The city of Danville is making available to citizens wood pieces of the memorial trees that are being removed from Mount Vernon Avenue and Virginia Avenue.
The pieces are offered free of charge and can be picked up at the city’s compost facility, which is located off Stinson Drive behind Danville Regional Airport and beyond the closed landfill. The facility is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
City Public Works crews working jointly with private contractors this week began to remove the willow oak trees that were planted along Mount Vernon Avenue and Virginia Avenue as a memorial to 41 soldiers from the city who died in service during World War I.
The trees are being removed because they are unstable and pose a risk to life and property.
The oak trees are 83 years old and have grown to a height of 90 feet or more. Their roots are constricted to the center medians, and in places have lifted and cracked curbing. As a result, the trees are too large for their root structure.
At one time, 41 trees were planted along the two streets – one tree in honor of each soldier. The trees have been dying off over the years. Today, 14 remain standing. A certified arborist has recommended those 14 be removed, saying they have become more unstable since the storm.