Jan. 29, 2021
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Please see the map that details the Dominion Energy tree-trimming project the week of Feb. 1-5.
Michael Murphy, a master arborist retained by the City of Beaufort, is working closely with Dominion arborist Will Epting on this project. They are working to ensure that the physical and structural health of each tree is maintained, while addressing Dominion Energy’s need to prevent service outages or danger to life or property from lack of proper pruning or interference with power lines.
At the beginning of each workday, the Dominion arborist walks the work area with the crew leader to confirm the pruning plan, and the City’s arborist conducts regular reviews of the work. These men have a terrific working relationship and are able to resolve issues very rapidly. Before horse-drawn carriages begin tours, the operators review the route to ensure there is no or limited interaction with the pruning crews.
This past week, work was interrupted by rain; however, Dominion will be working in The Point for about the next two weeks.
As mentioned in the update last week, ONLY those palmetto trees that directly interact with the Dominion Power lines will be removed and each tree will be analyzed individually before any decision is made to either prune or remove. Both arborists agree that some palmetto trees that are impinging on power lines must be removed to preserve safety and reliable delivery of power to each home. Trees that directly interact with the power lines have a significantly higher risk of causing an outage and pose an electrical or fire hazard. Similar to last week, NO oaks, other than perhaps immature volunteers, will be removed either in The Point or the Spanish Point neighborhoods.
Crews will be working on the following streets in The Point next week:
- Hancock
- Pinckney
- Laurens
- Bayard
- Hamilton
- King
- East
Crews will also be working on the following streets, generally in the Spanish Point area, next week:
- Spanish Point Drive
- Stuart Town Court
- Stuart Town Road
- Fort Lyttleton Road
- Todd Drive
Tree-trimming crews will only have two trucks on any given street at a time. Crews may also adjust their work locations based on weather and traffic. Crews will be working solely in The Point and the Spanish Point Area.
Safety!
Safety is the No. 1 concern for both the City of Beaufort and Dominion Energy. Please allot extra time when transiting through the area. Please watch out for tree trimmers who are focused on their work and not necessarily on the road. Also remember that if you cannot see heavy machinery operators, they cannot see you.
Stay informed
Both the City of Beaufort and Dominion Energy have provided project leads to address questions, comments or concerns. Will Epting is representing Dominion Energy and may be reached at William.epting@dominionenergy.com or 1-800-251-7234. Neal Pugliese is representing the City of Beaufort and may be reached at npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org or 843-470-3512 anytime. We’ve had the pleasure to chat with many of you and every call or email will be answered promptly.
Please encourage all those affected or interested in the Dominion Energy tree-trimming effort to register with the “Notify Me” application found on the City of Beaufort website (https://www.cityofbeaufort.org/list.aspx) and subscribe to the Dominion updates which will be delivered directly via text or email.
Thank you for your patience as this necessary project is undertaken.
Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret)
Chairman
Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force
npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org