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Residents urge preservation of large Chinquapin oak along North Van Dyke; city manager says site plan and ARPA rules still under review
Summary
Two residents urged Sterling Heights leaders to preserve a mature Chinquapin oak on a North Van Dyke parcel slated for redevelopment; the city manager said final site plan review has not yet occurred and that ARPA funds used for the project fall under allowable categories.
Two residents asked the Sterling Heights City Council to preserve a large Chinquapin oak on a property proposed for redevelopment along North Van Dyke, raising concerns about tree loss, wetlands, and neighborhood impacts. City Manager Mark Vanderpool responded that the project must still complete final site plan review and that the city has used ARPA funds within allowable categories for the project.
“Is this a proper use of ARPA funds?” resident Carol Chi asked during communications from citizens, citing her reading of ARPA restrictions and concerns about wetlands and landmark trees. Chi urged councilmembers to “go see it” and said the tree could not be replaced by small saplings.
A second resident, who described efforts to propagate oak acorns, told council that large oak trees are difficult to replace and described practical challenges collecting acorns and growing replacement trees. The resident said private nurseries and Michigan State University could not meet the demand and outlined a volunteer propagation option that would take several years to produce replacement trees.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool answered the public comments, saying the project still requires final site‑plan review and that “the project would have sufficient parking pursuant to our zoning ordinance and the PUD that’s been approved.” He said the city’s ARPA funds were used under the loss‑of‑revenue category and were not subject to the narrower restrictions the first resident cited; therefore the restrictions she listed “were not applicable in our case.” Vanderpool also noted the city’s existing tree‑preservation ordinance and catalogued recent city conservation actions, including acquisition of 85 acres for preservation and a city tree‑planting program.
Nut graf: Residents pressed the council to protect a mature oak as part of broader concerns about development impacts; staff replied that development remains subject to standard planning and tree‑preservation processes and that the city’s ARPA expenditures for the project fell within allowable categories.
Ending: The city manager offered to work with residents on propagation plans and noted the city’s broader commitments to conservation. The transcript does not show any immediate regulatory action to preserve the specific tree pending the project’s site‑plan process.
