New Canaan needs a systematic tree inspection and risk assessment program to prioritize trees based on failure risk and potential harm. The trees on West Road were not prioritized against other town trees, such as those at parks and other roads. Complaints about the West Road trees were actually about the town's failure to trim and remove fallen branches despite requests, raising concerns that homeowners may lose roadside trees just for requesting maintenance.

1. Prioritizing the Trees on West Road

2. New Canaan must create an adequately funded tree management program that includes a systematic inspection & ranking procedure that prioritizes trees based on their risk of failure and the severity of harm they may cause. Every mature tree presents a risk of failure which can be ranked and then prioritized for our town’s attention. The trees on West Road were not ranked or prioritized in comparison to other town-owned trees such as the following: .

3. Waveny

10. Coppo Field

13. Irwin Park

19. Roadside Trees

30. Why West Road?

31. When our town allows this?

32. Could your road be next?

33. The so-called complaints about the trees on West Road were not about the trees themselves but about the failure of the town to trim the trees and remove fallen branches despite repeated requests for service. Must a home-owner now risk losing a roadside tree if they simply request that a fallen branch be removed?