‘Twenty years to grow and 20 minutes to cut down’: Barrington streetscape improvements irk some

The owner and manager of a downtown Barrington building are upset that a mature tree was cut down during the village’s streetscape improvements around Cook Street Plaza.

Holly McClintock, who owns the plaza near Cook and Station streets, and Kristin Beecher, who manages it and lives above Cook Street Coffee, which is part of the development, confronted the village board Monday, as did another concerned resident, Bill Hartman.

Beecher and McClintock said the village the tree, located on the east side of Cook Street Coffee at Cook and Station streets, could stay.

“We were told the tree would stay,” Beecher said. “Twenty years to grow and 20 minutes to cut down.”

Beecher said she was told May 15 the tree needed to come down, but she scheduled a meeting with village officials the next business day to discuss it. Before the meeting could be held, she said, a crew cut it down. She said a street superintendent ignored her request to call a supervisor before removing the tree.

In its place the village is building a seat wall where downtown visitors can sit. Beecher is concerned new trees will struggle to grow within the four-foot-deep fixture.

The village began the streetscape project in the spring at Cook Street, Station Street and the northwest segment of Park Avenue. Work includes the removal of pavers, installation of new sidewalks and clay brick accents, relocation of the trash enclosure on Station Street and enhanced landscaping throughout.

McClintock’s father David built the $24 million mixed-use development about 20 years ago. She contends there was nothing wrong with the tree.

Hartman brought photos of the tree before its removal and told the board that people in town were angry.

“I can’t believe we cut that thing down,” he said. “This is a tree city. What the devil?”

Village President Mike Moran said arborists on staff reviewed the trees at least twice and that some had damaged or disheveled roots.

Moran added landscaping crews would be planting trees and greenery throughout the project area soon.

Beecher asked the board to consult an outside arborist to help select fast-growing shade tree varieties, noting it could take 10 to 15 years for new trees to reach a meaningful size.

She said the most vibrant downtowns have large mature trees that provide shade and invite people to linger.

“I wish more planning and community input would have gone into preserving healthy trees,” she said.