04-11-07Minutes ojApril I1, 2007, Tree Conservation Board
,,,.. CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
TREE CONSERVATION BOARD
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
April 11, 2007
A regular meeting of the Tree Conservation Board was held Wednesday, April 11,
2007 at the Adele Grage Cultural Center. The meeting was called to order at 7:00
p.m. by Maureen Shaughnessy and adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
ROLL CALL
1. Present: Chair Maureen Shaughnessy, Carole Varney, Jim McCue, Brea
Paul, and City Liaison/Planner Erika
2. Excused: Stephanie Catania
3. Recognition of Visitors:
Brian Burke, Landscape Architect (Behalf of Community Presbyterian Church)
4. Approval of Minutes of March 28~', 2007 Meeting
Jim McCue made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 28th,
2007 regular meeting. Carole Varney seconded the motion and it passed
unanimously.
5. New Business
a. Tree Removal Permits
i. 150 Sherry Drive (Community Presbyterian Church)
Brian Burke requested to speak to the Board. Brian Burke
presented a photograph of a building with branches leaning up
against it and asked the Board's permission to cut those
branches down. Brian Burke showed another photograph of a
tree that he was concerned with because the tree appeared to
be diseased, with cavities forming in the lower trunk. The tree
was approximately 30" and was thought to be an Elm, though
he was unable to definitively identify what type of tree it was.
Carole Varney made a motion to issue a permit for the
removal of 1-22" Pine, 1-11" Palm, and 1-13" Palm, all in the
interior zone, to be mitigatied by 23" of
surplus inches identified on the landscape plan at a
previous review by the Tree Board; for removal of 1-
30" Hardwood in the exterior zone, to be mitigated by 15" of
~""'` hardwood surplus inches identified on the landscape
Page 1 of 4
Minutes of April 11, 2007, Tree Conservation Board
~.,, plan at a previous review by the Tree Board. Jim McCue
seconded tt-e motion and it passed unanimously.
6. Reports S Announcements
a. Exempt Tree Removals
i. 3451 ~ Street (Arens Residence)
The Arens requested to remove a 15" Cabbage Palm from the
rear interior of their lot. The Cabbage Palm abutted an existing
patio and the Arens wish to install a trellis in that location.
Permit was issued on 4/04/2007 based upon the fact that
proposed construction of the trellis was far less than the
$10,000 threshold, and the tree was not considered a private
protected tree (less than 20" within the interior zone).
ii. 301 Pine Street (Custom Tree Service for Martin Residence)
Custom Tree Sen-ice requested to remove adiseased/dead
Pond cypress from the rear interior zone of the residential lot.
Permit was issued on 4/04/2007 based upon the fact that the
tree is visibly diseased and poses a potential hazard.
b. Mitigation
i. 1680 Jordan Street
Ms Hall reported that she had conferred with the City Clerk
regarding contact of the Commissioners to discuss this matter
and was told that Board Members are not allowed to contact
individual members and "poll" them on an issue that might go
before them. Recommendation was to discuss with the City
Attorney and the Community Development Director. She then
spoke with Sonya Doerr, Community Development Director who
said that the proper course of action would be to send the
matter to the Code Enforcement Board.
Ms. Hall also reported that she had received a call from Cynthia
Doctor on 4/11/2007. Ms Doctor wished to know the status of
her case, and Ms. Hall explained that the Board had been
making efforts to assist her in meeting her mitigation
requirements. She still seemed not to understand the fact that
she had broken a law, and insisted that she had only cut down
three trees and she had planted seven to replace them. Ms.
Hall again explained that ~ was not a matter of the number of
trees, but rather the number of inches of trees tha# had been cut
down...that it took a great number of years for those trees to
reach that size/maturity, and that the purpose of the mitigation
was to compensate for the "lost" benefits of having those trees
present. Ms. Hall reiterated that the Board was trying to assist
Page 2 of 4
Minutes of April 11, 2007, Tree Conservation Board
~,., Ms. Doctor, but that their hands were pretty much tied because
this was a matter of breaking a law.
The Board discussed how they might make the community more
aware of what trees they are allowed to cut down without
breaking the law or incurring mitigation fees. The Board came to
a decision of sending out letters to tree specialists and sending
brochures to realtors in order for them to help educate the public
on the local tree protection ordinance. The Board feels public
awareness of the tree ordinance will help alleviate the ongoing
problems the city and its citizens are experiencing with
unlicensed and uninsured tree services that are soliciting in the
area.
ii. 105 6~' Street (Orchid?), Lots 1-6
This case is similar to the one above in which the Board feels
this case needs to be sent to Code enforcement.
iii. 1710 Park Terrace East
Ms Hall reported that Mike Burrows with Fasanelli /Atlas made
efforts to site trees for mitigation. He called on 4/04/07 to ask if
the trees could be mitigated offsite (wanted to plant at several
other properties located at Ocean Grove) and was told that
according to Section 23-17(e)(2)i, if trees could not be mitigated
onsite, the applicant would have to pay the equivalent amount
into the tree fund. He stated that they might have to plant part
and pay part.
On Mike Burrows presented a satisfactory mitigation plan on
04/05/2007, therefore setting into motion the monitoring phase.
An initial check of the property will be conducted when the CO is
issued, and reviews will take place at 6-month increments to
insure trees have survived.
iv. 1863 Mayport Road
Rick Carper noted that the plan submitted for building permit
review does not account for mitigation trees from either the
original or revised tree removal permit. Additionally, it appears
that a 17" oak on the east bank of the existing retention is
missing. Ms. Hall presented this information to the Board
Members, who discussed the case and came to the conclusion
that the applicant is not following the tree requirements.
Jim McCue made a motion to write this applicant a letter
that he needs to come before the board for possible
mitigation costs and that an interoffice memo be sent to the
Page 3 of 4
Minutes of April 11, 2007, Tree Conservation Board
,,, Public Works Departrnent and the Building Department to
request that they cease and desist issuance of
development permits for this property until the matter at
hand is resolved. Brea Paul seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.
c. Other
i. Application revision
Ms HaN presented application revision recommendations to the
Board.
The Board suggested that, in Section Il: Tree Removal Site
Information, the phrase "onsite storage/retention be changed to
"stormwater retention" for those applicants who do not know
what onsite storage means. Jim McCue suggested that, in
Section Ill: Mitigation Information, the work "site" be removed
because landscape plan is sufficient. The Board agreed with
the revisions that Ms. Hall presented.
ii. Websitie revision
Ms Hall presented to the Board an example of the revised Tree
Conservation Board webpage on the City of Atlantic Beach
website. Ms. Hall stated that the website will be more user
friendly and easier to retrieve application documents or review
pending applications with the inclusion of the new icons and
categories.
The Board discussed the website changes with Ms. Hatt and
suggests three changes. The icon that says Agenda items
needs to be changed to say Pending Applications and the icon
Tree Removal Applications should be changed to Tree Removal
Forms. The last suggestion was for the icons need to be
rearranged. The Board was satisfied with Ms. Hall's revisions.
7. Adjournment
Mr. McCue made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 pm. The
motion was seconded by Carole Varney and passed unanimously.
Chair
2 5 !O
Date
Page 4 of 4