Meade McCumber Road Closed Again Tuesday

SUMNER, WA - The removal of "dangerous trees" along Meade McCumber Road East in Sumner required city crews to close the road between Valley Avenue East and Wood Avenue for a second day Tuesday.

Residents will continue to have local access to the neighborhood, but all other drivers are advised to find alternate routes.

City spokeswoman Carmen Palmer told Patch the "very old" magnolia trees along the roadway have begun to buckle both the street and the sidewalk, creating a hazard for both drivers and pedestrians. In fact, Palmer said the city has already handled a few suits filed by people who were hurt by the trees' growth.

"As much as we love our trees, we love being a walkable city as well," Palmer said, noting Sumner has been a designated Tree City USA for the past 25 years or so. "These old magnolia trees should never have been planted as street trees in the first place."

Palmer explained how the city has learned a lot about planting trees and what trees are suitable for urban areas over the years, adding the magnolias themselves were assessed 15 years ago and listed for future removal.

"They've just grown way too big for the planter strip," she said.

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