
Both during the council's discussion of a draft version of a new Hailey demolition ordinance and during an open session for public comment, the tree cutting incident was a source of lengthy discussion by city officials and residents.
Hailey residents are passionate about those aspects that define the community, Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant said. "And part of that is the trees."
Much of the discussion Monday concerning the tree removal focused on whether the city can legally take steps to restrict or at least regulate the removal of trees on private property. Key to the discussion was whether the draft demolition ordinance being considered could have language added to regulate tree cutting in the city.
Hailey attorney Ned Williamson, while stating that he would like to see such actions stopped, was the strongest voice of caution on the lengths the city can take to legally restrict such events. "I'd desperately love to see the trees remain," he said.
Still, Williamson expressed skepticism about a repeated suggestion that Hailey place a moratorium on tree cutting in the city. "Frankly, I don't see how we can do a moratorium on trees."
In general, the city residents who commented during Monday's City Council meeting asked the council to consider ways to immediately restrict the cutting of large trees.
Becki Keefer, parks project coordinator for Hailey's Parks and Lands Board, suggested Hailey consider designating certain trees in the city heritage trees. Knowing which trees the city wants to preserve would help, Keefer said.
"The bottom line is how far do we want to regulate?" she said.
A clarification Monday night by one individual in the crowd who stated that five trees were cut down on the property drew a quick response from City Council member Don Keirn.
"There are five stumps, I know that," Keirn said.
The Hailey City Council will discuss an emergency ordinance restricting the cutting of certain trees in Hailey at a 7:30 a.m. meeting Thursday at the City Hall.
Calls placed to O'Neil were not returned.
Workers with a landscape company cut down five mature spruce trees last weekend on the site of a former U.S. Forest Service ranger station in Hailey. The removal of the trees, which was initiated by the owner of the Main Street property, has drawn a barrage of angry protests from Hailey residents and city officials. Express photo by Chris Pilaro
