CATALPA TREE IN PERIL?

PETER B. BRACE/The Independent

Catalpa is not a word in most Nantucketers' lexicons unless they know something about trees. If they do, they know that catalpa trees are a rarity on the island, which is why Nantucket's tree warden is trying to prevent Andrew and Annette Dey, owners of two houses at 7 Eagle Lane, from felling the catalpa tree they claim is on their property.

The Deys' planned renovation of their two houses requires that they jack up the houses in order to put new foundations beneath them. In a letter to the Board of Selectmen, which will hear the Deys' argument for felling the tree the town believes it owns at its meeting tonight, the Deys said that for their foundation contractor to work around the tree in front of their house would "add thousands of dollars" to the total cost of their project. They would also like to create an extra parking space on the street, as the tree itself is growing into the pavement.

Town Tree Warden Dave Champoux, who lives at 58 Fair St., said it would be "heartbreaking to see it destroyed for the convenience of a renovation," and is urging the board to spare one of Nantucket's less common trees. The selectmen meet tonight at 6 p.m. in the courtroom of the Town & County Building at 16 Broad St.