A "majestic" white oak tree is standing in the path of road improvements at the top of Toddy Hill Road, causing concern among several residents there.

"I am a farmer and I have a lot of respect for trees and I hope we don't move into this too hastily," said resident "Farmer" Pete Sepe. "Some neighbors here are quite interested … it's a very majestic tree." He is referring to an old oak with a broad canopy and thick trunk that sits immediately across from the Berkshire Veterinary Hospital.

Plans are in progress to begin a state-funded town project to redesign a portion of Toddy Hill Road at its intersection with Route 34, which includes relocating the road on land where the tree now stands.

The Newtown Bee on August 27, Mr Sepe said, "I would like to bring to light a concern by local residents about a town project in which a beautiful healthy white oak tree … is threatened by future road improvements."

In a letter published in

He said, "This oak has been evaluated by local arborists and has recently been measured by the Connecticut Notable Trees Committee (oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/index.jsp) and will soon be listed on that website."

As of Thursday, September 15, the tree was listed on the Notable Tree Project website. See oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/ViewTreeData.jsp?selected=226040.

Notable Tree Project representative Frank Kaputa replied to an e-mail inquiry saying, "Our volunteer Peter

North measured this oak and sent the information to me. A tree being designated as notable does not afford it any kind of protection, unfortunately." He said the tree is a white oak, "our state tree.

"I don't like to see healthy trees taken down," Mr Kaputa said.

Mr Sepe's letter states, "Without doing an actual bore, this oak is estimated to be between 125 and 200 years old." It asks, "Have all reasonable alternatives been considered? What about putting the tree in an island? Residents are 'stumping' for the powers that be to make things 'Nicer in Newtown' by instilling some dramatic 'creativity' in this project. This is a beautiful specimen."

Kasia Guzy with Berkshire Veterinary Hospital lives and works across from the tree.

"There are a lot of trees on that side of the road but that one is worth mentioning… it's worth saving," she said. Her husband, veterinarian Jarek Guzy, looked out the waiting room window this week, mentioning that the tree is as old as this country, he said.

Ms Guzy said the oak is surrounded by other trees that are "not as magnificent." The oak is "really beautiful."

She said, "We will do anything possible to try to save it, but I know the project is also important." If the tree must be removed, she said, "I hope it at least has consideration." Are there other ways to do the road? she asked.

Ms Guzy said, "We live here and we are neighbors and anything vital to the community is vital to us. Newtown has greenery and we love the country feel. I know we need to grow and expand, but we have to remember nature and do what we can. But, I don't want to oppose an important project. And that tree is unfortunately standing in the middle."

'On A Bad Spot'

Thoughts to leave the tree in an island or route the roadway around the tree are problematic, according to both Town Engineer Ronald Bolmer and Tree Warden Michael McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy said that running a road around the tree or leaving it in an island would cause root damage that would likely require the town to take down a "declining" tree in the future.

However, he did agree that the tree is "a nice white oak tree and was probably there as shade for livestock" in years past. Sympathizing with tree proponents, but nodding to the much-needed roadwork, he said, "We can't save every nice tree; the general good of the public requires that we redo the road."

Mr Bolmer said that a road skirting the tree would need to be outside the tree's drip line, which is the critical root zone defined by the canopy's width. Space in the project's vicinity is an issue.

The tree "is on a bad spot," Mr Bolmer said.

Funding is also part of the equation. Plans that the town has submitted to the state "are what the state will fund."

To go back and try to redesign the project could jeopardize the state grant, said Mr Bolmer. Is the town too far along in planning?

"Most definitely," he said. "We are planning to go out to bid. The road is where it is and the state won't fund otherwise ... we are trying to make the road safe for traffic flow."

The project must also coordinate with the state's current roadwork for the reconstruction of Route 34 and the bridge and highway ramp redesign, Mr Bolmer said.

"There are no other locations" for the road repositioning, he said. The intersection has to stay where it is, he said. "There are not a lot of options… it's difficult to be creative, there is not much flexibility and we are very locked in down there."

According to Mr Bolmer, the Toddy Hill Road Bridge Replacement Project is state funded, and involves the replacement of the existing failing culvert located just below the intersection of Route 34.

"Because of the nature of the road and the traffic problems, we cannot close Toddy Hill Road or even make it alternating traffic, therefore we have to move the road alignment to the west paralleling the existing road. By doing this," he said, "Toddy Hill Road will remain open until the very end of the construction project. The new alignment will intersect Route 34 at the same location, but come in at a flatter grade and a better angle. There will also be a designated left and right turn lane."

As far as the tree, "We have no options to avoid it. It may have been adversely affected even with our original plan of using the existing alignment, which was rejected by the state because of the traffic issue," he said.

Mr Bolmer said the town is "in the process of finalizing right of way acquisitions" for the portion of property where the tree stands, just a few feet off existing roadway. Once that is done, Mr Bolmer will send the plans back out for a final review, then send it out to bid. He doubts construction will begin this season, "but hopefully early next season, the spring of 2017." He estimates the time to complete the construction phase of the project could take four to six months, "assuming all goes well."

The State Department of Transportation LOTCIP program is funding the project. The state has committed $2.5 million to it.