Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tree Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbor asks Oak Ridge to require replanting after tree removal in Ashford subdivision
Summary
A resident told the Town Council on Feb. 6 that trees were removed in the Ashford subdivision in a way she said violated the town’s tree-preservation requirements and asked town planners to require the developer to replant.
Joanne Morris, whose property borders the Ashford subdivision, told the Town Council on Feb. 6 that trees on Lot 16 had been removed beyond the marked tree-preservation area shown in earlier plans.
Morris said the tree-preservation zone on Lot 16 had been reduced from 30 feet to 20 feet in a plan she saw in late 2023 or early 2024 and that the restricted area was not clearly marked in the field. She said an operator on site was unaware of any restricted area and that vegetation has been removed close to her property line.
Morris asked the town to require the Ashford developer to replant trees to meet the town’s tree-coverage standards. “The town of Oak Ridge has adopted a tree preservation ordinance which calls for the replacement of any trees to comply with the tree coverage standards,” she told council.
Mayor and council directed Morris to meet with Planning Director Shawn Taylor so staff could investigate whether the town can require replanting or other remedies. Shawn Taylor, the town’s planning director, was named during public comment as the staff contact; the council asked Morris to follow up with Taylor after the meeting.
No formal enforcement action or council vote was taken at the Feb. 6 meeting; councilors referred the matter to planning staff for investigation and possible administrative follow-up.
