City of Lakeport plans tree removal as part of new park development
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport said it’s preparing this week to begin removal of some trees at the site of a new city park ahead of the construction set to start later this year.
The Lakefront Park is located at 800 and 810 N. Main St.
The Lakeport Public Works Department said that from Tuesday, Feb. 2, through Thursday, Feb. 4, there will be traffic control from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on North Main Street between Sixth and Ninth streets while crews remove some trees at the site.
The park is being funded by a $5.9 million grant the city received last February for land acquisition and development, as Lake County News has reported.
The city completed the acquisition of the 6.9 acres in the spring from the Hotaling family, which held a 1.5-acre section at 810 N. Main St., and the remaining parcel, formerly the Natural High school and Lakeport Elementary School location, from the Lakeport Unified School District. The city paid the Hotaling family $50,000 and the school district $660,000.
In November, the city council voted to use some of the city’s reserve funds to cover unanticipated cost increases.
On Monday, the city reported that it’s preparing the final construction plans for the new park, with construction slated to begin this summer.
Park improvements will include new concrete curb, gutter and sidewalk along the site’s North Main Street frontage, the city reported.
Sycamore trees in that area have lifted portions of the public sidewalk in recent years, which the city said can be a hazard to pedestrians. Fallen branches and limbs from these trees have also been a public safety concern.
As a result, the city said it has been determined that the five existing sycamore trees will be removed and replaced with five new 24-inch box sycamore trees. At maturity, box sycamores are reported to grow to between 40 and 80 feet tall.
The city said seven more similar-sized sycamore trees are planned to be planted in the new Lakefront Park along with approximately 40 other new trees.
In addition, the city said some trees along the shoreline of Clear Lake appear to be unhealthy and will likely be removed as part of the new park’s improvements.
The city said a professional arborist has been retained to determine which shoreline trees need to be removed. The goal is to keep as many healthy, mature trees as possible.
Officials said they are excited to begin construction on what they anticipate will be an “awesome addition to Lakeport’s park facilities and recreational activities.”
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