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Saddle Grove residents ask Smyrna to require 50–100-foot tree buffer or easement for nearby PRD
Summary
Residents of the 20-home Saddle Grove neighborhood urged the council to amend an approved PRD to require a permanent 50–100-foot mature-tree buffer or preservation easement, citing stormwater, wildlife and privacy concerns.
Saddle Grove neighbors urged the Smyrna Town Council to require a permanent tree buffer or a preservation easement along the border of a newly approved planned residential development.
Tanya Hadley, who lives at 216 Floridian Drive, said the community of about 20 homes backs to the tree line on tax map 54 Parcel 18 and that mature trees provide essential stormwater filtration, soil stabilization, wildlife habitat and a noise/privacy barrier. She said many Saddle Grove homes already experience downhill flooding and that engineered fixes cannot fully replace the protection provided by mature trees. "Once the trees are gone, they're gone forever," Hadley told the council and asked that the PRD be amended to require a 50- to 100-foot mature-tree buffer or a tree-preservation easement that would stay with the land.
Staff told residents the PRD was undergoing staff review and noted planning-commission findings related to steep topography and critical lots; staff and planning will continue review under existing procedures. Council did not take an immediate action to amend the PRD during the meeting but asked staff to consider tree-preservation options during their review process.
Next steps: staff agreed to review the site plan and the planning-commission comments, including topography and critical-lot issues, and to explore whether a permanent preservation easement or a specified buffer width could be incorporated under staff review.
