Neighbors have mixed feelings as Garfield Park is to remove several trees

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Seven trees will be removed in the coming weeks at Garfield Park in Southeast, and neighbors have mixed feelings about the change. This comes after a woman was hit and killed by a large branch there on July 10.

A growing memorial still sits at Garfield Park in honor of 35-year-old Sarah Noah. Her tragic death led the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to conduct a careful inspection of all the trees at the park.

Officials said seven trees will be removed . Three of them are considered dead, three others are in poor condition, and a large tree will be removed for precautionary reasons. DDOT said just because some of the trees are dead does not mean they are a public safety concern, but rather they’ve run the course of their lifetime.

Neighbors told DC News Now that the park is a place they admire for the beauty of its trees and the shade in the summer heat. Many said they understand the reason for the trees being removed but they’re not too happy about the decision.

I hope they replace them with more mature trees. I mean, I understand safety is a massive concern. I really just don’t want this park to become an open field,”

said Matt Handverger, who’s lived in the area for nearly four years.

“We hate to lose big trees because they give homes for the animals. And they are give shade, and they’ve been here so long. However, if they’re dangerous and they got to go,”

said longtime resident Isabella Harris.

DDOT plans to begin the process of removing those trees in the next several weeks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.