SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The city of Parker is in the process of a multi-million dollar project; redoing some of their streets in town.
It’s adding new water and sewer lines, storm sewers, along with new curb and gutters.
But to do that they are cutting down a lot of trees, and that’s uprooting a lot of emotions.
The sound of tree branches crunching in the jaws of heavy equipment (nat sound) isn’t the only noise you’ll hear on 3rd Street.
“I’m kind of known as being overly outspoken,” Tom Abbott said.
Abbott is just one of many people in town who is voicing concerns and is *stumped as to why the city needs to cut down over 100 trees.
“Just the fact this is all being done without consult, they sent us a letter you know six days ahead of time saying, sorry we marked all your trees, those are all coming down,” Abbott said.
Each one of these trees marked in pink is scheduled to be cut down, which is upsetting to a lot of residents, including Deb Creegan.
“I always walk my dog, Ruby and I love trees, so we always go on third street it’s one of the better streets right now and as soon as I saw the red x’s on the trees I started to cry, because I knew they were going to take them down,
The city has been making infrastructure upgrades for the past three years and held a meeting last week and voted to proceed with the final phase of the project.
Don: You went to that meeting the other night, how would you describe that meeting?
Tom: Heated for a while there were some very vocal people who are upset about it.
We were told the only person who could comment on the project is the mayor. We tried several times to get him for an on-camera interview.
Late this afternoon he sent KELOLAND News a statement explaining that due the scope of the construction and the location of the utility lines, removal of the trees became unavoidable.
But even so, that’s little consolation to those who live here.
“People are upset, because people are losing trees that have been here for decades and it’s going to give the town a whole different look,” Abbott said.
You can read the mayor’s statement in full below:
“As Mayor of Parker, SD, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the impact of the ongoing infrastructure project in our community. This project, which replaces aging water and sewer lines and enhances our stormwater drainage system, is a critical investment in the future of Parker. These upgrades will provide safer, more reliable utilities for our residents and businesses for generations to come.
That said, I understand some of these necessary changes–particularly the removal of trees in the public right-of-way–are difficult to see. Trees are an important part of our town’s character, offering beauty, shade, and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, due to the scope of the construction and the location of these essential utility lines, removal of the trees became unavoidable.
I want to assure our community that we remain committed to maintaining the natural beauty of Parker. We welcome input from community members on opportunities for us to enhance it and look forward to working together to ensure that Parker remains a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.
The City Council, City staff, and I greatly appreciate patience and understanding as we all navigate this important project together. Anyone seeking additional information about the construction project can navigate to our website for Phase 7 construction information or contact the City Office for more details.
While progress can be challenging, these improvements will strengthen our town’s infrastructure, protect our homes and businesses, and ensure a sustainable future for Parker. Thank you.
Mayor Derek Nolan”
