NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Officials with the City of New Orleans say they’re stepping up inspections to protect people from fallen trees, but one Uptown resident says they won’t do anything about a leaning oak tree in front of her home.
“This tree leans so much that the potential for it tipping over and hitting my house or other people’s houses is a scary thought,” said Uptown neighbor Gail Ruddock.
Ruddock doesn’t even want to imagine what would happen if this 70-foot oak tree goes timber, but the dangers for her feel real.
“If someone was walking by then they’d be dead. If someone was driving by, then they’d be dead,” she said.
She also feels it is a danger for people walking in the neighborhood.
“Also, a major trip hazard. People avoid walking down this side of the street,” she said.
Ruddock lives across the street from this leaning tree on the 6000 block of Hurst Street.
“Two years in a row I have sent letters to the city, and I asked them to do something about the tree,” she said.
She doesn’t necessarily want the city to come out and chop it down, but she feels the solution could be to take some weight off the tree.
“Top the tree, make it 10 or 15 feet shorter, hoping it would flush it,” Ruddock said.
She feels her hands are tied even though she’s willing to pay to have crews do the job.
“The city doesn’t just let you do it. You have to get permits and go through a labyrinth. It is also an expense and fortunately I have been blessed to have discretionary spending, and I got an estimate, and I could do it to get the tree trimmed a bit,” she said.
Ruddock said that arborists have told her that the tree is leaning 65%.
“Which is considered a hazardous lean,” she said.
She feels, at the root of it all, the city should be thinking of residents’ safety first.
“Their concept is really more risk to the tree, than risk to the citizens,” Ruddock said.
WGNO called the City of New Orleans, and they say they did receive a call to 3-1-1 and sent an arborist out to look at the tree. Their arborist determined at this time no work is necessary on the tree.
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