Restoring a Legacy
Lee Jacobs
For many years the Moreland Courts Condominium Association knew that the oak trees on the Shaker Boulevard tree lawn were dying, being removed, and would eventually have to be replaced. The Association had many discussions in preparation for the day when restoration of the tree lawn would be required. Numerous strategies were included in those discussions and various experts were consulted. This forethought enabled a level of preparation that was useful when the day came to identify and implement a restoration plan.
Without warning, that day came on January 18, 2019, when the trees were unceremoniously felled by the City of Cleveland to make way for a new Dominion gas line installation along the boulevard. The Moreland Courts Select Committee on Trees was quickly established. The objective was to identify a cost-effective, equitable, and attainable tree restoration plan for implementation on a schedule that would satisfy the requirements of the Moreland Courts Community through partnership with the City of Cleveland and Dominion Gas. The City was involved as owner of the tree lawn and the trees being removed. Dominion was involved, as their gas line project would demolish significant sections of sidewalk which was their responsibility to replace upon completion of the project.
The committee seized the opportunity to straighten and narrow the new sidewalk to increase the size of the tree lawn. This decision enabled the committee to choose medium- rather than a small-sized trees from the City of Cleveland’s Approved Tree List. The widest parts of the tree lawn were planted with Acer miyabei ‘Morton’, commonly known as State Street maple, while the narrower lawns were planted with Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’, commonly known as Persian ironwood. Both types of trees were determined to be the most suitable, desirable, and available options on the City of Cleveland list. The committee unanimously agreed that the Association would undertake the selection and planting of the trees rather than wait indefinitely for the City to complete the project. As unsettling as it was to lose the mature oaks, we now have an elegant cityscape that has exceeded our expectations to create a graceful corridor between Shaker Heights and Shaker Square.
