PORT TOWNSEND — The city must deal with the trees lining Water Street — some that could break and fall, others that block the splendor of historic buildings, uproot sidewalks, even root into leaky sewer lines.
So concludes city tree committee members who have spent two years studying how the downtown historic district should manage the overgrown trees lining Water Street.
The committee last week presented its findings to City Council members at a workshop, which reopened a discussion that could lead to decisions this spring on what to do with the Water Street trees.
The City Council is expected to meet again with the tree committee in about three weeks, possibly to make some decisions.
The committee has looked as other cities designated as Tree Cities USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, choosing Ketchum, Idaho, and Leavenworth in Central Washington as models to emulate.
Those cities have managed programs that meld trees with landscaping, outdoor public furniture and lamp posts that enhance rather than distract from town character.
