Palm trees along Abrego giving county, Green Valley fits

Pima County hasn't forgotten the brown palm trees along Abrego Drive, but depending on who you talk to, it could be a while before they're all trimmed.

The county owns about 1,000 palm trees in Green Valley, and the fronds on most of them died and turned brown after a three-day freeze in early February. Besides being ugly, the low-hanging fronds are a potential hazard to pedestrians and are fast fuel for monsoon lightning strikes.

Priscilla Cornelio, director of the county's Department of Transportation, said the county has cleaned up about 200 date palms so far in Green Valley. She said the county, on average, is placing a trimming crew in Green Valley for one week per month. But she said that as other priorities arise around the 1,700-square-mile county, the county's lone crew could be pulled at any time. She said there is no firm timetable for completion of the work in Green Valley.

"It's going to take us awhile, we recognize that," Cornelio said Thursday. "We're still plugging away." She said the crew can trim about 160 trees in a 40-hour week.

Sandi Richey, executive director of the Green Valley Council, said she was told the trees along Abrego will be trimmed starting July 5, but Annabelle Valenzuela, a spokeswoman for Cornelio's office, said no firm date will be set until this week.

Some work done

A private landscaping company that contracted with the county has trimmed El Valle, off of Abrego, and part of another small street. Valenzuela said Abrego is next on the list.

Vergie McWilliams and two of her neighbors in Fairways II gave up on the county and paid to have a private company trim about a dozen trees in front of their homes recently.

"It's kind of tiring to look out your door and see that mess," she said of the brown trees. Today, the palm trees show new growth, dismissing earlier concerns that the freeze had killed them.

Bud Stanley, vice president of the Green Valley Fairways Property Owners Association, lives on El Valle, where the county has trimmed trees. But the 15-year resident of Green Valley says he has never seen it look worse.

"The whole neighborhood has just been destroyed by this," Stanley said, adding the trees also raise other liability issues and are "a real fire hazard."

Stanley said the county used to trim trees every year but now it's every two to three years "if we're lucky."

Cornelio confirmed that the county cut back on tree trimming about four years ago as revenue dropped, but said overgrown palm trees that hang over sidewalks are trimmed annually.

Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll Endorses Salette Latas for Oro ...

This may be the beginning of a much-needed non-partisan alliance against the profligate give-away of our local tax base in the name of "economic development" in Arizona's communities. Carroll, a Republican, and Latas, an Democrat, both quite obviously get it, and aren't respecting party labels in supporting others who also get it. Such a non-partisan, issue-based focus is a perfect fit for the non-partisan Oro Valley race. “ At a time when economic growth is slowing, adding more burden on taxpayers makes no sense, ” stated Carroll in his announcement. “ After over $50 million in tax subsidies were given to out-of-town developers, and after passing a utility tax in 2006, Oro Valley’s Council members are now advocating further tax subsidies for a foreign corporation and pushing for a new property tax. The people of Oro Valley deserve a fiscally responsible Council that will stop tax subsidies to special interests. ” Following Carroll’s announcement, Latas stated “ I truly appreciate the support from an Arizona Taxpayers’ Hero. It’s time to end subsidies to corporations at the expense of taxpayers. Supervisor Carroll understands that this trend must stop. I will fight to represent the public interest and locally owned, independent business over the special interests of out-of-town corporations. ” This may be the beginning of a much-needed non-partisan alliance against the profligate give-away of our local tax base in the name of "economic development" in Arizona's communities. Carroll, a Republican, and Latas, an Democrat, both quite obviously get it, and aren't respecting party labels in supporting others who also get it. Such a non-partisan, issue-based focus is a perfect fit for the non-partisan Oro Valley race. “ At a time when economic growth is slowing, adding more burden on taxpayers makes no sense, ” stated Carroll in his announcement. “ After over $50 million in tax subsidies were given to out-of-town developers, and after passing a utility tax in 2006, Oro Valley’s Council members are now advocating further tax subsidies for a foreign corporation and pushing for a new property tax. The people of Oro Valley deserve a fiscally responsible Council that will stop tax subsidies to special interests. ” Following Carroll’s announcement, Latas stated “ I truly appreciate the support from an Arizona Taxpayers’ Hero. It’s time to end subsidies to corporations at the expense of taxpayers. Supervisor Carroll understands that this trend must stop. I will fight to represent the public interest and locally owned, independent business over the special interests of out-of-town corporations.