Resident pushing city for tree protection ordinance

May 8—While Decatur officials have plans to replace some trees recently removed from public property, a Decatur resident is pushing the City Council to adopt an ordinance that would limit private developers' removal of trees.

City officials are dubious, but are allowing her to make a presentation at Monday's council work session.

Andrea Hoffmeier Wilson, leader of the local watchdog group 1DUCK (OneDecatur United Citizens Kaizen), is a Carridale Street Southwest resident who has written books about sustainable growth and has a master's from Harvard in sustainability and environmental management. She said sustainable growth includes protecting trees.

"Part of sustainable growth is the best uses of our resources and land," Wilson said. "Trees not only beautify our city, they also help our environment. We want protections in place for trees."

Wilson said developers should be required to inventory trees on a property and present a plan for restoring any trees they remove for a project. She pointed out that the developer of a recently approved town home project on her street cleared the lot, including a number of "massive mature trees" on the perimeter, that didn't need to be removed. She said there's no plan to replace them.

"There was a young, but salvageable Japanese maple that was yanked out of the ground and left there to die," Wilson said. "I finally called the developer and said, 'Can I save it?' It's now at my home trying to live."

Wilson said local developers "have a high level of disregard" for trees because the city doesn't have a process in place that requires them to save the trees they can and replace those they can't.

She said the city should hire a certified arborist who can look at a developer's plan and make sure it protects or replaces trees. For example, if a 20-inch diameter tree is removed, it should be replaced by 10 2-inch diameter trees, she said. If they are unable to replace the trees they remove, they could instead plant trees in other parts of the city.

She said a tree ordinance could also require a landscaping buffer with appropriate trees to separate an apartment complex, such as the one being developed off Upper River Road by Andy Villarreal, from existing single-family subdivisions.

Gulf Shores has a tree protection ordinance that requires the purchase of a tree permit and city approval to remove certain trees. It also establishes tree protection zones.

Officials reluctant

The initial reaction of city officials to Wilson's proposal to require developers to replace trees was not positive. Council President Jacob Ladner told Wilson in a council meeting last month that he wouldn't expect to support putting such requirements on private businesses.

Planning Commission Chairman Kent Lawrence said he also doesn't think it's right to place the extra financial burden on a developer or contractor, especially because construction is so costly right now.

Lawrence said there have been times when the Planning Commission asked a developer to add trees as a buffer "and usually they will do it."

Mayor Tab Bowling said "it sounds good and all" to say that the city should have a tree ordinance "but private property owners shouldn't be forced to spend money on replacing trees."

While a city ordinance requires developers to include items like sidewalks, streets and gutters and connections to the city's water and sewer main, Bowling said trees are different.

"It's an apples and oranges comparison," Bowling said. "You don't have to water sidewalks and streets. Trees get diseased and die. Sidewalks and streets are just different from trees."

Wilson said developers in other cities willingly adjust to meet these regulations because they understand the importance of saving trees.

Bowling said the best place for tree regulations is in a covenant like the one at City View, where he once lived in Southwest Decatur. That covenant requires each property to have at least two trees, he said.

While city officials are not enthusiastic about a tree ordinance, they are planning to replace trees recently removed from public property.

'I miss the trees'

In March, the Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the city's beautification programs, removed eight diseased water oak trees near City Hall.

Bowling said he's trusting the professionals to come up with a plan, but he does want to replace the hardwoods.

"I miss the trees," Bowling said.

Parks and Recreation superintendents Aaron Lang and Jonathan Gruber are leading the department's recently reinstituted Beautification Division. They are working with an arborist on a landscaping plan that includes replacement of the trees.

"We'll probably use oaks and some ornamental trees," Lang said. "They will probably be placed farther apart and there won't be as many."

The new trees will be planted farther away from the sidewalks that run along Lee Street and Fourth Avenue so they're out of the rights of way, he said.

Bowling said the City Hall grounds are underutilized, and the shade and beauty from replacing the trees would make the area more inviting. He said he wishes more activities like River Clay, an arts festival held annually in the fall, would use City Hall grounds.

"One of the things that makes River Clay so enjoyable is the shade," the mayor said.

Lang said the plan is to use oak trees that are about 4 years old instead of young saplings so they provide shade sooner.

"The trees that are a little older really aren't as expensive as one might think," Lang said.

He said the landscaping plan won't move forward until fiscal 2023, if the City Council approves it as part of the budget.

"We won't want to plant the tree right now and have to water them too heavily to get them through the summer," Lang said.

Lang said they are also doing some re-landscaping on the west side of the U.S. 31 causeway at Riverwalk Marina. Some of the junipers have major problems that require their removal. They're also removing the miscanthus grass.

Last week, the Tennessee Valley Authority removed crepe myrtles under its power lines between Point Mallard Drive Southeast and the Bill Sims Bike Trail.

Lang said he expects he will be working with Parks and Recreation Director Jason Lake on a landscaping plan for the area where the crepe myrtles once were.

"We'll probably use ornamental trees that don't grow as tall as the crepe myrtles (along Point Mallard Drive)," Lang said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.