Work to replace decaying trees in Livingstonia Park at Taieri Mouth could begin soon, pending council approval.
At its meeting last week, the Clutha District Council's district asset committee recommended that council replace the trees in two stages, beginning with pruning and planting younger trees before felling the old trees over a five- to seven-year period.
The proposal includes felling about 14 unpruned trees at the southern end of the park.
A Green family memorial area, about 23m by 5m, would be established at the southern end of the park.
Joanna Green originally donated land at Livingstonia Park, and members of her family requested a portion be made into a ''living memorial''.
The family would plant out the area and maintain it.
Consultation on the proposal closed last month and attracted six submissions, with only one against the proposal.
Livingstonia Park backs on to Taieri Beach and is sheltered from the wind by a row of about 70 pines.
It includes a playground, a wide playing field, picnic tables and chairs, as well as an information kiosk on its history and the role of the Otago-Southland War Amputees Association in creating the park.
The trees are between 60 and 70 years old.
The council felled one of the pines at the southern end of the park in 2012 after a request from the Taieri Mouth Amenities Society, as the tree was dying.
Before the tree was felled, an independent arborist assessed the condition of all the trees and found most of them were showing signs of senescence - a normal part of the ageing process for trees - which was visible in a decline in the upper canopy and a thinning of the crown.
This was expected to lead to the ''inevitable loss'' of more trees because of wind and storm damage, and this would have a snowball effect, as the removal of trees at each end would put further pressure on the ability of the remaining trees to survive.
A final decision on the proposal is to be made by the full council at its meeting next week.
