Neighbors complain after trees removed during Blessed Sacrament parking‑lot expansion; city staff says administrative approval followed code

Residents told city staff they were upset about removal of large trees and what they called a lack of notice when a parking‑lot expansion occurred at the former Blessed Sacrament property on West Davis Street.

Planning staff told the Historic Preservation Commission the property lies outside the West Davis Street Fountain Place Historic District and that the parking‑lot expansion was reviewed and approved administratively by the city’s technical review committee under the unified development ordinance. "So the city was also under no obligation to notify residents," a staff presenter said, explaining that the administrative process did not trigger the 100‑foot neighbor notification that applies to items formally before the Commission.

Staff said the application met the unified development standards and that there were no variances or special relief involved. The Commission was told the city arborist can inspect trees identified as diseased and that, under the guidelines, property owners who remove trees are generally expected to replant from the recommended species list on file with the city.

Commission members and staff acknowledged neighborhood frustration with communication and suggested that better outreach between property owners and neighbors could have helped reduce tension, even though city code did not require formal notice in this instance.

The Commission did not take regulatory action on the parking‑lot expansion at this meeting; staff suggested the appropriate procedural route was administrative review and offered to follow up with a site visit and additional outreach if warranted.