As part of a wider infrastructure plan, council has started looking into which trees in town are causing problems with a goal of replacing them with other varieties that wouldn’t wreck Davidson’s sidewalks.

Tyler Alexander, a Town of Davidson councillor, said he hates to see any of their trees in town go down, but the ones that are causing safety issues for town residents or causing damage to town property need to be addressed.

“We’re working on getting a long-term sidewalk plan…we’re having a hard time (getting) people to do sidewalks for us, but we’re looking at a long-term sidewalk plan,” said Alexander. “The two things can definitely co-exist, working on (tree replacement) and repairing the sidewalks.”

Alexander said town foreman Rod German went around town this past spring with a map in hand to pinpoint problem sidewalks. He said one of the major problems for town council in getting sidewalks repaired is the expense involved.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of money for it this year,” he said. “The money we are able to budget as of right now would do us maybe a block a year, so we’ve had a couple things like the roof in the town hall needs fixing and there is some stuff at the rink that needed repair too. Money was a little tight this year, (but) we do have some set aside for sidewalks.”

Bob Gust said the sidewalk outside his home on Grant Street has become a problem because a large poplar planted on town property in front of his home has raised a section of the concrete about four inches. He said some large branches from the tree that hung over his roof were recently removed, but thinks the whole tree should go.

“It’s broke,” Gust said about the sidewalk. People “could trip quite easily. The sidewalk needs improving.”

To read more please see the Sept. 2 print edition of The Davidson Leader.