"EVERYTHING MUST GO!"
ALL 53 TREES TO BE REMOVED
FOR SIDEWALK
IT'S OUTRAGEOUS!
Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!
Tree huggers: You'd better get a good rest and fortify yourself with a hearty breakfast. 53 trees are going to be destroyed along Wisconsin Avenue between Bradley Lane and Friendship Heights, if the state has its way.
According to an attendee of last night's meeting between the Maryland State Highway Administration and nearby residents, SHA is determined to cut down every tree along the east side of 355 in order to build a sidewalk. A sidewalk!
There just happens to be one on the west side of the road, guys.
What's happening here, of course, is that sidewalks and multi-use paths now must conform to strict environmental and disability access standards that didn't exist before. In almost every case, that makes sense. But you would think that, with this being the only stretch of green for miles, no one would propose building a sidewalk that is not strictly necessary.
I'm always an advocate for mandating sidewalks, paths and/or bike lanes wherever feasable on new roads. Separate bike, auto and pedestrian facilities improve safety, and get everyone to their destination faster.
But should such an ideal scenario come at the expense of precious and rare environmental resources?
I have no problem with trees being cut down for the public good, such as to build a highway, railroad or fire station. In this case, however, this sidewalk is a luxury item, and a solution in search of a problem.
Very few people walk this stretch. Those who wish to do so can now on the west sidewalk. Joggers can run, cyclists can cycle and wheelchairs can utilize it as well. Most people are taking a car, bus or Metro ride down there.
Would I like to have an 8' multi-use path there? Absolutely. But not at the cost of the Green Mile.
To a small extent, this is reminiscent of Montgomery County's sidewalk shenanigans in recent years. The county, supposedly so broke it needs to hit up senior citizens for ambulance fees, has what seems to be a bottomless budget to retrofit old neighborhoods with sidewalks. They're used as political payoffs, as well-connected supporters simply ask and receive sidewalks. No rigorous engineering standards must be met. And the destruction of our already-evaporating tree canopy is not an issue for them. At all. In some Bethesda neighborhoods, trees older than the neighborhoods themselves are being felled for sidewalks. My answer is, if you wanted a street with sidewalks, why did you buy a house where there weren't any? Our elected officials are out to literally pave over the entire county.
And that leads me to my theory about what's really behind this clearcutting of the Green Mile. Right now, that tree-lined stretch is off limits to development. There's a mishmash of government and Chevy Chase Club land that I'll let a surveyor try to explain to you. (Someone even brought this up as a place to build the new BCC cluster middle school, so you're talking about more government land then you'd think).
Here's my theory: It's practically sacred now. No one would dare try to build anything there.
But what if government found a "noble excuse" to clearcut the trees? Now it becomes just another barren space.
Here comes Danny Developer down the road. He's rubbing his hands together, thinking of all the possibilities. "Green. Sustainable. Smart growth," Danny says, smiling at the Planning Board. "A vibrant space to live, work and play." (By the way, what do the planners and developers mean when they refer to "play" for people over the age of, say 10? Do adults "play?" So annoying). "Staff recommends approval!" "All those in favor... By acclimation!"
By eliminating the Green Mile, the taboo of developing it is gone. Pretty clever, right? Too clever by half.
Angry about losing 53 trees?
Comments about the project are still being taken at:
kmazzara@sha.state.md.us
ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov
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