The "massive attack" on poplar trees near the old Alexandra bridge piers had further downgraded the southern entrance into the town, the Clutha management committee was told last week.
The New Zealand Transport Agency arranged to have about 20 trees around the Clutha River bridge at Alexandra felled last week, because the trees were rotting and they were worried about public safety.
Removing the trees prompted an outcry from members of the public concerned about the effect on the landscape.
Alexandra resident Jolyon Manning raised the matter at the committee meeting in Cromwell and said Lombardy poplars were the "single most iconic introduced landscape element in Central Otago".
Mr Manning and his wife Enny established Jolendale Park, a reserve on the outskirts of the town, about 50 years ago. Mr Manning is also a former national vice-president of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.
"With the trees at the bridge, I would expect at the very least, that there should have been a professional [aborist's] report before the massive attack took place," Mr Manning said.
The entrances into Alexandra were mostly "disreputable", he believed, and the southern entrance had deteriorated for 50 years.
He advocated "pre-emptive" plantings of poplars to avoid the "rather disastrous" appearance after mature trees had been felled .
The life span of the poplars was about 70 years. They were easy to propagate so it was simple to maintain poplars in the landscape.
Committee member and deputy Central Otago mayor Tony Lepper said the committee would not compromise public safety. The sides of roads were not the right place for further poplar plantings, he said.
Vincent Community Board chairwoman and committee member Clair Higginson said pre-emptive planting was a good idea.
