Residents press Riverwoods over Saunders Road tree removals and board adopts new open-burning permit rules

Residents criticized the timing and notification of tree removals along Saunders Road and asked the village to provide federal, state and local guidance to property owners, while the Board of Trustees approved a unit-price contract for hazardous-tree removal and adopted an amended ordinance governing landscape-waste burning.

At the meeting William Myers, speaking for himself and a neighbor, said they first learned of tree cutting on Saunders Road "only late last week without time to appeal to anyone" and asked why some properties were spared while others had trees removed. He requested that the village provide affected property owners with IDOT and other guidance at least one month before removals and asked that replacements be sized to restore privacy and canopy: "5 30 foot trees should be replaced with 5 equivalent 30 foot trees," Myers said.

Director of Community Services Witt acknowledged shortcomings in direct notice to affected residents and apologized publicly: "We certainly acknowledge we could have done a better job in communicating the pending removal directly to affected residents along Saunders Road and for that we publicly apologize." Witt said the village is planning a neighborhood meeting before the Saunders Road project is let for bids in June and that specifications for the project include replanting at least 70 trees.

On hazardous-tree removal, Witt explained the village solicited proposals and received a single bid from Lucas Landscaping &…