HomeMy WebLinkAboutMilton Tree Preservation Committee Meeting 11 19 08Minutes
The Milton Tree Preservation Committee
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 3:30 p.m.
MEETING LOCATION:
Milton City Hall
Executive Conference Room—Suite ion -G
COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
Roger Festa
David Holcomb
Adam Orkin
Diane Palmer
COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT IN ATTENDANCE
Cherilyn Allen
Zack Middlebrooks
Scott Gronholm
GUEST ATTENDEES
Joe Padilla
MILTON STAFF IN ATTENDANCE
Mark Law, City Arborist
Alexandria Hancock, Community Development Intern
Minutes
Milton Tree Preservation Committee
November 19, 2008
Page 2 of 4
AGENDA
1) Call to order
2) Approval of the October 29th meeting minutes.
3) Tree Removal Permit Letter
4) Tree Removal Permit Application
5) Additional Comments
6) December Meetings
7) Adjournment
CALL TO ORDER
➢ Meeting called to order by City Arborist, Mark Law
INTRODUCTION OF ATTENDEES
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES:
➢ The October 29, 2oo8 meeting minutes were unanimously approved by the
Committee members.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
Mark Law
➢ Purposes of Tree Ordinances comments?
■ Concluded that purpose section is sufficient.
■ Ordinance is applicable to all parcels within the city
Mark Law
➢ What do you all want to see for the size of tree removal requirements?
Roger Festa
➢ 6" or over there must be notification, 8" or over requires notification and a fee
AND if it goes beyond the minimum coverage for the site
Joe Padilla
➢ Last meeting: notification on any activity would require an affidavit with
potential for the arborist to spot check it, permit would be required for anything
over 6" or more than 6 trees within a 12 month period
Minutes
Milton Tree Preservation Committee
November 19, 2008
Page 3 of 4
Mark Law
➢ Exemptions for tree removals such as Christmas tree farms, commercial
nurseries, trees being removed by the city or state, diseased, dead or dying trees,
trees causing structural damage to surrounding buildings, or trees in the right-
of-ways, etc.
➢ Christmas tree farms need a business license, so that is how we can tell if they
are really a true business.
Roger Festa
➢ Site Plans are required for any time an applicant is taking out more than 6 trees
per year, a land disturbance of more than 5,000 sq. ft., or if they are going below
the density requirement.
➢ The legal owner needs to sign off on it
Mark Law
➢ Specimen tree size criteria: under story trees are io" caliper (group agrees that 8"
would be alright), beech trees are 24" caliper, hardwoods are currently 27", pines
are 30"
We cannot stop timbering, but we can discourage it by requiring a time limit for
development.
➢ There could be incentives to leaving buffers during timbering like a lesser time
limit.
Front and rear yard buffer requirements and the side yard buffers should be the
same- whatever is required in the zoning ordinance right now.
➢ Cannot require tree removal companies have to have an arborist on staff, but can
require the companies to follow all parameters that an arborist would enforce.
➢ A preferred list of tree removal companies can be provided to citizens without
restricting them to just those companies.
➢ These companies must have a business license and proof of insurance in order to
be on the preferred list.
PUBLIC COMMENT
➢ No public comment
Minutes
Milton Tree Preservation Committee
November 19, 2oo8
Page 4 of 4
NEXT MEETING DATE
➢ Wednesday, December 17, 2oo8 @ 3:30 p.m.
➢ Location: City Hall Executive Conference Room, Suite logy -G
ADJOURNMENT
➢ There was no further business
The Milton Tree Preservation Committee meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm.
Date Approved:
I-2d--6-�
Mark Law, City Arborist