The denuded riverbank along the 2900-block of N. Front Street in Harrisburg.
A new bed and breakfast is slated to open next year in Harrisburg and, thanks to the city, its guests will enjoy spectacular views of the Susquehanna River.
The city today confirmed that it gave its blessing to a private contractor to clear-cut about 80 yards of embankment on city-owned land along the Susquehanna River on the 2900-block of N. Front Street.
Director of Public Works Aaron Johnson approved the removal of the trees and undergrowth from the hillside and banks of the river after B&B owner Michael Wilson of Lisburn requested permission to clear the area, said Joyce Davis, the city’s director of communications.
The trees and undergrowth, which Davis said were removed by Stoner’s Tree Service on Sept. 23, blocked views of the river from the future B&B across the street.
Wilson purchased two historic mansions at 2909 and 2917 N. Front, once part of the Mary K complex, at auction last April and proposed to develop them into a bed and breakfast. The city’s Zoning Hearing Board approved the proposal late last month.
Wilson did not return a phone call requesting comment on the removal, which included dozens of trees and more than 100 separate trunks, some of which grew in clusters.
Initially, Davis told TheBurg that she believed a permit had been applied for to conduct the tree clearing, but later said that no permit was required for the work.
Neil Grover, the city solicitor, said he was reviewing the circumstances surrounding the tree removal, including whether the area in question was a part of Riverfront Park.
A city parks and recreation ordinance forbids people from damaging or removing trees in city parks, while a separate ordinance requires people to obtain a permit before trimming or removing trees along city streets or highways.
Among the city’s obligations is to ensure that the bank will “hold itself together” after the removal of trees and brush, Grover said. According to Davis, several of the trees were already dead, and stumps were left in to prevent erosion.
Lisa Kasianowitz, a community relations coordinator with the state Department of Environmental Protection, said her agency had not been notified of the tree removal. She added, however, that no state permit would be needed unless the contractor had to enter the river with heavy equipment, if construction were performed on the embankment or if fill material were added.
This story has been updated with the date of the tree removal and the name of the company that performed it.
