Allow me to ask a few questions.
1. Just how many folks come downtown to see trees?
2. Just how many folks picnic under the trees on the islands at lunch time?
3. What will it cost to maintain the remaining islands? I know that volunteers come down once a year to clean them up and plant flowers, but who maintains them the rest of the year and at what cost?
4. As far as traffic flow is concerned, what would it be if all the islands were torn out?
5. What problems do these islands present to the Fire Department in terms of getting its trucks down West Federal to fight fires if the islands are there?
6. For that matter, what problems would the Fire Department have fighting fires in the buildings along Federal Street with the trees there at all?
I love trees just as much as the next person, but it seems to me that if you want to open up the street to thru traffic, and take into consideration public safety that the main street with tall buildings that are packed together is the last place you would want trees.
True they are comparatively small right now, but they are living and growing vegetation, and could in time reach 15 to 20 feet in hight.
A small park downtown it seems to me would be ideal. Downtown workers could go there to eat their lunch and hang out, and everyone would be quite happy. Tear down the old Paramount theater building and set the land aside for such a park complete with trees and flowers. It would beautify the west end much more than straggling trees down the middle of the street.
A few benches could be placed in this park and everyone would be happy provided the bums didn't turn it into their bedrooms.
I was always on the fence about the trees in the center median. As far as I was concerned, they could have removed the center medians if an equal or greater number of trees were added at the sidewalks.
As someone who walks downtown every weekday, I feel qualified to say that having lots of trees DOES make a difference. Walking down the W. Federal street is much more enjoyable, to me, than walking down E. Federal or even Central Square.
When Federal Plaza was still pedestrian-only, I would eat lunch there on occasion. Since they took out all the trees, I've only eaten lunch there once. (That was in the shade of the Realty building, and I won't do it again because of the uncomfortable benches.)
I know a lot of water is wasted from the sprinkler system on the center medians, but I don't know what other costs, if any, are associated with it.
If they only removed the medians, traffic flow would probably improve. However, the diagonal parking seems to ruin that flow. I've already witnessed traffic backing up into the intersection of Federal and Market because people were waiting for someone to back out of a diagonal spot.
I can't answer questions 5 and 6. But maybe Greg can?
QuoteTrue they are comparatively small right now, but they are living and growing vegetation, and could in time reach 15 to 20 feet in hight.
I would be surprised if they're not already 15-20 feet tall.
QuoteTear down the old Paramount theater building and set the land aside for such a park complete with trees and flowers.
As much as I love the Paramount building, I somewhat agree with this idea. Save the front, and part of the side facades. (the areas that currently have windows) and make the enclosed space into a park/ampitheater--similar to what was lost on the east end of Federal Plaza. I imagine it could be used quite often by Cedar's, and it would be a nod to the site's history.