Chapel Hill held a hearing last night on proposed changes to its tree protection ordinance, which include strict rules on private property owners who want to remove trees on their own land. Frank Thomas of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties zeroed in on the key issue: the council must decide who or what takes priority in this policy, and who will enforce it. According to the Herald-Sun:
A resident may want to remove some trees for a large garden or to build an addition to care for an elderly relative, Thomas said. He asked how those plans would be balanced against protecting trees.
Thomas was also concerned about who would provide the burden of proof needed to remove a tree, as well as what would happen to a tree not on the lists of invasive exotic, native and protected species in the ordinance.
“This seems like a very difficult issue to enforce,” Thomas said, adding he was concerned enforcement would fall to neighbors.
Excellent points that are likely to be ignored.
