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Resident urges council to prioritize trees, recommends tree‑save rules and urban forestry post for Greenville
Summary
A resident told council Greenville’s tree canopy is about 34% and urged stronger development rules, minimum parcel tree‑save requirements and an urban forester to help preserve and expand canopy.
Andrea Pike, speaking during the public comment period, urged the Greenville City Council to prioritize trees and to include stronger protections in the city’s forthcoming unified development ordinance.
Pike said Greenville’s tree canopy is roughly 34% and that other North Carolina cities with higher canopy percentages often use development rules—site plan checks, tree‑save areas (10–20% of a parcel) and urban foresters—to retain existing trees and require new plantings on redeveloped lots. Pike said those regulations can help with privacy, screening and neighborhood character, and described personal experience working at a nursery and hearing homeowners complain after developers remove trees around new subdivisions.
She told council she participated in the Environmental Advisory Commission’s tree ordinance working group and asked that the new UDO incorporate stronger, system‑level protections for tree retention and planting. Pike offered to answer questions and asked council to make trees a higher priority in future policy work. The council acknowledged the comment but took no formal action during the meeting.
