The Wawaset Maintenance Corporation is responsible for maintaining City trees within the treebox area between a street’s curb and the immediately adjacent sidewalk.  In recognition of this responsibility the Corporation is implementing a three-year schedule of tree maintenance throughout the Park.  Because of the cost of this undertaking relative to the Corporation’s annual revenues the three-year period is required.

If pending maintenance of a tree by the Corporation a Park resident opts at his or her own cost to have a tree trimmed because of concern for tree limb damage to structures on the resident’s property, the resident will need to respect the following guidelines or be subject to fine by the City of Wilmington:

 

1. All tree work must be approved by the City Arborist, and you will need a Wilmington Tree Work Permit documenting this approval.  Here is the [link] to the City Tree Regulations website and Tree permit.

2. You may find it easier to obtain the City’s permit, if you hire the Wawaset Maintenance Corporation-approved tree vendor, Davey Tree Company.  One of Davey’s arborists, Bill Graham [email: bill.graham@davey.com or phone 302-275-6692] has evaluated your tree[s] as part of the Corporation’s review of the Park’s street trees and is our point of contact.  However, you are not obliged to use Davey.

3. A copy of the approved permit should be given to the Chair of the Trees and Grounds Committee, John Pfeifle [John 522606@gmail.com] and your Wawaset Park district trustee, so we can document the work to be performed, update our Park-wide tree maintenance list and ensure you have the correct approval.

The Wawaset Park trustees have observed variation among Park residents in their compliance with the City of Wilmington’s Municipal Code regarding the disposal of leaves, lawn clippings and other yard waste.

Section 13-8(a) of the City’s municipal code requires that you place leaves, grass clippings, vines and other yard waste in strong paper bags, which when filled are not to exceed 100 pounds, for the City employees to pick up at your street curb on the same day as recycled household waste is collected.  If you have 6 or more bags of yard waste, you are to call the City’s Public Works Call Center [302-576-3878] for their pickup.

Violation of this requirement subjects you to a civil penalty of $50 secured by a lien on your property.  If the penalty is not paid within 30 days, it will double. This requirement helps protect the City’s storm sewer infrastructure from clogging and causing combined sewage and storm water to back up into your basement. 

 

In the appendix to this message you will see that during the City’s annual autumn leaf collection program you or your lawn maintenance contractor may rake or blow leaves into the street curb for collection by a City street sweeper or vacuum truck.  In mid-October you should be alert to the City’s notice at its website of the scheduled days, when the City will be collecting leaves in Wawaset Park.  Note this program applies ONLY to leaves not grass clippings or other yard waste.

If the Park trustees observe that a Park resident appears not to be complying with the City’s yard waste disposition requirement, they will visit with the resident to confirm the resident’s understanding of the requirement.