On Monday, Dan Stone, city arborist, said two city crews started cutting down the oak trees. He said the crews took down three trees and started on a fourth. He added city workers will be at it again today between Lakin Avenue and Hallock Street.

“Right now, the ones we are cutting down are stand alone trees, so it’s easier,” he said. “If the weather stays like this, we can cut down two a day for each crew. It’s a couple weeks worth of work if the weather stays like this. If it’s nice.”

Stone said each tree will be different to cut down, which will impact how long it will take city workers to remove 43 oak trees from West Third Street.

Stone said the response has been positive from people who would like to repurpose the wood from the trees. He said anyone interested in wood from the oak trees can call him at 483-7554.

“It’s been positive. I’ve got four or five page of names. More than 30 people have reached out to me about it,” he said.

Stone said some people want the wood to make Christmas ornaments some want to make picture frames and some would like to make furniture or tables.

“People from all around the local area and some people from (Pennsylvania) are reaching out to me,” he said. “Everyday I’ve been getting calls from people interested in the wood. Hopefully we can fulfill everyone’s needs.”

Earlier this month, Stone announced during a special meeting of the Jamestown Parks, Recreation & Conservation Commission the decision to cut down the 43 oak trees, most of them more than 100 years old. He said during the wind storm Nov. 15, two oak trees, with some of them as tall as 150 to 200 feet tall, were blown down, with one landing on a residential garage. In October 2019, a large oak toppled down, with portions of the tree landing on a residential house.

Stone said in the spring city officials will look to replant trees along West Third Street so a new “tree canopy” can be created. He said the new trees will have a maximum height of around 50 to 55 feet, which will be smaller than the current oaks. He added that the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, which annually makes a donation for new trees in the urban forest, will provide money to purchase new trees that will be planted along West Third Street.

Stone said some of the new trees that might be planted include American elms, tulip and ginkgo. He is also looking into purchasing some items that will help manage how the roots grow along the terrace. He added at the beginning of next year he will talk to officials from local tree nurseries about what types of trees are available.