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By MaryKay Doane

 

In August 2025, the new Courtyards at Southpoint Landscape Committee created the Street Tree Project. The four members — Deb Bell, Louise Caudle, Kathleen Cirillo and I — committed to find a way to cool off the hot streets in Phase 1 of the development.  

 

While proposing a plan that followed the Phase 2 tree planting design, we found 40 homeowners willing to independently pay $435 for a street tree. This would have to be a private project, not a city project. The curb strip of grass is not our personal or community property. It is the right of way, owned by the city of Durham. Either the city plants and maintains the trees, or the community installs its own trees and takes on the responsibility for maintenance as well as any damage to property.  

 

It was time to research all the sticky details of a complex project, from finding a contractor, to designing a plan, satisfying numerous regulations and paying for insurance. Fulfilling all these requirements was a daunting process, and the ongoing cost of insurance became the biggest roadblock.  

 

In the planning and design phase, we found a clear route to completion. During a meeting with the Durham Planning Board to get approval of our plan, members suggested we go to the city’s Urban Forestry Division and thus eliminate the whole private process, including expensive insurance. While these trees would be smaller than those we might have paid for, they would be free.  

 

The 40 homeowners who already had indicated their desire for a tree was sufficient interest for Urban Forestry to move forward with a complete community planting. Once the white flags were placed — marking a place for each tree — the positive and grateful emails started coming to me and to the Street Tree Committee. Based on the white flags that were not removed, 90% of Phase 1 neighbors welcomed street trees.  

 

The final plans represented the result of taking a concept and working through several channels until the correct fit emerged. The correct fit found working with the Durham Urban Forestry Division and the Durham Planning Department. They liked our interest and our plans and found a compatible place for us in the city’s mission to combat urban heat islands. We were declared an Urban Heat Island, which on many summer days was apparent to all of us.

 

The Street Tree Committee would like to thank all our neighbors for their enthusiastic response to our newest community improvement. As the trees grow, we hope to enjoy the pleasure of meeting and walking with each other along our shady streets.

 

If you have questions or concerns about the street trees in Phase 1, please reach out to me.