Communities across the Valley focus on beautifying the downtown areas with sidewalks and green trees and shrubbery.

However, in Harrisonburg, the trees have grown a little too much, covering the signs of some businesses. The city has decided to get rid of some of these trees.

A few businesses requested that some of the trees be removed because they say all the leaves may prevent a person passing by from noticing what businesses are there.

"So basically, as far as our marketing and that sort of thing, we've just sort of been working around the marquis," says Tina Owens, the Court Square Theater business manager.

So the city is getting to the root of the problem: the trees. After consulting a tree expert, the only possible solutions were to leave the trees alone or to get rid of them completely.

"Well I know that there had been some concern that maybe if we took these two trees down then we may be bombarded with requests to remove other trees in the downtown area, but we just felt like this had enough uniqueness in itself that it shouldn't recur in other situations," says Kurt Hodgen, the city manager.

Some downtown businesses were glad to hear the city council agreed to remove two trees right in front of the Court Square Theater. Businesses like the theater were glad because they will be able to fill their marquis again.

The business owners say with the trees out of the way, they will be able to advertise a little better. The city won't get rid of the trees completely, because they will try to replant them in Liberty Park.

"Although I hate to see the trees go, I think it is a good decision for the city and for the businesses located in the marketplace," says Owens.

The city manager expects to have these trees removed within the next few weeks. Some members of the Harrisonburg Tree Committee say they were against removing the trees because they say it would destroy the continuity of Court Square.