BIA petitions for metal grates surrounding downtown trees

When downtown Lindsay received a massive facelift in 2023-2024, part of the upgrade to the area included the installation of over 100 new trees in streetscape tree pits of one kind or another on Kent, Lindsay, William and Cambridge Streets.

Since their transplantation, many of the trees have failed to thrive, while their tree pits have become overgrown with weeds and have become a tripping hazard for pedestrians. In a presentation to council, Melissa McFarland, executive director of the Lindsay Downtown Business Improvement Associations (LDBIA) and Steve Podolsky, board vice-chair, suggested that the long-term answer to these and other tree related issues is the installation of a two-piece metal tree grate around each tree that will make maintenance easier, limit weed growth and improve the trees’ chances of survival.

“We are concerned about the streetscape tree pits in downtown Lindsay,” said Podolsky, noting the rubberized mulch mats installed during the downtown reconstruction have sunk, requiring frequent lifts and fills, create trip hazards and complicate tree maintenance.

Other revitalization streets (including William, Cambridge and Lindsay Streets) use open pits with loose wood chips, he said, which demand “ongoing upkeep and detract from the cohesion of the downtown streetscape.”

Podolsky said that the BIA, after looking at best practices in other communities, is recommending that council consider transitioning to durable two-piece metal tree grates. The grates would have a central tree opening to improve safety, allow ongoing watering and maintenance and provide long-term, cost effective, aesthetically consistent solutions to the issues the downtown is currently dealing with regarding trees.

“We thought that rubberized mulch mats were going to be a highly effective solution,” Podolsky said, “but that has not been the case.”

McFarland asked council that the metal tree grates be installed on every single tree in the downtown within the Lindsay Downtown Reconstruction Area for a consistent streetscape.

“We realize that this project will have a significant initial investment,” McFarland said, “however we believe that the long-term benefits, including reduced maintenance costs and improved safety, will be worth it.”

McFarland also asked that the city carry out an inventory of the trees in the downtown core as according to the BIA’s best estimates 26 of the 101 trees planted are in need of “serious intervention or replacement immediately.”

Councillor Dan Joyce postulated that even after the installation of the grates that intensive weeding would still be necessary, to which McFarland responded that the grates, in the BIA’s opinion, would do a better job of at least containing the weeds.

Councillor Tracy Richardson, co-owner of a Manvers area tree nursery, asked if the BIA had considered the use of removable tree growth rings rather than metal grates suggesting they might work better.

McFarland replied that tree growth rings had not been brought to their attention before.

Councillor Ron Ashmore wondered if the recent installation of bike racks on Kent Street will improve life expectancy of trees, if people are no longer propping their bikes up against immature tree trunks found in the downtown core.

McFarland was very hopeful that with bike racks recently installed the trees will  benefit.

Council voted unanimously to discuss this issue more at the next regular council meeting.