The National Golf Club Property Owners' Association has begun removing 102 pine trees as part of a road improvement and beautification project.

The trees are being removed along portions of National Drive and Dungarvan Lane in the private golf club, where large pine roots growing under the 20-year-old pavement caused destruction of the road base and surface.

After the trees and old asphalt are removed, the roads will be repaved and new landscaping will be installed.

Gary Gough, president of the Property Owners' Association, said it tried to spare as many trees as possible and no tree would be removed unless deemed absolutely necessary.

The trees that are removed will be replaced with smaller flowering trees, which are more friendly to asphalt.

"We see this as an opportunity for further beautification," he said. "All we're trying to do is make [National] better."

The decision was made after Criterium-Chipman Engineers, a Lenoir firm that specializes in appraising the quality of infrastructure, reported to the association on March 27 that portions of those two roads were determined to be of insufficient quality.

Before proceeding, Gough said, the association had three other firms provide analysis as well. Those firms advised against merely resurfacing the roads, since the roots would eventually break through the surface again. They also cautioned against cutting the roots, which would weaken the trees and make them susceptible to falling over.

Gough said not following the advice of the consultants would have resulted in failure of the roads, which would have been a complete disservice to the 465 property owners his organization represents.

"It would have been a total breach of our fiduciary duty not to act," he said.

A committee of property owners individually surveyed, approved, and marked each tree that was to be removed, which happened well in advance of the project.

To be completely transparent, Gough said the issue was disclosed to the membership at the annual meeting and in fliers delivered to the residents.

On Friday, crews were hard at work removing old asphalt and the trees.

Gough expects the road project to be completed within 30 days, with new landscaping to follow as necessary.

The project is being funded by the Property Owners' Association.

Gough said the association has made a concerted effort to make the project as environmentally friendly as possible. Limbs and stumps from the old trees will be ground up and used as mulch for the new landscaping.

"This is as green an operation as we can accomplish," he said.

Contact John Krahnert III at 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.