Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Tree and Landscape Commission met on May 20, 2026, to discuss multiple tree and landscape management issues in downtown Milford, including the condition of street trees, a new contract arborist, tree inventory software, the removal of invasive Bradford pear trees, and updates on the City Hall Plaza project. The commission also reviewed specific planting beds along the riverwalk and at Memorial Park.
North Walnut Street Downtown Trees and Soil (Median) The commission reviewed the overgrown and poorly performing median on North Walnut Street. Members expressed support for native, drought-tolerant plantings that can withstand salt spray and traffic. They advised against adding a crosswalk through the median due to safety and liability concerns. Suggestions included fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) as a low-growing ground cover and other native plants. Commissioners emphasized the need for plants that do not exceed two feet in height and trees that branch above six feet to maintain sight lines and security. The designer will bring options to the next meeting.
North Walnut Street Downtown Trees in Sidewalk The commission discussed widespread issues with street trees, including tree branches scratching windows, roots pushing up brick sidewalks, and frequent pruning needs. Members noted that many trees (e.g., Bradford pears, cherries, willow oaks) were likely the wrong species for the location. Several commissioners advocated for a comprehensive removal and replacement project all at once to minimize disruption and public outcry. They recommended a public education campaign before any removals, possibly including an open house. Lighting on trees was also discussed; the current decorative lights are frequently damaged and expensive to maintain. Uplighting or downlighting LED options were suggested, with the potential for color-changing lights.
Contract Arborist for the City The city has contracted with Brandywine Tree and Shrub, a certified arborist firm based in Wilmington with a local crew. They have already been engaged to remove a dead tree on city property. The city plans to have them prune trees in the Farmers Market area (from Walnut Street to Washington Street) as a trial, with the goal of establishing a yearly contract for ongoing pruning and maintenance. The commission also discussed using tree inventory software (Tree Plotter) to create a database of all city trees. The aim is to hire summer interns to survey and catalog trees, track maintenance, and meet Tree City USA requirements. The software was praised for being user-friendly.
City Hall Plaza Update The City Hall Plaza redesign project (including brick walkways, flagpoles, and plantings) has been shelved after council voted against it due to the $300,000–$400,000 cost. The commission discussed what to do with the existing plantings around the building and the three Bradford pear trees near the Finance building. Given that Bradford pears are invasive and structurally weak, there was consensus to remove them, preferably as part of the larger downtown tree removal project. The group noted that a sudden removal could spark public backlash, so a coordinated plan with public education is necessary.
Anchor Bed and Riverwalk Planting Holly presented two areas needing replanting. The anchor bed downtown had burning bushes removed (cut down and poisoned). The bed gets half-day sun and is near a bench. Suggestions for the anchor bed included a mass planting of shrubby St. John's wort (Hypericum) or fothergilla (witch alder). Along the riverwalk, the parking lot edge needs screening from cars. Commissioners proposed beach plum (salt-tolerant) on the inner edge with switchgrass on the parking lot side, or cherry laurel. There was discussion of using native, salt-tolerant species due to snow and salt runoff. No formal action was taken; Holly will proceed with recommendations.
Memorial Park Planting A shady bed near the new playground was discussed. The bed currently has a low sign and rocks. Commissioners suggested replacing it with shade-tolerant shrubs like oakleaf hydrangea, rhododendron, or summersweet (Clethra). They also considered moving the sign out of the bed to simplify planting. Holly will gather recommendations by email and make a decision.
Eat it with wildflower and wild grasses that are native that will change over the course of the year from spring to summer to fall. And it only has to be cut down like twice a year. So I don't that's an option. I think the one thing we have to consider through all that is again the harsh realities of uh salt spray, uh traffic, urban conditions. So that really plays a huge role in that. Uh and then yeah, I'd I'll piggyback on what everybody else was saying that I would be extremely hesitant on uh introducing a crosswalk into there because then the responsibility also lays and lies into the the the city for for um for allowing or or for inst not instigating, but you know, I mean for yeah you even uh when we're on the weeding it or you know, fixing the electrical boxes or whatever, you kind of take your life in your hands here with um with traffic, you know, particularly making that that turn when those large trucks, you know, get jammed up and the trying to cross the you know, they're always cutting the curb down there. So that's good advice. We'll stay away from the the crosswalk or the walkway through there. Um but there's Eric to your point, there's certainly things that we can we can bring up with Chad the designer, um, you know, and just see what sort of options he's got, and then maybe he can um hopefully at the next meeting come back and just you know g give us some ideas and then we can you know um brainstorm a little bit more. And they might want to think outside the box for ground covers too. So down at the University of Delaware campus in Lewis in their parking lot, there's like a little central island around the one caught de sac area that has parking around it, and in there they have fragrant sumac, Roos Aromatica, which they're using as that type of ground cover, even though it gets to like 12 to 18 inches tall, and it looks really cool, and it's surviving, and that's down at the beach, so I think it can take salt spray and heavy traffic too. So that might be an option to think outside of the different grant types of ground covers. I think that is deciduous though, so it would lose its leaves. It is definitely deciduous, but it sure does cover an area and it covers it pretty fast. So are you talking about all the trees along the entire downtown? Uh Jason, that would be item three on the agenda, North Walnut Street downtown trees and the soil. So if you could uh hold your comments to the next uh item. Uh what you do see in a couple of those bump outs though there were trees there that have died and were cut down. So the question is could we put those trees back in those spots as well as you know, planting other things in there with them? Yeah, to Holly's point, you can see uh there's a stump there. We had uh, you know, this winter was brutal on on all of us, but we had a a couple of trees there that just branches broke off and um we had to remove them. So, you know, we've been reluctant or hesitant to um install anything there at the moment until we you know we get an idea of what what we're trying to achieve. Um, but you know, to that photo there that's outside customer service, it's just so badly overgrowing with um all types of stuff in there. It it really needs to um yeah really be thinned out at least and then if not ripped out and and and started again. So those crab apples are not the best in health. Do you recommend we put I'm not now I'm talking to Holly. Do you recommend we put replace them with something else or just not have flowering trees there or just have the single big sycamore or uh Bundamplain tree? Oh, I'm fine with having trees on you know on opposite ends, you know. You just have to make sure that their trees that are gonna withstand the abuse that they get down there and aren't gonna get so wide that somebody's gonna hit them because it's I mean it's not a really wide median by any means. And we the other thing is you want to be careful because of the brick around that median that if you get something that has too many surface roots, we're gonna deal with the pushing up the bricks. And I want to add on to that one too. Uh we need to be cautious or the the designer needs to be cautious on plant selection for line of sight through there. Um as far as you know, the the sh the shrubs or ground cover probably shouldn't get I mean that that's a raised island a little bit there, so probably shouldn't get more than two feet tall, and then uh the trees should branch, you know, above uh six feet. But one of the areas that I was concerned about was this fo this photo here, uh turn in that corners blind, um, and then also kind of from a safety standpoint, you know, security. There could be somebody standing behind there. Um so we just need to be cautious on the uh safety security of of plant selection as well as far as height.