Council wants to remove "butt ugly" junipers

Electric City is looking to get rid of some of its “butt ugly trees.”

The moonglow junipers that the city put in several years ago, at a cost of about $60,000, has current city council members steaming.

Some 190 junipers were planted on either side of SR-155 as it makes its way through Electric City, wiping out parking spaces and eventually growing so tall and bushy that they obstruct the view of motorists entering the highway from the side streets. An item on the internet states that the trees can grow up to 20 feet high and 15 feet wide.

Councilmember Brad Parrish said the city should get rid of the “butt ugly” trees.

Council members seemed to agree and talked about eliminating trees on both sides of the highway in the middle of town.

Mayor Jerry Sands reported that city crews took out eight more trees that were masking traffic.

Sands said that when he first became mayor, he went around asking business people about the junipers. Most wanted to keep them. Now there’s been a change of heart.

Sands said before trees in the center of town are taken out, he wants to go around and do another survey.

When the trees were originally placed, some were put in the middle of parking spaces. Some of these were driven over, and a few cut down or trimmed up by unknown persons.

Now the city council has the bit between their teeth and are ready to start taking out the trees.