NORTH SMITHFIELD – A new chapter in the ongoing saga regarding sidewalks on Summit Avenue unfolded this week, when town officials noticed that a tree quite literally at the root of the problem had been taken down.
The tree in front of Councilor Claire O’Hara’s house at 16 Summit Ave. is now just a stump, a change that could turn out to be a problem for the elected official because it was considered town-owned property.
A former elementary school teacher, O’Hara has served on the council since she was first elected in 2016. At meetings over the past month, trees her neighborhood, which also includes White Parkway, have been the focus of her ire, with discussions about damage the roots had caused to sidewalks in the area.
Maples reportedly planted decades ago under direction of former Town Administrator Bob Lowe, the trees have caused concrete sidewalks to raise, a problem O’Hara has described as dangerous at numerous council meetings…