Residents urge pause on boulevard tree removals as council approves developer-focused tree-replacement plan

The Inver Grove Heights City Council approved a tree-replacement plan tied to development agreements on March 23, even as scores of residents urged the council to pause planned boulevard removals and provide clearer arborist documentation.

At the meeting several homeowners and Birchwood Ponds HOA representatives said the city has marked roughly 60–75 boulevard trees for removal in upcoming street work, a count they said is far higher than the association’s own last-year inventory (which identified roughly 20–30 trees needing replacement). “We still have not received any documentation from the city’s arborist contractor about the disease,” said Damon Roth, a Birchwood Ponds resident, adding that some trees marked for removal appear healthy. “It would be helpful for homeowners to have an address-by-address breakdown.”

Why it matters: Residents said mature boulevard trees deliver shade, stormwater benefits and neighborhood character that cannot be replaced quickly. Staff described the proposal before council as a tree replacement policy tied to development agreements—where developers either plant 1-for-1 or pay into a tree fund—rather than an updated citywide canopy or preservation ordinance.

Park and Recreation Director Adam Ottis explained the mechanics to the council and audience. He said the tree replacement policy in the packet is intended to rehabilitate trees lost through development and to spend from a developer-funded pool; after the current action he estimated the fund would be about $400,000. Ottis said the city does not currently have a full public-space canopy inventory and that creating one would require staff time or an outside feasibility study with an associated cost. He also described operational details: trees planted through vendors typically come with a two-year warranty and vendors return to replace trees that die within that warranty period.

Residents asked for more granular evidence. Nick Rykoff, a Birchwood Ponds HOA board member, told the council the HOA had produced a maintenance plan and counted roughly 20–30 trees that required replacement, and asked whether the city’s removal list reflected hazardous-tree findings or construction needs tied to the pavement-improvement plan. “We’re excited about road construction, but we’re unclear whether all these trees truly need to come down,” Rykoff said.

Council response and outcome: Councilors debated whether to expand the policy beyond development-driven replacement. Several members said a broader inventory or canopy policy would be valuable but likely requires budget planning and staffing—one councilor suggested exploring the idea in the 2027 budget cycle. After discussion, the council approved Item J (the tree replacement plan focused on development replacement) in the consent motion. Staff said they will follow up with homeowners associations and send additional notices explaining the process; the acting mayor read a staff-prepared summary reminding residents that the March 23 deadline in the initial notice was set so the tree count could be included in bid documents and that final determinations would be made by the city and handled case-by-case.

What remained unresolved: Residents pressed for the underlying arborist reports and an address-by-address justification for removals; they also asked whether costs associated with removals necessitated by road construction would be borne by the city or assessed to homeowners. Staff repeatedly said it would follow up with HOAs and provide additional documentation where available.

Next steps: Staff will contact affected HOAs with follow-up information and clarify whether the markings reflect hazardous-tree findings or construction-driven needs. Councilors signaled interest in a fuller discussion about a public-space tree inventory or canopy policy in a future budget cycle, but asked staff to return options and cost estimates before the council commits public dollars to an inventory.

The council’s action: Council approved the development-focused tree replacement plan (Item J) by roll call at the March 23 meeting; staff recommended, and the council accepted, continued HOA engagement and follow-up communications.