Battle over tree-cutting in Lexington continues, this time neighbors want trees removed

Some residents in the Oakwood neighborhood say massive trees have become dangerous

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The battle over tree-cutting in Lexington continues but instead of neighbors fighting to keep their trees, they’re calling for them to be removed.

“I guess it was about a week ago when we had that storm and it fell on the house and crushed the fence,” said Leo Wilson.

Wilson says he’s lived in the Oakwood neighborhood for 40 years but in the last 20, he says he and his neighbors have been experiencing danger in their own backyard.

Skyscraper trees that neighbors like Glendola Lewis say sway in the wind, one even fell on her house.

“When they had that main freeze, a tree came down and tore part of my roof, tore part of my den, the whole backyard looked like a war zone,” said Lewis.

Lewis says she had to stay in a hotel for a week since it knocked out her electricity. Since then, anytime there’s a threat of severe storm she says she gets restless.

“I get tired of being scared every night when I lay down and go to sleep,” said Lewis.

Another neighbor, Angela Taylor, showed ABC36 video of a tree that caught fire and fell on her house.

Together, these residents tell ABC36 they’ve attempted to get the city involved as well as Kentucky Utilities. While they say the utility company has come out ot help, they say those efforts have mostly been futile.

“In a situation where they don’t belong to me, because KU comes out they only cut a few little limbs and then they leave,” said Lewis.

Kentucky Utilities sent ABC36 a response saying:
“We maintain our vegetation under our distribution lines for the safety and reliability of the system. If there are trees or limbs that are knocked down during storms, for example, the responsibility belongs to the property (and tree) owner to have those removed.”

But neighbors say that’s not always possible.

“The trees continue growing high and there’s been twice when I’ve had $6,000 to cut down, a $9,000 dollar cut down and after that, I’m on social security, I’m on a fixed income and I can’t afford to do it anymore,” said Lewis.

Those in the Oakwood community also say it shouldn’t be up to them.

“Those trees are on a utility line, they’re not our trees we didn’t plant them,” said Lewis.

Kentucky Utilities says they plan to send crews to that area next week to review their distribution lines and will follow up with their customers.