Hendersonville committee weighs changing tree‑bank rules, medians, welcome signs and subdivision street signs

Hendersonville's General Committee discussed possible changes to the city's tree‑bank rules, options for new welcome signs and bridge art, median beautification along major corridors and a dispute over decorative subdivision street signs at its Jan. 14 meeting.

Mayor Jamie Cleary said the tree bank — an offset fund created by a city ordinance in the 1990s to pay for replacement trees when development removes them — has a growing balance but limited places where funds can currently be spent. "Quite possibly you all didn't know that we had a tree bank," Cleary said, and described how the bank charges developers by "caliper inch per caliper inch" when mature trees are removed and allows planting elsewhere on public property.

The committee discussed whether to amend the ordinance language so tree‑bank funds could be used to help plant or maintain trees in medians, commercial entrances and, in limited cases, on private property as an incentive when developers are reinvesting. Cleary said any use on private property would require an agreement obligating the private owner to maintain the trees and that budget proposals would return to the committee for review: "Even if we agree to change this, every time I come forward with the budget, you all have the…