Tree commission concerned about grate proposal

A painted and installed tree well grate

Last month, Columbia Borough Council discussed purchasing decorative tree well grates for the town. The proposal was for 25 sets of cast iron grates to be purchased from Sahd Salvage at a cost of $50 per set and to have Garage Boyz Powder Coating coat them with a black semi-gloss paint at a cost of $50 per set, bringing the total cost to $2,500. The grates were originally priced at $100 each, but Sahd's is offering them to the borough at half price. Brand new grates can cost several hundred dollars. After much discussion, the item was tabled until the Shade Tree Commission could address it.

Tree well grates to be coated

At its July 12, 2016 meeting, the Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission noted that the grates would be used on the 300 block of Locust Street and around the market house as a trial but expressed concern about a size mismatch: The grates are 3' x 3' but the Locust Street tree pits are 3' x 5'. According to council members and residents present, bricking in at the edges to compensate would limit water absorption into tree pits and would create other issues detrimental to tree maintenance.

The item appears on the draft agenda for the August 8, 2016 borough council meeting.