Fate of West 17th trees up to Washington council

WASHINGTON - When Pat and Pam Hazel moved to Washington in 1976, the variety of mature trees lining the north side of 17th street was a deciding factor.

Pat Hazel said people walk and bike the road during the summer. The trees attract people from all over town, especially for the fall colors.

The line creates a natural barrier between their property, and the storage space of Iowa Bridge and Culvert, Hazel said.

Iowa Bridge and Culvert has been in Washington since 1949, said Iowa Bridge President Brian Uitermarkt. When the city was zoned, the property on West 17th was zoned as residential.

In 2018, Iowa Bridge and Culvert entered into an agreement with the city for the property to be zoned as industrial, with the addition of a fence with a deadline of December 2020. The company has constructed 1,300 feet of fence so far. To complete the fence, Iowa Bridge and Culvert would have to tear down the tree line between them and 17th street.

Now the City Council has to make a decision - make Iowa Bridge and Culvert follow through with the agreement or come up with a different solution to save the trees.

Completing the project and tearing down the trees would cost around $65,000. Uitermarkt said Iowa Bridge and Culvert wants to reconsider the agreement for the monetary cost, and the neighbors would like to save the trees.

City Administrator Brent Hinson said the agreement began because a neighbor on the west did not like how Iowa Bridge and Culvert was expanding its storage space into what formerly was pasture land.

The neighbor knew that the area was not zoned for industrial use.

Uitermarkt said the section of fence they have constructed fulfills the request of the original complaint.

Council member Steve Gault asked if the fence could be built behind the trees. Uitermarkt said they would lose almost 10,000 feet of storage space.

Council member Elaine Moore said the area is beautiful, and she doesn't want to lose the trees. She said there have been residents who approached her, asking for the trees to be left alone.

While the council members want to save the trees, they don't want to abandon the agreement and set a precedent for others. The council voted last Tuesday to give Iowa Bridge and Culvert a six-month extension on the deadline to give the council members time to look at the trees and discuss a possible solution.