Q: I drove past a sidewalk near LaVista Rd. that had evidently been raised to protect tree roots. Can you tell me how they did this?

A: The owner says:

“I really don’t know how I accomplished it. I just know that representatives of DeKalb County came to my house and asked me for permission to take down the tree and at first I agreed because I did want the side walk. Then a neighbor who lived across the street came to me and pleaded for the tree. And then I began to reconsider and told the representatives I would not agree to having it removed.

I don’t know what happened in the planning department after that. I do know that I had given support to Liane Levitan when she was running for office of CEO of DeKalb. However I never talked to her about the tree.

Someone in the planning department came up with the plan to save the tree and create a rise in the sidewalk to protect the roots. Various people have said to me that they couldn’t believe DeKalb County did that to save a tree. I’ve been told that they went about saving the tree in the right way. Over the years I have been more and more amazed about the process for saving the tree.

I am amazed myself!

tree root bridge