When Amy Marx was driving her daughter to school on Friday, she saw a crew from Lewis Tree Services cutting branches from an oak tree that anchors a small Yale‑owned park at the corner of Ray Road and Conrad Drive in Upper Westville. The tree, described by Marx as the “centerpiece of the park,” is a focal point of a community greenspace that Yale, the city, and the Urban Resources Initiative (URI) have cultivated over the past 15 years.
Neighbors intervene
Marx stopped the crew and called both the subcontractor, Lewis Tree Services, and United Illuminating (UI), the power company that hired the crew. “This is a community park. This is sacred to us. This is no average tree,” she told the reporter and UI arborist Eric McConnell. She urged the crew to pause while she sought clarification from Yale, the city and URI about whether the trees could be trimmed rather than removed.
Utility’s response
Lewis Tree Services’ foreman, Ian Clarke, confirmed the crew had permission from Yale to remove the oak, but he also said the work order needed verification. “Right now, it’s pretty much a moot point for this tree,” he told the reporter, pointing to the oak that his crew had been working on Friday morning. After a brief pause, UI’s lead arborist, Eric McConnell, arrived on site, conferred with Clarke and local police, and announced that the operation would be shut down pending a new review. “We’re shutting down the operation now. We’re going to re‑permission everything,” McConnell said.
Why the trees were slated for removal
According to McConnell, UI had received a signed consent form from the general manager of the Yale Golf Course to proceed with the tree‑cutting work. The utility explained that the trees at Ray Road and Conrad Drive lie within a state‑defined “utility protection zone,” meaning they are within eight feet of power lines and could pose a safety hazard. He cited a fatal electrocution last year of a contractor at the Yale Golf Course who was struck by a downed wire after a storm‑fallen tree made contact.
Community and university history
The contested oak is not the first tree Yale has approved for removal. UI noted that Yale previously secured permission to cut roughly 1,000 trees as part of a renovation of its Upper Westville golf course. However, the current controversy centers on the park’s role as a neighborhood gathering place, a fact underscored by longtime residents and former Environmental Advisory Council Chair Laura Cahn, who joined Marx and other neighbors in speaking with UI representatives.
Next steps
UI and Lewis Tree Services will conduct another walkthrough of the site, giving Marx and other residents time to discuss alternatives with Yale officials. The utility’s decision to pause work reflects a willingness to consider community input and to ensure that any tree management complies with both safety standards and the values of the local neighborhood.
Why this matters
Tree removal in utility protection zones is a common practice, but the incident highlights the importance of balancing public safety with community stewardship of green spaces. For Upper Westville families, the oak represents more than shade—it is a symbol of a shared, faith‑grounded commitment to preserving the natural beauty of their neighborhood while respecting the Constitution‑protected right to safe, reliable electricity.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
