Wynnewood Civic helps spare 60+ trees on Gypsy Lane
As a direct result of action by the Wynnewood Civic Association, a PECO plan to cut down 112 trees on Gypsy Lane has been reduced by more than 60 percent.
In November, the WCA hosted a meeting for PECO and residents of Gypsy Lane to help facilitate a resolution to concerns over an impending PECO project that threatened to cut down 112 trees on Gypsy Lane. Gypsy Lane is a heavily wooded street; its trees are old, mature and stately. Unfortunately, many of these trees are in the Lower Merion Township right-of-way (ROW) upon which PECO (and other utilities) retains an easement for maintenance.
In early October, PECO announced it was upgrading an electrical network serving 929 customers in Wynnewood and Gladwyne. The upgrade, designed to improve the electrical wiring and cabling to reduce the power outages troubling this grid, ordinarily would be celebrated as a good thing. But PECO’s initial plan called for cutting down 112 trees in the ROW on the west side of Gypsy Lane which would have had a drastically negative impact on the viewshed along that portion of Gypsy Lane north of Montgomery Avenue.
We are happy to report as a result of the actions taken by the Wynnewood Civic Association — the PECO plan to cut down 112 trees on Gypsy Lane — has been reduced by more than 60 percent! Here’s what happened:
Neighbors initially contacted township officials to express concern about the tree cutting but were told that because PECO has an easement on the ROW, under state law, nothing could be done by the township to mitigate the harm taking down so many trees would cause. When told that, some neighbors reached out to the WCA to ask if we could help. With the assistance of State Representative Tim Briggs, the WCA contacted PECO officials and arranged for them to appear at our November meeting to explain their plans and discuss them with concerned neighbors.
Seven PECO officials, representing different divisions of the utility, attended the meeting to explain the plan and to answer questions. At the conclusion of the meeting, after hearing the neighbors’ pleas, PECO’s vegetation manager graciously agreed to meet individually with each concerned Gypsy Lane property owner to discuss the work to be done at the front of each property. As the result of the individual meetings, PECO agreed to reduce the number of trees to be removed from 112 to 43, a reduction of more than 60 percent.
Our thanks go to State Representative Briggs and PECO officials for their prompt and positive response to the WCA’s concerns about the situation.
This is a classic example of how a strong and active civic association helps preserve and protect our neighborhood. We need your membership and your financial support to continue to be able to advocate for our Wynnewood community now and into the future.
PECO has issued the following update on the project lauding the WCA for its efforts in helping to positively resolve this situation:
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