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Tree commission approves East Main patio plan, asks council to lift shrub ban for public plantings
Summary
The Bexley Tree Commission approved a landscape and small patio renovation for 2527–2529 East Main Street, conditioning the permit on an imminent city-council amendment to remove a long-standing prohibition on shrubs in public rights-of-way; the commission also required tree protection during construction and replacement of any failed plantings.
The Bexley Tree Commission voted to approve a landscape and patio renovation for 2527–2529 East Main Street, but tied the permit to a pending change in city code that currently bans shrubs in the public right-of-way.
Walter, the city reviewer, told the commission he had no objections to the proposed plant palette and called the approach a reasonable way to “soften the harshness” of a patio next to a retaining wall. The applicant, Ryan, described three layout options and said the preferred plan uses bluestone with hedges and perennials to buffer Main Street and provide seating. Ryan said the team plans to reinstall and augment existing boxwoods, amend the soil and run drip irrigation on a battery timer for plant establishment.
Commission members raised practical concerns: whether the plants sit in the city right-of-way, irrigation logistics, tree-protection measures during construction, and trash screening behind the patio. Grant, the staff member discussing street-planting practice, confirmed the code’s language currently excludes shrubs from public spaces and recommended asking council for a narrow amendment removing the shrub prohibition.
Sheila moved to approve the application with three conditions: that council remove the shrub prohibition from the prohibited-species list (or that the applicant substitute approved perennials if council does not act), that the applicants replace any plantings that fail, and that the project include tree-protection measures during construction. The commission approved the motion by voice vote.
The commission emphasized that the approval is conditional on council action: if the council does not amend the ordinance in time, the applicant agreed to return with an alternate planting plan or to transplant the existing boxwoods to other property. The commission also asked staff to ensure tree‑protection procedures are followed on site.
Next steps: the commission asked staff to circulate the relevant code section to commissioners for review and to coordinate with city council on the proposed narrow amendment to allow shrubs in approved public‑space plantings.
