Tree Service in Bel Aire, KS

Tree Service in Bel Aire

A Tree City for 25 years — and the town that grows Survivor Trees

Bel Aire started life as a water improvement district in 1955 and only became a city in 1980, after a boundary fight with Wichita that went to the Kansas Supreme Court. It's now the fourth largest city in Sedgwick County at around 8,300 people, sitting on the north side of the East Fork of Chisholm Creek.

It also has one of the most genuine urban forestry programmes in the metro. Bel Aire has been a Tree City USA for 25 years, has had a tree board since 1995, and runs the Survivor Tree Project — growing American elm saplings from seed taken from the elm that survived the Oklahoma City bombing, and giving them to places like Botanica, the Wichita VA Hospital, Wichita State, Greensburg and Joplin. When a town cares about its trees that much, the trimming should be done properly. Andy quotes every job in person.

What Baker does in Bel Aire

• Tree trimming — deadwood, thinning and shaping, kept to Bel Aire's clearances of 8 feet over a sidewalk and 12 feet over a street.
• Tree removal — dead, diseased and dangerous trees, which the city code makes the owner's responsibility to deal with.
• Stump grinding — ground below grade so a replacement from the city's recommended list can go back in.
• 24/7 storm damage response — emergency crews for downed trees and limbs, day or night.
• Bush trimming & landscaping — hedges, shrubs, beds and cleanup, kept clear of hydrants and street lights as the city requires.

Where we work in Bel Aire

We cover the whole city, including the developments Bel Aire lists on its own site — Prairie Preserves, Deer Run, Villas at Prestwick, Iron Gate, Rock Spring, Central Park and Elk Creek. Around town:

• Eagle Lake Park, where the city holds its Arbor Day event each April.
• Bel Aire Park, Central Park, Brookhouser, Denise and Alley Park — several carry tree plaques recording what's planted there.
• The East Fork of Chisholm Creek runs along the south side of the city.
• K-254 borders the city to the north.

Bel Aire tree rules worth knowing

Dead, diseased and dangerous trees are the owner's duty. Chapter 10, Article 3 requires owners to remove dead, diseased and dangerous trees, and the city can abate at the owner's cost if it isn't done within 30 days of notice.

Clearances and setbacks. Keep branches 8 feet above sidewalks and 12 feet above streets. New street trees go at least 3 feet from the curb, 4 feet for large species, and nothing over 18 inches tall within 10 feet of a street light or 5 feet of a hydrant.

You're responsible past your property line. Bel Aire makes owners responsible for plant material from the property line all the way to the centreline of the adjacent street.

The city publishes what to plant. Bel Aire maintains a Recommended Street Trees list. For wet sites it suggests bald cypress, swamp white oak, sawtooth oak, chinkapin oak, American sycamore and hackberry; for all-season use, Chinese pistache, goldenrain tree, lacebark elm, ginkgo, London planetree, Kentucky coffeetree, thornless honeylocust and linden. It also cautions that young ash are prone to borers — worth knowing before you replace one.

The Survivor Tree Project. Bel Aire's tree board grows American elm saplings from seed of the elm that survived the Oklahoma City bombing, and has placed them at Botanica, the Wichita VA Hospital, Wichita State and in Greensburg, Reading and Joplin. Trees planted around town carry plaques recording species including sawtooth oak, lacebark elm, Chinese pistache, redbud, honeylocust and southern magnolia.

Need a tree handled in Bel Aire?

Call Andy for a free, in-person estimate — usually within one business day. Storm emergency? Call any hour, day or night.