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Resident urges town to better protect heritage trees after recent clearings
Summary
A resident urged the board to enforce heritage tree protections after three century‑old trees were removed at a Wake Chapel Road development; she asked the town to work with developers and Wake County Schools to preserve roosting chimneys and mature trees.
During public comment, resident Emily Holloway asked the Town Board to strengthen protections for mature and heritage trees after witnessing the removal of three large, century‑old deciduous trees on the Wake Chapel Road development site at Wake Chapel Square.
Holloway said the trees met the town’s heritage‑tree criteria and had been left standing while other parts of the lot were cleared; she said they were cut down within hours. She asked who maintains the town’s Tree City USA designation and urged staff to require better coordination with developers and Wake County Schools to save key features, including a chimney used by chimney swifts that Wake Audubon hopes to preserve.
Holloway referenced town rules she said protect existing vegetation and detailed the timeline she observed: the development was proposed June 9, approved July 13 and construction began July 27. She told the board she was concerned that approvals and clearing were proceeding too quickly and urged the town to work with developers to retain green space.
Mayor Massingale thanked Holloway for raising the issue; staff did not provide an immediate enforcement action in the meeting. The board did not take action at the meeting but the concern was placed on record.
