So Long, Maples. Hello, Oaks

The compensation is a good arrangement and in line with what other municipalities do (gauge for gauge replacement). I hope this allows the city and URI to continue their fabulous planting program which greens and humanizes many under-served places in town.

it seems strange that the city and yale can come to such an amicable agreement over what seems to be such a superficial improvement, when there are so many near-lethal situations city-wide where small changes in infrastructure could protect pedestrians and cyclists, yalies and residents alike.

(where are the protected bike lanes or cycle tracks? where are the curb bump-outs and reduced crossing widths? where are the traffic circles and medians reducing speeds? where are the bike corrals? why can't the city and yale work together on and prioritize those types of improvements?)

I agree with JuliS.

It's astonishing that the main connection between the main campus and the new residential colleges, worker health plan building, and family housing essentially looks like the Q Bridge.

I'd like to know why this is even necessary. In this article at least, Yale does not seem to have a very good reason for making the change, not to mention spending the money. The article does say the area will look very different at first. I agree. That stretch of Prospect will look bare for a long time because the new trees will be so much shorter than what is there now.

Doesn't Yale have anything better to do with its time, energy and money than tamper with this section of our city along the Grove Street Cemetery wall along Prospect Street? Not long ago Yale wanted to take down a section of the cemetery wall. Now they want to remove these beautiful, mature trees along the cemetery wall. How silly! How foolish that the city would approve this in order to get a few dollars from Yale. How many residents in tree-lined areas of New Haven would approve the wholesale slaughter of of a row of well-established trees in their neighborhoods to be replaced by scrawny saplings which will take decades to mature to the stature of those stately trees already present? Not many. What about the potential damage the removal of these trees will have on the ancient cemetery wall? Is this tree removal worth the risk of damaging this historic monument? I think not.
New Haveners need to show up and speak up at any public meeting to oppose this proposed tree removal. SAVE THE TREES! Shame on the City Plan Department! Hopefully the Parks Department will be more sensitive to Yale's proposed arboricide. However if the Parks Department is also mesmerized by Yale beyond reason like the City Plan Department, it is the duty of tree-lovers of every neighborhood of this Elm City to awaken them to their senses.

Iroff, this rids of an invasive species, and while in the near term it will not looks as good, it will be in the longer term be a very real improvement. Yale's money is Yale's. I know many people in this city struggle with that (please note, I do NOT necessary think you think that).

JuliS, small bites are easier than large ones.

Anonymous, do you remember the outrage from around two years ago when some people associated with Yale and the Grove Street Cemetery talked of replacing the monolithic wall with a more open iron work fence? I was on the bike path today, and from that vantage point, this area is rather nice.

Interesting. Would like to understand better how the Norway Maples are an invasive species. I always assumed the trees there were deliberately planted -- they didn't just invade Prospect Street, did they? Are there no more substantial infrastructural improvements that are also part of this proposal? It's entirely possible that this move show foresight, despite the short-term trauma of losing what seems like a lovely allee of trees.

Norway Maples are indeed, the weeds of trees. This is a positive move!

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg/pdfs/norway_maple.pdf

I saw a Norway Maple walking toward the Green on Tues. morning. It was carrying a big stick and threatening to take over the Green. In my opinion this plot must be stopped before shrubs and bushes get the same idea. Before you know it bamboo will want its share of the Green. How will the city afford all those resident I.D.'s? Where and when will this invasive plant menace end? Yale is just trying to be a good citizen. Yale would never do something out of self interest. Would it?

There are no forests near this stand of trees for the Norway Maple trees to infest with their wind-born seeds, and there are no trees BUT Norway Maples there, so there is no threat to "forest diversity." I fail to see how these trees, which people obviously planted there, are in any way "invasive." The species may well be designated as "invasive," but the fact is that these 18 trees are not, and are no threat to any other trees or forests. Leave them alone.

It seems like Yale is doing something just to do something. I don't feel threatened by the invading Norwegian trees. Maybe they could remodel a Masters house or something.

This whole project seems like a lot of effort and money for negligible change. There is nothing wrong with that walk now -- and I love the way the grass seamlessly slopes into the sidwealk (1st photo). If they want flowers, just put in some flower boxes and call it a day.

Maybe this is a tale that explains why New Haven is in such dire straits. There is a problem, invasive species. Yale, which many people expect to come down from on high and solve every problem that confronts us, is ready and willing to solve this problem. Yet instead of cries of "carry on" and "good stuff," we hear "Leave them alone" and suspicions that Yale must be up to something to be wiling to waste money.