Cherry Trees Planted on Cherry Lane

If you're going to plant trees on a street named Cherry Lane, you might as well plant cherry trees.

Since Hellertown has a street named Cherry Lane--in addition to a Cherry Street--it thus came as little surprise that the flowering species was the tree of choice for planting in between new sidewalks and curbing recently installed.

The planting of the trees was discussed at Hellertown Borough Council's April 2 meeting, when borough council president Phil Weber asked why the trees were planted beneath overhead utility lines.

Borough engineer Bryan Smith, of Barry Isett and Associates, said the trees are shorter than other types of street tree, and that their stature should help minimize the risk of them growing up and into the lines.

The location of underground sewer lines along Cherry Lane also dictated the trees' placement, Smith indicated.

"They look good," council vice president John Bate said of the trees. "They did a nice job."

Public works director Tom Henshaw said he was surprised that residents of the neighborhood--which borders the borough's boundary with Bethlehem--hadn't called to remark on the trees.