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Trustees defer decision on 30 Ridge Drive tree removal pending certified arborist and permit
Summary
Homeowners appealed to remove a backyard silver maple citing root and safety concerns; the village requested a certified-arborist report and noted no active building permit was on file, and deferred action to avoid setting a precedent.
Janet and Andy, homeowners at 30 Ridge Drive West, appealed to the Flower Hill Board of Trustees for permission to remove a silver maple from their backyard, citing root damage to an existing patio, a leaning trunk and concerns about future storm risk.
The homeowners provided photos and documentation and said they planned a patio that would be affected by the tree’s roots. Board members and the village’s arborist discussed prior history: two years earlier the applicants applied and the then-arborist recommended pruning, which was done. The new master arborist reviewed the property and recommended pruning on a three‑to‑five‑year schedule and did not definitively recommend removal.
Trustees asked whether the patio was permitted (staff said the existing patio had not been permitted) and whether the homeowners had submitted a formal permit application for the proposed new work. The board emphasized that removal for a speculative, unpermitted project could set a precedent and noted that a certified arborist opinion focused on structural root risks (not a tree-removal contractor’s report) would be necessary to substantiate safety claims.
Given the lack of a current building permit and the village arborist’s assessment that the tree appears alive and not clearly diseased, trustees deferred the appeal and advised the homeowners to either submit a permit application for the planned patio or provide an independent certified-arborist report that specifically documents structural root damage or an imminent safety hazard. If a permit or validated safety finding is filed, the board said it would reconsider the removal request and require a replacement tree as part of any approval.
