An Open Letter to Muirfield Village

As a young adult I dreamed of living in Muirfield. Jack did a truly masterful job of designing a community and the design elements and layout of streets and homes combine with the natural landscape of central Ohio for a spectacular look. As a somewhat older adult I am proud to be a resident of Muirfield Village and believe to my core that it is a great place to raise my daughter and nurture our family. So it came as quite a shock to see all those beautiful trees being cut down.

It started with the largest tree in all of Muirfield Village, the giant 250 year old oak tree at the corner of Springburn Dr. and Drake Rd. Workers from the City of Dublin cut it down on November 26, 2012. I know because instead of that beautiful, majestic old tree at the end of my driveway, I now see the ugly side of my neighbor's garage. Jack is in town this week. I wonder what he would think of that?

Next came virtually every tree in the Glick Rd. Pool parking lot. It used to be an inviting lot with ample shady parking. I know because I play tennis at the Glick Rd. courts two or three times a week. Now I park in the blazing hot Ohio sun.

The City of Dublin has very specific policies governing the removal of trees. The policy states that new trees shall be planted to replace at least the surface area of the tree trunks removed. So far not a single tree has been planted to replace the ones removed from the Glick Rd. Pool parking lot. Only two spindly trees were planted to replace the 250 year old oak at the end of my driveway.

Will somebody from the Muirfield Association please call me to explain my neighborhood's strategy for tree management? At the moment I do not think you are spending my annual Association dues very wisely. Thank you. Vince