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Council approves partial release of tree conservation easement at 4629 Clyde Morris Boulevard, drawing split public comment
Summary
Port Orange City Council approved a motion to partially remove a tree conservation easement at 4629 Clyde Morris Boulevard and replace protected area along the Clyde Morris/Herbert Street frontage. Council approved the measure 4–1 after debate about the site’s mature buffer, replacement protections and development flexibility.
The Port Orange City Council voted 4–1 to approve a partial release of the tree conservation easement on the property at 4629 Clyde Morris Boulevard, allowing the property owner to modify the site plan in areas currently designated as conserved land while establishing replacement protected areas along the front landscape buffer.
City planning staff presented a revised plan that would vacate two interior conservation zones and place an equivalent tree conservation area along the Herbert Street and Clyde Morris frontage and parking-edge green space. Staff said the replacement areas meet land-development-code rules and would increase the number of protected specimen trees on the site by up to 12 compared with what the easement currently protects.
Tim (city staff) described the technical changes and said the proposal “exceeds the number of trees required to be protected by the land development code.” The property owner said invasive species and vines had reduced the condition of interior trees and that the new plan would preserve a greater number of healthy specimen trees in public-facing buffers.
Some members of the public opposed the release. Resident Robert Reinehagen urged the council not to reduce conservation areas and suggested the city seek compensation or land elsewhere as part of the transaction. Council members debated whether existing buffered trees along the road — which have matured over decades — were already effectively protected and whether swapping conservation areas was an appropriate trade.
Councilmembers who spoke in favor said the proposed replacement easement will preserve mature specimen trees along the public frontage and avoid protecting a deteriorated interior stand that is overrun with invasive vegetation; those voting against voiced concern about removing interior protections and asked for alternative compensation. The motion to untable the item passed unanimously; the final approval passed 4–1.
City staff will incorporate the revised conservation-area map into the site plan and proceed with permitting and development review under the modified easement.
