The Detroit times., 1914-12-02
From the Department OF Parks and
BouIevards.

To the Honorable the Common Councils
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 10 the petition
Baker protesting against the method
OF planting trees on Dexter boulevard
and referred TO this department,
tion l. 20 ordinan st &c. the planting OF
trees along Dexter boulevard was
done The section referred 20 reads AS
follows:
The Department OF Parks and
Boulevards shall have power and con-
troll over all trees, shrubs and plants
planted, or 10 be planted In the streets
Detroit and the power 10 plant. prune,
spray, cultivate. preserve and other
wise maintain such trees within the
city OF Detroit"
Section 8 also says NO person.
firm or corporation shall plant In any
distance OF less than 70 feet from any
other tree. or at distance OF less
than two feet from the established
sidewalk line OF said street except
upon written permit hrst obtained
from the Department or Parks ana
Boulevards"
AS stated in the petition, verbal no
Ing on Dexter boulevard OF our inten-
tions TO replace some or the trees ana
to plant where none were already To-
and not because OF any obligation 10
do so. The size OF the tree was not
mentioned
In placing the trees an attempt was
made 10 keep as near as possible
uniform distance between, and In the
block referred 90 eight trees were
planted on each side with spaces be.
/ tween ,ot 81 feet, 81 feet. 81 feet, 81
| feet, 20 feet six inches. 81 feet seven
inches. The distance OF 80 feet six
inches was made necessary because or
an automobile driveway.
There were a few cases where mex
pensive planting had 10 be changed or
| rearranged and In such cases the work
was done by our men and the prop
erty owner consulted In several In
stances small trees were taken up and
| transplanted in the owners back
yards The owner thus lost nothing
and was put 10 absolutely no expense
by reason OF the slight changes made.
Relative TO lot No. liz, on which
your petitioners lay great stress. we
| gone 10 the expense OF one hundred
| dollars TO plant two S-inch elms IN
front OF his property. This property
has so feet inches OF frontage His
trees were planted rs feet inches
apart which was not satisfactory to
us. They were transplanted at dis.
OF his own property. He thus merely
retained what he already had and
paid for and secured from the city
/ nothing In addition.
| Each OF your petitioners retained, in
| some manner or other that which they
already had and In addition had placed
In front OF their property four-inch
| elm tree.
| II Is the policy OF this department.
mot to consider the individual property
| but rather the Identification OF the
| streets as a whole. in fact. in at
tempting the Identification OF the city
We could hardly AFFORD TO take into
consideration the claims OF a single
| individual as In many cases the indi-
vidual would probably be obliged 10
| sacrifice something or other where the
| community as a whole Is 70 be bene-
hted
! The planting on the whole has
l greatly improved that thoroughfare
| and we ind that the people generally
are pleased II is TO be regretted that
the hrst efforts on the part OF the city
| In the way or improving the city
| streets through tree planting should
| arouse the jealousy and antagonism eof
/ even two residents.
| Respectfully submitted.
| WILLIAM T DUST.
| Commissioner.
Referred TO Committee on Parks and
1 BouleYards