City of Detroit works to remove dangerous trees

Dead trees on city property pose serious dangers in Detroit neighborhoods

DETROIT – Penrod Street near Paul Avenue on Detroit's west side is a street with special rules.

No kids are allowed to play near a dead tree. That's because the tree started to come down in pieces on Thursday.

"Oh yes, because you don't know when it's going to come down," said neighbor Gregory Eubanks.

The tree is on city property -- the strip between the street and the sidewalk. There wasn't any wind Thursday when parts of it started to rain down.

There are thousands of dangerous trees like this one across the city of Detroit -- dead trees on city property. People have been killed by falling trees while there hasn't been any money to do much about them.

"Since we go the new mayor in there I figured well now's the time, we need to raise up some problems -- we'll get the state rep. or somebody over here, because somebody is going to get hurt," said Eubanks.

Dangerous trees are on Mayor Mike Duggan's to-do list.

A city inspector went out to Penrod Street on Friday. It was the first sign of life near the dead tree. City administrators said they are working to see if there is money to start taking down dangerous trees. They expect to bring the one on Penrod Street down in just days.

If you have a tree like this that you're worried about, call the city and be patient. With so many dead trees to deal with, this is going to be a long process. There are about 5,000 dead trees on city property.

Residents can call 313-224-6000.


About the Author:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.