Washington Square trees gone

About 15 large trees were removed from a portion of Washington Square on Monday in preparation for construction of a shopping center.

The Marysville site has been a bone of contention between the city and a small group of residents who fought for three years to preserve the trees.

Beginning at daybreak, construction crews removed the trees on the southwest side of where Highway 20 meets Highway 70 on E Street. By about 9:30 a.m., all the trees, which had been covered with netting to keep birds from roosting in them, had been taken down.

Main & Main Investments of Chico has approval to develop the 2.4-acre parcel into a shopping center with three retail buildings and a parking lot. A Tri Counties Bank, Panda Express and CVS Pharmacy have been identified as some of the tenants.

An arborist's study in 2007 found that only three or four of roughly 30 trees on the site at that time were salvageable. The rest were old and in poor health, according to the study.

"It was not enough to manipulate a site plan around those trees," says City Services Director Dave Lamon.

Current plans call for new trees and greenery to be planted around the buildings.

A group called Citizens to Preserve Marysville's Parks had fought to stop the development from going forward, saying Washington Square was a community park, in spirit, even if not formally designated as such.

They argued against approval of the project in Marysville city meetings and sued successfully to stop the project in 2007 pending an environmental impact report.

After the report was issued last year, they filed a second suit, though they ultimately withdrew the challenge in November after a judge ruled to lift a temporary court order barring construction.

Of the group's two identified members, Beverly Hayes could not be reached for this article and Dale Whitmore declined to comment, saying only, "we are looking into other possibilities."

Mark Norton, Chico developer, could not be reached for comment.

Construction is due to begin by the first of April, once utility lines are laid at the site, according to Lamon.

"There shouldn't be anything here that's a surprise," says Lamon.

"You'll have all young trees when this is done, but in the long run, you'll have better arrangement," he says.