"It used to look neat when you came down the street - just like a tunnel of trees," said Ken Hansford of Arcadia Avenue, whose own front yard won't lose any of its trees along the street. Trees, in fact, drew him to live on Arcadia.

"In the fall, the street just became a blanket of beautiful leaves," said Amy Kellerman, who lives up the street and is losing two from her yard. "Let me tell you, this is a sad day."

About 20 trees, most of them large silver maples, are being cut down this week along the stately street because at least some of their root systems were harmed by the recent installation of curbs, which followed the enlargement of a water line beneath the avenue.

Some owners are dismayed they will be billed several hundred dollars for the removal of each tree, when it was City Council that chose to cut them down.

"We would have loved to have saved the trees," said Mayor Karen L. Gamel. "We made an effort to do so."

The city's engineer recommended the trees come down before the curbs were installed, but city officials chose to install the curbs first, to see whether the trees could survive, she said. Several tree companies agreed they were a danger, she added.

"We were sort of hoping against hope that some of the trees could be saved," agreed City Councilman John R. Nienaber Jr. "There probably were some occasions where their roots were damaged. They were dying already or were going to be dying soon."

"They were becoming a liability," Gamel said. "I personally have picked up logs from the street from dying trees" after a recent storm.

Residents argue that because the trees are located on the city's right-of-way, the city should pay to take them down. But Nienaber said City Council was advised city government "legally cannot pay for it."

Scott Hudgins, who had three trees cut along his side yard and said he will be billed about $1,800, is disappointed. The trees were one reason his wife frequently drove the street, looking for houses to buy, before they moved in more than a year ago, he said.

"A, we didn't want them gone, and B, we didn't kill them, they did," he said. "They ought to be paying me, for screwing up my property.

"They could still be beautiful trees, for many, many, many years to come," Hudgins said. "Some of these trees are past their prime, but they're still venerable parts of our community."

To ease the financial blow, the city is giving residents up to a year to finish making their payments. And within a week, the city plans to mail residents a list of trees that the city's tree board recommends be allowed to be planted between the sidewalks and street.

When Loula Mae Acra, who has lived on the street since 1947, saw a tree company preparing to cut her trees Monday, she urged the workers to reconsider. They told her they were under city orders.

"I liked them. I thought they were pretty," said Acra, 95. "I had a huge one that had been here as long as I've been."