Brentwood outlines broad urban tree ordinance as residents press for outreach and raise access concerns

The Town of Brentwood provided a section-by-section summary of proposed Ordinance 2025-18 on Dec. 2, describing protections for public trees and private trees meeting a 9-inch diameter threshold and new permitting, replacement and enforcement mechanisms.

The presiding official summarized the ordinance’s scope and key provisions: protected status for trees at roughly 9 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet above ground (with invasive-species exceptions); coordination between town staff and the tree committee on an urban tree management plan; pruning and removal limits that require permits for removals or cutting of live limbs equaling or exceeding one-third of trunk diameter; permit evaluations that consider hazard, specimen status, stormwater and hardship; replacement requirements with replanting within 12 months; and creation of an urban canopy fund to accept permit fees and deposits to support replanting and assistance.

Town staff and the vice mayor noted the town’s canopy has fallen from low double-digit levels in the 1990s to an estimated mid-30s percent today, below county objectives above 50 percent. "We have went from the teens... back in the nineties and early 2 thousands... we're somewhere in the mid thirties at the moment," the presiding official said.

During public comment, residents expressed both support for the ordinance and concerns about related street-design proposals and meeting access. Brenna Dames of 40th Place said a quick-build conversion proposal on Volta to one-way inbound toward Rhode Island Avenue would make reaching her house more difficult and "add at least an extra 5 minutes" to trips; she urged the town to consider traffic backups. Jane Henderson of Upshur Street said her block had "lost several large trees... in the last 5 years" and urged focus on preserving mature canopy. Stefan Leggen criticized town communications around pending legislative matters and asked the council to "schedule an additional hearing and to use that time... to educate the public about this ordinance before taking a vote." The vice mayor thanked speakers, noted plans for additional engagement and pointed to a follow-up meeting the next morning.

The ordinance text (as described at the hearing) also includes an appeals process and a section on enforcement and penalties; the presiding official said monetary fines tied to violations would be passed separately by the mayor and council with public comment. No adoption vote on the tree ordinance occurred at this hearing.

Next steps: Council will continue with the regular work session; staff and council members indicated they will accept further written comments submitted to the town clerk for the record and expect additional engagement opportunities before a final vote.