Cleveland Street in downtown Redmond will be closed between 161st Avenue Northeast and Leary Way on Saturday from 7-10 a.m.

The City of Redmond will be doing some major tree trimming of the American Elm trees located near the Stone House at 16244 Cleveland Street. This comes after concerns were raised over the safety of the overhanging tree limbs.

Detours will be in place to allow local access to all buildings. Parking will also be restricted along Cleveland Street in the vicinity of the work area.

Because the trees overhang the sidewalk, driveway and street, the hazards of the trees were evaluated in terms of ongoing potential risk to vehicles and pedestrians.

The elm trees are at least 100 years old and have developed Dutch elm disease and severe internal rotting of the trunks and the branches that are overhanging the sidewalk, driveway and street. The trees are reaching the end of their lifecycle and have become a hazard due to their poor condition.

The City of Redmond engaged three arborists to evaluate the trees and whether pruning would prolong their life. The other considerations were how the trees might impact the Stone House and its preservation overtime as a historic landmark property.

While interim plans are to trim the four elm trees adjacent to the street and driveway, the eventual plan will be to consider removing the trees and incorporate landscaping of the historical street frontage with a comprehensive landscape plan for Old Town projects, the Downtown Park and the Cleveland Streetscape.