POULSBO — A Viking Avenue business owner will replace city-owned trees he removed between the curb and sidewalk in front of his business on June 27.
In fact, Darren Hudson, owner of Hudson Auto Center, plans to go one step further — according to Mayor Becky Erickson, Hudson is working with city staff on a landscaping plan and will install irrigation so the new plantings will be watered regularly.
Eight trees were removed, according to an earlier Googlemaps image of the property. Poulsbo Planning Director Barry Berezowski estimates the trees were about 12 years old. Erickson said she believes the trees were maples, a tree for which Poulsbo has long been known; one of the historical Suquamish names for what became Poulsbo was tcu-tcu-lats, which reportedly means “place of the maples.”
Hudson wasn’t at the Poulsbo auto center at 9-9:30 a.m. June 30 when the Herald visited. A phone message was left for him in the afternoon at his dealership in Bremerton.
Erickson said she went to the Viking Avenue site and talked to Hudson after seeing comments about the tree removals on Facebook. She said Hudson may have misinterpreted comments she made at a June 8 meeting with Viking Avenue business owners about the need to improve and maintain the landscape along the thoroughfare.
She said curbside trees and other plantings belong to the city.
“[He] cut down the trees without permission from the city,” Erickson said on June 30. “I understand he wants to clean up Viking Avenue, but he didn’t do it the right way. [The trees] belong to the city. We welcome ideas about improving the landscape, but check with us first. And don’t touch the trees.”
Erickson, business consultant Jan Harrison, and Viking Avenue business and property owners met June 8 to discuss establishing a landscape improvement district to beautify the thoroughfare. Erickson said she talked about the importance of businesses and property owners helping to maintain the landscape, “but I was clear that you don’t cut the trees. We want Viking Avenue to look nice, but you can’t harm city property.”
Erickson said the Viking Avenue landscape features different shapes and sizes of trees. “There are places where trees are missing, so my guess is this kind of behavior has happened before. It kind of breaks my heart. Trees provide shade and shelter, help control storm water, and they are attractive to look at.”
Erickson said she appreciates Hudson’s cooperation with the city in restoring the landscape, and appreciates the newline he’s bringing to the former Courtesy Ford site.
“Darren is a good guy,” she said. “He’s trying to do good things over there.”
Above: One of a couple of remaining stumps from the city-owned trees removed from in front of Hudson Auto Center on Viking Avenue. Richard Walker / Herald
