When A Tree Outgrows Its Welcome, and Its Liabilities Outweigh Its Benefits

For those so inclined and available, it might be worth the effort to stop by Union Street near Hudson Avenue on Monday morning to witness the ancient sidewalk tree there finally come down.  It won't be a simple or quick task, but it might be a good show.

I wonder why the property owner made the decision to remove the tree now.  Or did the city finally approach them and say that the tree is a nuisance and danger and must be removed?  Given the condition of the sidewalk thanks to the tree's roots, and the precarious nature of the giant, mostly dead tree, that should have happened long ago.

It will be interesting to see how hollowed out the tree is, indicating how far gone and ready to fall over it has been for years.  A rough measurement of the diameter of the base was 6 feet.

For those of you who will miss this (silver?) maple (and I know there are some out there) -- would you feel the same affection for the tree if it were leaning inches from your house or bedroom window?  Would you even want to live next door to it or walk by it daily, maybe multiple times, doing your best not to trip on the narrow, heaving sidewalk?

Let's hope someone replants a tree there, but maybe not a silver maple this time! 

(Signs around the tree indicate that Monday is the scheduled removal day)