Swarthmore Tree Replanting

Our Plan

Scores of palm trees on Swarthmore were cut down after the fire; many stumps remain. It is still too early to replant in front of burned houses, we don’t know if driveways will get moved and construction work could damage the plants. However, there are 5 stumps on the CVS block and 4 in front of Frontier, and these buildings are still standing. This project is to plant 9 new trees, and remove the stumps. This helps to restore an area of the Palisades that already has open business (American Legion, Garden Cafe) and is frequently visited by the community.

Not every existing tree well is suitable for a new tree under current Bureau of Street Services guidelines (ex: too close to a stop sign). We will cut new tree wells in 4 locations on the first block of Swarthmore, and fill the old tree wells.

A planting event will be held at the American Legion Post 283 to install the first 4 trees with community volunteers. Other blocks of Swarthmore will be for future tree planting events.

Estimated Costs

• Sidewalk preparation: $4.75k to cut 4 new tree wells and fill 3 old ones. Estimate from DiBara Masonry
• Permits: $460 for A-permit and sidwalk inspection. Fees may be waived by mayor’s office, but this is still being discussed.
• Stump removal: $575 per stump. The city has completed this step for us using FEMA funds!
• New 25 gal tree: $350 (delivery included)
• Tree stakes: $20 per tree (2 stakes)
• Stake ties: $5 per tree (2 ties)
• Watering bag: $15 per tree
• Mulch & soil: $20 per tree
• Shovels: $15 each We’ll plant during a community volunteering event. 20-30 people needed, 2-3 per tree. The plants can be delivered to the American Legion directly, from there they can be moved by hand up and down the street.
• Planting cost: ~$440/tree (excludes sidewalk work)
• Watering schedule: 10 gal every other day for 1 month, then twice weekly for 2 months, then weekly for 1 month. Much of this is expeted to be done by volunteers, using nearby water sources at the American Legion Post. For any that is not done by volunteers, costs are estimated to be $50-$100/visit. (~35 visits @ $50–$100/visit = $1,750–$3,500)