Urban Forestry Committee Meeting June 24, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. Environmental Commission to be held June 24, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications. Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (June 23, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the June 24, 2021 Environmental Commission Regular Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison Kaela Champlin, (512) 974-3443, Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov, no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn- live 1 Reunión del Urban Forestry Committee Fecha de la reunion (24 de junio de 2021 a las 10:00 A.M.) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social. Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (23 de junio de 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en Kaela Champlin, (512) 974-3443, Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que …
Urban Forestry Subcommittee of the Environmental Commission June 24, 2021 Meeting Briefing Overview • Unpermitted Removal—What We Know. • Examples of Unpermitted Removals. • Existing Code and Administrative Tools. • Proposed Tools in Land Development Code Rewrite. Unpermitted Removal What We Know • Violations are increasing. • Over 20 Heritage Trees removed without a permit and appear development related. • The gains in land value with tree removal exceed mitigation. • Many removals are unresolved due partly to limited Code and administrative tools. Unpermitted Heritage Tree Removal Back yard 43.5" live oak March 2019 Front yard 36" live oak March 2019 March 2021 March 2021 Unpermitted Heritage Tree Removal 43.5" live oak shown on Site Plan for adjacent property with cantilevered slab to preserve tree Unpermitted Heritage Tree Removal Site in south Austin. 12 protected or heritage trees removed, 412" cumulative. Unpermitted Heritage Tree Removal Site near downtown. Crew interrupted mid-removals. Trees did not survive. Unpermitted Heritage Tree Removal 10,520 sq ft valued at $357,500 $33.98/sq ft 33% increase since 2016 43.5" live oak – 5,941 sq ft CRZ ~55% located on target property 1,634 sq ft cannot be developed 36" live oak – 4,069 sq ft CRZ ~75% located on target property 1,526 sq ft cannot be developed 3,160 sq ft worth $107,377 Standard mitigation for heritage trees is 300% of removed diameter (79.5"). At mitigation rate of $200/inch the mitigation paid will be $47,700 Code and Administration Challenges • Ordinance does not address violations. • No pathway to meet findings. • Cannot force violator to Commission. • Making violations stick when property sales. • Violations rarely disclosed to buyers, who are then responsible for mitigation. Code and Administration Tools • Environmental Criteria Manual allows for enhanced mitigation. • Issue a Code violation. Proposed Code Language • The draft Land Development Code improved language includes: – The City Arborist charged with enforcement. – Enhanced mitigation. – If Heritage Tree illegally removed, the critical root zone must be still preserved as if the tree was still there. New tree(s) must be planted in the place of the unpermitted removal. Proposed Code Language • Gaps in proposed language – Do not remedy that violations circumvent the public hearing process. – Do not daylight removal to the public. – Still difficult for violations to stick. – Does not address removals based on tree conflict with occupied structure but then applicant submits zoning …
