WASHINGTON 鈥� Earlier this month, Erin Besch arrived at her North Bethesda home to find that the limbs had been cut off the聽shade tree that had been outside her home for years.
The next day, the tree was reduced to a 5-inch stump.
鈥淚t was very shocking,” Besch said. “I had no idea this was happening.鈥�
Now, Besch and others in the neighborhood are getting an apology from Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. The area utility company says it failed to adequately warn residents about a plan to remove several mature trees along their street.
鈥淎 number of trees in that neighborhood were taken down before proper notification was given, and that鈥檚 absolutely something we apologize for,鈥� said Jerry Irvine, a spokesman for WSSC.
The trees, which sit on public right of way,聽were cut down by contractors聽during a project to replace a water line from 1958. The tree at Besch鈥檚 Edward Avenue home was one of聽the casualties.
Besch said her 9-year-old daughter took it the worst when she discovered the tree was gone after stepping off the school bus.
鈥淪he鈥檚 still upset about it and still screams, 鈥榃hy did they take the tree?’鈥� Besch said.
Letters about聽the project were sent out and a community meeting was held, Irvine said, but the tree issue was not highlighted as much as it should have been.
鈥淲e all understand that there is a price for progress,鈥� said Sharon Watts, who lives on Edward Avenue. 鈥淲e just want a little notification of what鈥檚 going on before it happens, instead of coming home and being jolted by a tree being moved.鈥�
Watts said the sprawling tree lines are one of the things that attracted her and her neighbors to the neighborhood.
鈥淲hen you come home one day and all the trees on your block have been taken down, it鈥檚 violating,鈥� Watts said.
Irvine said project managers are in the process of going door to door to make sure they reach out to people who live in the area about what is taking place in their neighborhood.
He said the utility company has permission from the state to remove trees on public rights of way and does not need resident approval to cut them down.
Irvine said 35 more trees will need to be taken down along streets in the North Bethesda Grove neighborhood, and dozens more will be pruned.
