SEA CLIFF VILLAGE BOARD TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING TO DISCUSS TREE ORDINANCE.
On Monday, September 16, the Sea Cliff Board of Trustees will be holding a Town Hall Meeting in order to “conduct an informal review of the tree ordinance” and to get input from community members on their views of the current policy, and thoughts on whether it ought to be revised in any way.
The current tree ordinance was adopted in 2010. It provides for the formation of a Tree Committee, which is currently made up of Trustee Carol Vogt, Building Superintendent Drew Lawrence, and two community members - Cecelia Wheeler and Russell Gorog - and requires that a resident wishing to take down a tree that is greater than 8 inches diameter at a height of 4.5 feet, first obtain a permit before removing it. Under the ordinance, the Tree Committee has the authority to grant or deny tree removal application permits. Determinations for issuing permits are based on several factors, including, the “condition of the tree with respect to disease and danger of falling, and proximity to existing or proposed structures and interference with utility services; the necessity of removal; . . . the impact of its removal on ecological systems; . . . the impact of the removal on the existing screening of any public street bordering the property; and, whether the tree is a specimen tree.” In the case of site plan and subdivision applications involving the removal of trees, the Committee issues a statement of findings and recommendations to the Planning Board.
The current policy replaces one adopted in 2005 that allowed residents to remove one tree per year without a permit. Any subsequent removals required approval. In an interview with Northwordnews, Trustee Carol Vogt explained that this previous policy was difficult to enforce as it was often unclear whether a resident had already removed a tree.
At the August 15 Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kennedy announced the Town Hall meeting. Trustee Vogt added in her statement that there are no current proposals being debated, but the Board would like to “get an idea [from the community] of the direction we want to go in.” In her Northwordnews interview, Ms. Vogt described the tree issue as reflecting the classic tension between what is viewed by many as promoting the general welfare, in this case by protecting the character of the village, and protecting the property rights of individuals against government intrusion. The Village, she said, wants to strike the right balance. The question, she continued, that needs to be considered is “What role
should government play in determining whether or not a resident can take down a tree?"
The September 16th Town Hall Forum will be held at 8 pm in the second floor meeting room of Sea Cliff Village Hall.
(T. Madden)
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The current tree ordinance was adopted in 2010. It provides for the formation of a Tree Committee, which is currently made up of Trustee Carol Vogt, Building Superintendent Drew Lawrence, and two community members - Cecelia Wheeler and Russell Gorog - and requires that a resident wishing to take down a tree that is greater than 8 inches diameter at a height of 4.5 feet, first obtain a permit before removing it. Under the ordinance, the Tree Committee has the authority to grant or deny tree removal application permits. Determinations for issuing permits are based on several factors, including, the “condition of the tree with respect to disease and danger of falling, and proximity to existing or proposed structures and interference with utility services; the necessity of removal; . . . the impact of its removal on ecological systems; . . . the impact of the removal on the existing screening of any public street bordering the property; and, whether the tree is a specimen tree.” In the case of site plan and subdivision applications involving the removal of trees, the Committee issues a statement of findings and recommendations to the Planning Board.
The current policy replaces one adopted in 2005 that allowed residents to remove one tree per year without a permit. Any subsequent removals required approval. In an interview with Northwordnews, Trustee Carol Vogt explained that this previous policy was difficult to enforce as it was often unclear whether a resident had already removed a tree.
At the August 15 Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor Kennedy announced the Town Hall meeting. Trustee Vogt added in her statement that there are no current proposals being debated, but the Board would like to “get an idea [from the community] of the direction we want to go in.” In her Northwordnews interview, Ms. Vogt described the tree issue as reflecting the classic tension between what is viewed by many as promoting the general welfare, in this case by protecting the character of the village, and protecting the property rights of individuals against government intrusion. The Village, she said, wants to strike the right balance. The question, she continued, that needs to be considered is “What role
should government play in determining whether or not a resident can take down a tree?"
The September 16th Town Hall Forum will be held at 8 pm in the second floor meeting room of Sea Cliff Village Hall.
(T. Madden)
BACK TO HOME PAGE