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4 <br /> " ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS <br /> WILBERT J.MCADOO P.O. Box 8181 OFFICE: (919)245-2625 <br /> DIRECTOR HILLSBOROUGH, NC 27278 FAX: (919)644-3016 <br /> To: John Link, County Manager <br /> From: Wilbert McAdoo, Public Works Director <br /> CC: Rod Visser, Assistant Manager <br /> January 24, 2002 <br /> In the summer of 2000, Orange County Public Works staff determined that a thorough <br /> assessment and evaluation of the twelve maple trees surrounding the Richard E. Whitted <br /> Human Services (REWHS) building located at 300 West Tryon St. in Hillsborough, N.0 was <br /> warranted due to serious health and safety concerns (i.e., risk of falling limbs). The trees <br /> predate the County's acquisition of the building in 1975—exact figures on their ages are <br /> unknown. At that time, the observed condition of several of the trees indicated the possibility for <br /> loss of limbs, a particular concern during periods of severe weather when accompanied by high <br /> winds. Until recently, 6 large sugar maples have bounded the front of the property, near the <br /> retaining wall, while 6 red maples have bounded the east side of the building, overlooking a <br /> busy parking lot. However, the Public Works Department's concerns with the trees were <br /> recently heightened when a red maple located on the east side of the building fell down during a <br /> fairly typical storm in October of 2001. Although no one was injured, some property damage did <br /> occur, and the risk of personal injury to County residents or staff is a major concern. <br /> As you are aware, REWHS houses County departments and agencies providing a variety of <br /> services to County residents, including health and social services. As such, it experiences a <br /> constant influx of visitors, many of whom are young families, disabled or elderly. In November <br /> of 2001, Public Works staff contracted for an evaluation of each tree from Dr. James R. <br /> McGraw, Professor of Forestry and Extension Urban Forestry Specialist with the North Carolina <br /> Cooperative Extension Service at NC State University. <br /> Unfortunately, Dr. McGraw confirmed many of Public Work's concerns with the property's <br /> remaining eleven trees. He stated in a letter dated Dec. 5, 2001, (Attachment 1), "An executive <br /> summary of my examination of these eleven trees is: tree #2, #3, #5, #6, #8 and #12 need to <br /> Office Location: 600 Highway 86 North, Hillsborough <br />