By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
SPENCER ó The crape myrtles that line the streets of Spencer will apparently soon be cut and removed.
Likely to be replaced by more crape myrtles.
But the replacements will be of the dwarf variety.
On Tuesday night, members of Spencer’s Community Appearance Commission got permission from Spencer’s Board of Aldermen to take down the crape myrtles that occupy planters along Salisbury Avenue.
The crape myrtles have outgrown the brick planters, commission members said. Darrell Blackwelder, horticulture agent with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, addressed board members.
He said the Nanchez crape myrtles in the planters grow to about 40 feet.
“They’re really great trees in the right place,” Blackwelder said. “They’re supposed to get big. That’s what they’re supposed to do.”
He said that, unfortunately, the planters on Salisbury Avenue are not the right place for the trees. Blackwelder said the trees are too big.
“My recommendation is you take ’em out,” he said. “Now.”
Board members eventually gave members of the Community Appearance Commission permission to do just that.
They’ll return in March to ask for approval to plant other trees, probably those dwarf crape myrtles.
Blackwelder gave board members a presentation concerning the type trees that might be considered for the planters. That presentation included photos and details of everything from Kousa dogwoods to holly and redbuds.
“You have an exceedingly confined area,” Blackwelder said. “It’s like a flowerpot with a big ol’ tree in it.”
He also recommended the removal of shrubs in the planters, telling board members that plants, like people, have life expectancies. Those shrubs are about 15 years old and near their ends.
Removing the existing crape myrtles will be something of a job, everyone agreed.
Carol Corriher, chairman of the Community Appearance Commission, said she enjoys walking the town’s streets and said she especially enjoys the canopy of the crape myrtles when they’re in bloom.
“We’re looking for the small-town charm,” she said of the trees that need to be chosen as replacements.
In other matters handled Tuesday, board members:
– Accepted the resignation of Alderman Ken Womble who said he’s moving outside the town limits. The resignation is effective March 1.
Womble is serving his second term on the board.
Board members said they had three options concerning naming a replacement for Womble: Accept resumes from those interested in the position; name the next-leading vote-getter from the 2007 election or; keep a vacancy on the board.
Aldermen said they’d make a decision about what to do when they meet again in March:
– Approved Beth Nance as a member of the Community Appearance Commission.
– Gave Nance permission to pursue a $1,000 grant from the National Arts Council to paint a mural on the side of one of the dugouts at Eighth Street Ballpark.
The mural will be of the baseball variety.
– Approved the appointment of Patrick Morrison to the Historic Preservation Commission.
– Heard from Police Chief Robert Bennett who spoke briefly about last week’s fatal shooting of a town resident by reserve officer Gene Houpe.
Specifically, Bennett thanked the community for the outpouring of support for Houpe.
“It’s nice to know the community is so supportive of the police department,” Bennett said.