City wants to topple three trees in historic cemetery

Historic Riverside cemetery is known as the resting place for many of the area?s notable personalities, and it?s regularly used for historic tours. However, the cemetery will no longer be a home for some.

Although the human residents will remain undisturbed, three of the trees are marked for removal as being unsafe to remain in the cemetery. The trees up for removal are currently identified with ribbons.

McMinnville?s Urban Forestry Department has examined the trees and concern is high for the safety hazard the dying and weakened trees might pose.

?We are worried the trees are going to fall and hurt someone or do damage to the stones,? said Public Works director Bill Brock, who currently heads the Urban Forestry Department. ?We feel they are in real bad shape. We don?t want them to become a hazard. Given Building and Ground Committee approval, we want to remove them before that happens.?

The cemetery started in 1878 and is the final resting place for some of the area?s most prominent citizens and historical figures. Because of its historical value, the cemetery has been used for fundraisers by Families in Crisis and educational tours by history enthusiast and McMinnville Alderman Jimmy Haley.

The cemetery has been the responsibility of the city for the last couple of decades. Urban forestry took over the responsibility about six years ago.

Currently the department is examining prices for the tree removal. When the estimates have been received, the bids will be taken before the Building and Grounds Committee for its approval.

Once permission has been granted, the plan will be to remove the trees as soon as possible.