Port Orange council tables request to partially release tree-conservation easement for 4629 Clyde Morris

Port Orange City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday to table a request from the owners of 4629 Clyde Morris to partially release tree-conservation easements on the site, saying council members wanted clearer conditions, replacement conservation language and final engineering before taking action.

The matter drew sustained public comment and council debate after Community Development Director Tim Burman told the council the property currently contains more than 25 specimen trees though the code requires eight, and that the two easements owners want vacated contain at most two specimen trees. "No trees can be removed with approval of this. So it has to come before the city to approve those," Burman said, describing staff support for the applicant while noting the site still exceeds required tree counts.

Why it matters: Council members said they wanted to avoid setting a precedent that weakens Port Orange’s long-standing emphasis on tree conservation. Councilman Green framed the issue in terms of the city’s identity: "This just kind of to me goes against what Port Orange is," he said, urging…