Driving You Crazy: It looks like some severely overhanging trees on Bowles in Littleton could fall on a car

LITTLETON, Colo — Lisa from Littleton writes, “What's driving you crazy? There are some severely overhanging trees on the south side of Bowles Ave just east of Pierce in Littleton. I have written to the city saying unless they are cut back, a couple of these top-heavy trees will come down ON TOP OF A PASSING CAR. This is my daily commute to work. With regards to my correspondence with the City of Littleton, I have gotten no response. Please help!”

When I went out to take a look it wasn’t hard to see these tree branches that are hanging over the roadway. There are places where all you see are trees over the road cut into the shape of a box from all the large trucks that keep the branches from growing any longer.

I talked with Jordan Blott, registered arborist and owner of Absolute Tree Care. Jordan’s office is just blocks away from Bowles in Littleton and he drives it almost every day. I asked Jordan how likely it would be that any of the branches of these trees could come down from a wind storm or from heavy snow.
“What’s concerning to me are the cottonwoods.”

Jordan told me one of the old cottonwoods fell onto Bowles near Clement Park a few weeks ago leaving a huge hole just off the road where the tree stood. That section of Bowles west of and including Pierce Street is in unincorporated Jefferson County and outside the City of Littleton's jurisdiction. In Littleton City limits, I saw a group of cottonwoods near the Hamlet neighborhood at Bell Flower Drive that are right next to the roadway. Looking closely at them, you can see they are showing their age with some dead branches and to the uneducated eye, they look heavy with a large canopy on top.
“Some are in bad shape. They are really old, over 100 years old. Whoever planted them isn’t living anymore.”

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Jordan says most of the other trees are elms and aren’t concerning to him, at least for right now. “They aren’t going to topple over as they are very well rooted into the ground. They will eventually get diseased by the emerald ash borer so the city will have to deal with them then.”

I asked the City of Littleton about the overhang along Bowles and who is responsible for maintenance. The City Forester tells me responsibility for tree trimming depends on where the tree is located. The city maintains most of the trees and vegetation along Bowles between Sheridan Boulevard and S. Platte Canyon Road. The city also maintains the center medians from S. Platte Canyon to Federal. There are some exceptions that fall under HOAs, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, and private property. 

The city says trees located on private property remain the responsibility of the adjacent property owner, even if branches extend toward or over the public right-of-way. The only exception is if there is a written agreement in place dictating responsibilities. Littleton’s Code of Compliance requires vegetation to be maintained so it does not obstruct the public right-of-way. City Code 8-4-2 states that a tree shall be deemed a nuisance if it, or any part of it protrudes into a vehicular clearance zone of fourteen feet (14') above any street or alley; protrudes into a pedestrian clearance zone of ten feet (10') above any public sidewalk or obstructs a curb, gutter, street, sidewalk or traffic control device. The 14-foot clearance was chosen because a standard 53-foot semi-trailer is 13 feet 6 inches tall from the ground to the roof. The other city code that applies here is 8-4-4. That one states that every property owner shall be responsible for removal (if required), of trees and plants located on rights of way adjacent to their property.

The city tells me trees on private property, including those in backyards, are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain. If vegetation from private property protrudes into or hangs over the public right-of-way and creates a traffic or safety hazard, the city has authority to require the property owner to correct the issue.

I asked the city if a branch or an entire tree falls on the road or a car, who is responsible for that damage? If the tree is on private or HOA property, the property owner is typically responsible. If the tree is within the city's maintained right-of-way, residents may file a claim with the city for review. In either case, the city strongly recommends contacting their own insurance company as coverage may apply to storm or tree-related damage regardless of fault.

The city forester tells me tree maintenance is an ongoing process throughout Littleton saying tree trimming in public rights-of-way happen about every two years or as needed. Tree maintenance is generally prioritized based on routine inspections, maintenance needs, public reports, roadway projects, weather impacts and safety concerns. If forestry staff identifies a tree presenting an immediate safety hazard, they say it is prioritized for appropriate action.  

I also asked the city if they consider tree growth before planting trees in the median of a roadway like Bowles? 
The City Forester says, “Yes, tree selection and placement consider mature size, growth habit, site conditions, available space, utilities, visibility and long-term maintenance needs. As trees mature, periodic pruning may still be necessary to maintain required roadway clearances and public safety. We take great care to choose the right tree for the right place.”
Arborist Jordan Blott said while there is always the potential for a problem, the benefit and beauty outweighs the potential danger. “Trees will always be somewhat dangerous but what are you going to do, remove them all? No. We’d rather keep the trees than not.”

If you see a tree or other vegetation that seems concerning, The City of Littleton encourages you to report it via their SeeClickFix program.

Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.