Bob,

I met with your HOA March 8th to discuss your community’s participation in the Bradford Pear Pilot Replacement Program. I have reached out to the community members via Montpelier Online. Councilwoman Mary Lehman (District 1) has been forwarding me any questions and concerns she receives from citizens. I have been responding to every email from a concerned community member.

The contractors are scheduled to start removal on April 4th. They will most-likely start in the Andover Heights portion of the sub-division (Claxton, Portsmouth and Imperial). I am suggesting to the contractors to start in Andover Heights to allow your community more time to contact me if they are concerned about removal of trees. If you could please get the word out about the removal date I would greatly appreciate it. You can have people contact me at koklesson@ndc-md.org or 301-779-6010. I would love for individuals trying to reach me regarding a tree(s) to leave me their address and a contact number.

As mentioned in my presentation, only the dead, dying and high risk trees will be removed. If a community member is absolutely opposed to having their trees removed and live on one of the streets I outlined on the Bradford Pear Blog as “streets of most concern” (http://montpelieronline.org/?p=838) they should contact me immediately. I am willing to discuss specific removals with people, but if a tree is diseased, poses a safety risk , dead or dying then the tree will be removed. Thank you for your time and especially your community’s participation in the program.

Kelley A. Oklesson
Project Coordinator
Neighborhood Design Center
301-779-6010
6103 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 102
Riverdale Park, MD 20737

If you would like to fax a copy, send it to 270 812-8536 or email emhughes@comcast.net, but please mail the original to the po box listed above.

You can find the ACCC guidelines and approval form at http://montpelieronline.org/?page_id=40.

Thanks,
Tony

my name is Kelley Oklesson and I work for Neighborhood Design Center as Project Coordinator for the Bradford Pear Pilot Replacement Program. We recently gave a presentation to the Montpelier Community Association a week or so ago regarding your community’s participation in the Bradford Pear Pilot Replacement Program. I see many of you have great questions and valid concerns about the tree and the program. Thanks ahead for being so active in your community!

The Bradford Pear Pilot Replacement Program consists of 3 phases; risk assessment, removal and replacement. A risk assessment has been completed for Montpelier and Andover Heights. The assessment is of Dead, Dying and High Risk Bradford Pear trees. The assessment was completed by myself and Mr. Wayne Lucas (DPW&T), both of us are ISA Certified Arborists.

*****Only the dead, dying or high risk Bradford Pears will be considered for removal.

The powerpoint I used in my presentation will soon be available on the Montpelier website. The presentation gives a brief history of the Bradford Pear, the genetic defects, risks associated with the tree, information about the program and a list of replacement species.

The streets of most concern in Montpelier are:

Montplelier Dr. (near entrance of 197)
Royal Ridge La (near entrance of Cedarbrook Ln)
Crystal Rock La
Ivory Pass
Crestmont Ln (southern side of road)
Granite La
Gramercy La (near entrance of Oxwell Ln)
Cedarbrook La (near entrance of Muirkirk)
Briardale La
Barclay Pl
Mount Pleasant Dr (near entrance of Briardale)

If you have a house on one of these streets and are concerned about the removal of a tree, please contact me at koklesson@ndc-md.org.

******As stated before only Bradford Pear Trees will be removed (crabapples may be removed on a case by case basis), they must be dead, dying or high risk. We will not remove a healthy Bradford Pear tree unless it poses a risk to the health or property of the community.

Since removal will start April 4th please contact me asap. I will post again when replacement species will be selected. Thank you!