Bulk of trees on former Ide Tree Farm to be mulched, moved off site

WOODRIDGE – While developers of the Timber's Edge subdivision will salvage one acre of spruce and pine trees across the former Ide Tree Farm, the bulk of them will be mulched and taken off the 55-acre property.

On Tuesday, the trees – overgrown because they weren't harvested over the winter – still stood on the property, but by Wednesday construction equipment removed thousands of the trees in just a day's work.

Developers from Pulte Homes said they will preserve a portion of the trees across the subdivision, including in an eight-acre park that will pay homage to the Ide family, but the others won't be transplanted, according to Village of Woodridge spokesman Jack Knight.

"The potential to relocate the unpreserved trees was analyzed early on and deemed not likely to be successful due to the fact that the trees were not root-pruned and had been sheered to have a dense foliage top," Knight wrote in an email to Woodridge Suburban Life. "Attempts to transplant would damage the root system and significantly impact the ability of the tree to survive, so instead they will be mulched and moved off site."

The property, along 83rd Street just east of Woodward Avenue, had been home to the Ide Christmas Tree Farm for more than 60 years before the family sold the property to Pulte earlier this year.

A message posted on the business' website on Thursday read:

"Our farm is sold for development as of July 8, 2014. No trees are left for Christmas. The Ide Christmas Tree Farm founding owners have passed away. To settle the estate, it was regretfully necessary to sell the farm. As the managers of the business, we sincerely thank all of you who have supported and allowed our business to continue for over 60 years. It was a very good run. We are sorry to leave so many of our loyal friends without a local Christmas Tree Farm. We feel honored to have been a prominent part of your Christmas Holidays. Many blessings to you all. Sincerely, Charlie, Jan, Dave, & Jeff Ide."

Timber's Edge, a 149-lot upscale subdivision of single family homes, will be the largest residential construction in Woodridge in more than a decade, according to village officials.

Lot sizes in the subdivision will average about 9,200 with five home models that will range from 2,292 to 3,307 square feet in the subdivision, with an average projected home price of $400,000 to $500,000.

“For nine of the past 10 years, residents ranked new single-family homes as the highest priority for new community housing through the village’s annual Community Needs Survey,” Mayor Gina Cunningham said in a news release from the village announcing that developers broke ground. “The Timbers Edge subdivision is a welcome addition to the community that responds to the community’s request.”

Construction of the first phase of the development will take place over the next year. Homes are expected to be available early next year, according to the release.