This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There is a beautiful sycamore on the corner near my house. At any given time, at least one child is sitting in the tree. It is a community gathering spot. Usually there are bicycles on the grass and a parent is sitting on a bench in front of Salt Lake Monument.
Monday a city crew cut the climbing limbs off the tree. I objected and was told it was done for safety reasons, that the tree was a liability. I phoned urban forestry and was told, "Those branches should have been removed when the tree was young, but it got away from us," and that the tree was a liability.
It was like talking to automatons. Surely there are other options: A climb-at-your-own-risk sign? A notice posted ahead of time lest anyone wanted to contest it? A community discussion? For a minute I was consoled because one branch remains, but the city workers said they will take it "probably next spring."
Kirsten Hepburn
Salt Lake City