Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Stewardship topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident tells zoning administrator of unpermitted tree removal and property damage; says city issued "encroachment" permit
Summary
A resident, identifying herself as Janice Carmen, told the zoning administrator she discovered clear-cutting on a six-acre property adjacent to her home, said the city cited an encroachment permit, and reported damage to driveway, sidewalk and landscaping and that she found no prior public notice or planning permits in records she checked.
During the meeting's non-agenda public comment period, Janice Carmen described what she said was clear-cutting on a six-acre property she has observed for 40 years. Carmen said the work began shortly after she returned from vacation and that she found no notice to neighbors. She said she looked for permits at the city and county and was told by city staff the project had the required permits; Carmen said staff later told her the activity was authorized by an encroachment permit.
Carmen said the work has damaged her driveway, sidewalk and the brick on the front of her house and that many unfamiliar people have been on the site. She said about three to five trees were reported as mitigated by the project team, but that she believed the number of trees removed was closer to 30 to 50 and that she could not find an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the work. Carmen said she attempted to raise the issue at a city council meeting and then followed up with planning staff and received some staff response but remained concerned.
The zoning administrator did not take immediate action during the public comment period; the matter was presented as a non-agenda comment for the record. Carmen asked for information and said she had submitted written requests to the planner. The transcript records that Carmen had conversations with city staff and that staff referenced an encroachment permit; no formal enforcement action or staff response was recorded on the meeting record beyond her statement that she had requested documents from staff.
Because this was a public comment rather than an agenda item, no vote or formal action was recorded in the hearing on the matter. The record reflects Carmen's request for staff-provided documentation; parties seeking official records or enforcement information should contact the Planning and Economic Development Department for project files and permit records.
