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UI Begins Pilot Trimming, Removing Trees Across Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Crews from United Illuminating will begin an ambitious tree-trimming and tree-removing pilot program Monday in Fairfield, First Selectman Mike Tetreau announced Thursday. 

 from left to right: Fairfield Forestry Committee Chair Misty Beyer, First Selectman Mike Tetreau and Interim Tree Warden Jeffrey Minder.

from left to right: Fairfield Forestry Committee Chair Misty Beyer, First Selectman Mike Tetreau and Interim Tree Warden Jeffrey Minder.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The pilot program will take several months to complete.

UI will begin with only one crew at Congress and Burr Street that will work north on Burr Street to Aran Hill. Eventually, UI will have another crew available in the Mill Plain area.

Interim Tree Warden Jeff Minder, who will be at the site Monday morning, promises he will be involved with this program every step of the way.

As part of the state-mandated Enhanced Tree Trimming program, UI is launching the pilot program in sections of Greenfield Hill and Mill Plain. This pilot program will allow the public to better understand how this program will be implemented.

The locations have a history of the most power outages caused by trees, including areas that have emergency evacuation sites and medical facilities in Fairfield.

The program in Greenfield Hill is concentrated on Congress Street just east of Burr Street to Hillside Road, and on Burr Street from Congress going north to Aran Hill Road. In the Mill Plain area, the pilot is on Unquowa Road from the train station parking lot to Mill Hollow Park, and on Mill Plain Road from Interstate 95 to Glover Street.

The program is in response to the recent increased frequency and severity of storms - and the subsequent power outages.

UI’s goal is to establish a Utility Protection Zone – the area extending horizontally 8 feet to the side of the electrical conductors from the ground to the sky.

What the public should know: 

  • UI has selected and marked trees for removal on both private and public properties with a red tag in the pilot areas. 
  • Work planners for UI’s tree contractor, Lewis Tree, have gone door-to-door requesting each property owner’s consent for all tree-pruning or tree-removal work.
  • The Tree Warden has the authority to approve or deny UI’s request for tree pruning or removal on public property. 
  • Where the Tree Warden has agreed to removal, a “Notice for Removal” has been issued and posted on each tree.
  • The “Notice” allows anyone who lives in Fairfield to ask questions and/or voice concerns by contacting Minder at jminder@fairfieldct.org or 203-256-3177. If uncontested, permits will be issued and tree removal will begin.
  • If a tree has a “Notice of Removal” on it, any member of the public can contest the removal.
  • Homeowners wishing to contest the removal of trees on their own property may voice their concerns directly to the Lewis Tree Work Planner that requested consent or by contacting UI at Trees@UINet.com or 800 - 7 CALL UI (800-722-5584). In most cases, UI has agreed with the property owner.
  • Upon completion, the town will review the pilot areas and then the pruning program throughout the town will begin.
  • UI will complete the full Tree Trimming program, which will include all of the 270 miles of roads in Fairfield, over an eight-year period.

For more information about this program and the Utility Protection Zone, visit this website

For any questions or concerns, contact Fairfield’s Interim Tree Warden Jeffrey Minder at jminder@fairfieldct.org or 203-256-3177.

 

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