Century-old tree faces chainsaw for Arlington Heights church expansion
Some neighbors of St. Edna Catholic Church in Arlington Heights are upset with plans to remove a 125-year-old tree as part of the church's expansion.
The 40-inch silver maple sits just north of where the church plans to install a new row of parking spaces for its proposed 13,700-square-foot parish center addition on the east side of the church, 2525 N. Arlington Heights Road.
The church held a groundbreaking for the $5.7 million project two weeks ago, and fencing was installed in anticipation of the construction work that's expected to begin shortly.
Keith Grossich, a parishioner who lives across the street, has led an effort to save the tree for its aesthetic and historic value, but last he heard from church and village officials, the tree is still expected to come down.
Removal of the tree would make room for about five parking spaces.
"It's just sad," said Grossich, who has lived next to the church for 30 years. "You almost want to do before and after pictures. After they cut this down, what am I gonna take a picture of, some parking spaces?"
The church's architect for the expansion project, Susan Maish, told village board members in November that the project's landscape architect recommended cutting down the tree because its roots would likely be damaged by construction activity. To save the tree, she said, crews would have to stay out of a 40-foot radius.
That's where the church is planning new parking spaces and a drive aisle.
"It was his opinion that it would be better to put the new landscaping in right away than to watch the tree slowly die over the next three to five years," Maish said at the Nov. 20 board meeting, where trustees voted unanimously to approve the project.
At that meeting, Trustee Jim Tinaglia encouraged the project architect to adjust the plan and keep the tree, if possible.
"I sometimes wonder that what an expert tells you you have to do to make sure things happen is one thing, but maybe in reality you might be able to squeeze by with something maybe a little bit less," Tinaglia said.
In all, 14 trees are expected to be removed from the site, while 46 new ones will be planted, including 6- to 8-foot-tall evergreens and 36-inch yews.
"We are removing, but we are adding a whole lot more in," Maish said. "We're really taking care to put back the landscaping that was there."
The new parish center will contain a 6,540-square-foot multipurpose room and 1,475-square-foot performing arts stage. It will play host to social functions, performances, athletics and other parish programming.
Construction is scheduled to be complete by January 2019.