Highland Park residents might not have to foot the entire bill to replace trees that were struck down during a recent series of severe thunderstorms.
At a City Council meeting last week, Nancy Hannick of Highland Park-based LH Landscape Architects told the council that it will be too expensive for the property owners of the city’s wooded ravines to replace trees that were knocked down during the May 18 storms.
Hannick suggested that the city split the cost of replacing the trees evenly with property owners. Councilman Peter Koukos said he liked the idea because so many trees in Highland Park have been lost over the years.
“As you can tell from looking at old pictures . . . we have lost a lot of trees,” Koukos said.
The council voted to have the city’s Environmental Commission study tree replacement options while the city’s Lakefront Commission examines ways the city can help protect ravines.
Hannick suggested the city work to see power lines removed from ravines so falling trees do not knock out power during major storms.
