Richmond man used duct tape to keep a splitting tree from falling while waiting for the city to act

Splitting TreePhoto byAllison Williams/8News Screenshot

WRIC 8 News reported that when a Richmond resident saw a tree splitting and was unsafe near his home, he used duct tape to keep the tree from falling until the City of Richmond could handle the situation.

Ed Williamson, a resident of the Museum District, noticed what he thinks is an elm tree splitting down the middle about a month ago. So, to try and keep it from falling, he got crafty and wrapped it in duct tape.

Williamson told 8News on Tuesday, September 3 that he is waiting for the city to do something about it.

Williamson is not exactly sure why the tree, located at Hanover Avenue and Cleveland Street, began to split. He said he thinks it’s because one side is heavier than the other and has more branches.

In addition to the tape, Williamson added a sign to warn people about parking underneath it.

Williamson said:

“It doesn’t seem to stop people from parking there."

He told 8News he’s not just concerned about cars on the road near Cleveland and Hanover, but he’s also worried about the tree toppling on houses, including his and two other houses.

The City of Richmond's involvement

Williamson said he and his neighbor are hoping the City of Richmond will chop the tree down.

According to city records, the first request was submitted by Williamson's neighbor on August 12, who also made a call on August 22. Then, a third request was submitted on September 2 by Williamson himself.

The city told 8News on September 3 that the tree is on a tree removal list, but it can’t confirm how long it will be before someone can actually take a look at it.

Williamson's creativity

Williamson marked the trunk with a red marker where the tree initially split to keep track of it. But the problem splintered. He said the duct tape around it kept getting tighter and tighter as signs that the split is growing.

Williamson concluded:

“I don’t go to sleep worrying about it, but … you know, every time you come out you see the split and it’s gotten worse.”