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Atlantic Beach council schedules workshop on Chapter 23 tree-code changes and tree-fund programs
Summary
City staff presented multi-year revisions to Chapter 23 (tree protection) and an ESC spending plan that includes a Heritage Tree pilot, Elders Tree campaign, master arborist days and expanded use of the tree trust fund; commissioners asked for a focused workshop with the city arborist before ordinance action.
Amanda Askew, neighborhoods department director, presented proposed amendments to Chapter 23 that would broaden the maritime-species list, expand the heritage-tree definition, allow trust-fund dollars to be used for rear-yard plantings on private property, establish a critical root zone and strengthen protective barriers (proposed 42-inch barriers and larger buffer distances for larger trees).
Askew said staff and the Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) have worked on the changes for two years and proposed either a focused workshop to dive into details or moving forward to first reading. She detailed fee adjustments to recover added staff time for new-home permitting and proposed increasing the minimum replacement-tree diameter from 2 inches to 4 inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
Sarah Born, outgoing ESC chair, described the tree-fund spending and action plan: front-yard plantings, tree giveaways, a $10,000 Heritage Tree pilot program (up to $1,000 per property for assessment and care), an Elders Tree campaign for mature specimens (20-inch+), and funding up to $12,000 for "master arborist day" events where residents can sign up for free tree assessments. ESC recommended quarterly review and progress reporting to the commission.
Commissioners welcomed a workshop and repeatedly asked to involve the city arborist once hired, citing concerns that enlarging protected zones could unintentionally prompt developers to remove large trees rather than work around them. Mayor Curtis Ford and others asked staff to bring the arborist into the process and to present canopy-health data and mitigation steps at the workshop.
Staff will schedule a workshop to review Chapter 23 in detail and return with ordinance language after that deeper review. ESC and staff will continue implementation of non-ordinance pilot programs (tree giveaways, outreach, master arborist day) while the code workbooks are refined.
