On Monday, the Chapel Hill Town Council will hold a public hearing on changes to it tree ordinance. Make no mistake – this ordinance isn’t a feel-good, simplistic resolution. If approved, this will be a sweeping hit to private property rights. Even the city’s planning board acknowledged in its January 8 memo that the rules would be a “substantial change.” What was recommended by the planning board? Here’s the description:
“…establishment of a new vision statement which would call for no net loss of trees/canopy cover and an increase in trees proportional to population growth.”
Among the details outlined by the planning board chair in the January 8 memo:
“Because development activity will continue to occur while the new approach to tree regulation is being crafted, the Planning Board believes the community would benefit from these intermediate adjustments. This intermediate phase of increased tree protection would focus on two areas of the regulations:
Regarding single-family and two-family development, the decoupling of tree protection and building permits such that land disturbance/tree cutting not associated with a building permit is regulated on single-family and two-family lots.
Regarding all development, lowering the tree size threshold (diameter) for required identification on tree surveys.”
If you think the trees on your Chapel Hill property belong to you, think again. By the way, if passed, this is among the “principles” of the planning board:
“There shall be punitive fines for the violation of these regulations;”
