Town gets new trees in beauti?cation plan

When Steven Wade decided to donate a tree to Chapel Hill, he had no idea he would be giving the town a piece of its lost identity.

Wade, a local historian, said he got the idea to donate an American Elm tree after reading an article about the species being sold after it was thought to have been extinct.

“I thought it was a nice way to give something to the town,” he said.

Wade’s donation is part of the town’s Streetscape Master Plan, which allowed him to make his special donation to Franklin Street.

The Streetscape program is planting different species of trees along West Franklin Street in an effort to beautify the town.

About three days before the elm he picked out was planted, Wade said he came across a 1926 article in The Daily Tar Heel about the elm trees that used to line Franklin Street. When the article was written, the trees were dying from disease.

Wade was restoring a piece of Chapel Hill history, and it only cost him $150.

“I think that trees are something that we take for granted,” he said.

Wade said he thinks people often do not know the beauty and importance of trees until they’re gone.

Wade’s American Elm was planted outside Italian Pizzeria III, located at 508 W. Franklin St., earlier this month.

Funding for the Streetscape plan, approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council in June 2007, totaled $250,000 for design services.

The goal of the Streetscape project is to improve the experience of pedestrians through smoother sidewalks, crosswalks, walkway lighting and benches.

Emily Cameron, town landscape architect, said the program has been in place since the mid 1990s and is a capital improvement effort for Chapel Hill.

“It makes our sidewalks safer and more user friendly,” said Cameron.

Cameron oversees the design of sidewalk improvements and ensures they are built properly and in a timely manner.

Cameron said support from town residents has been critical for the success of the program since the town secured bonds to finance the project.

Wade worked with Cameron to select a tree to donate to the town.

Cameron said the trees, along with other town improvements such as underground wiring, make downtown Chapel Hill more attractive for those who visit, do business, or work in the area.

Meg McGurk, executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, said she is glad to see the Streetscape program expanding its reach.

“Our Streetscape and trees are very valuable to our community,” she said. “We are happy to have them.”

McGurk said she hopes the program will expand during the upcoming spring season.

“We want to continue to see them grow,” McGurk said.

“And yes, that was a pun.”

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.