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Planning board member urges town policy to require replacement of street trees removed during reconstruction
Summary
A board member urged the township to stop offering property owners an opt-out when the town removes trees for reconstruction, proposing automatic replacement or alternative planting and asking the board to take the issue to council for a policy change.
A planning board member argued the township should change its approach to trees removed during road reconstruction and adopt a policy that requires replacement rather than offering property owners an opt-out.
At the June 25 meeting the member said work on Linden Avenue and other reconstruction projects had removed large numbers of trees and described what they called a “loophole” in the tree ordinance that lets the municipality avoid replacement obligations when the right-of-way is the party removing trees. “If we remove a tree, we replace it,” the member said, arguing the town, as the owner of the right-of-way, should be held to the same standards as private property owners.
Town staff and council members responded that the township already offers replacement to property owners after project work and that many owners declined because they did not want to care for new trees. Zoning code official Miss Leech explained the administrative process: residents submit an arborist report, the township forester inspects, and mitigation is required if the forester finds the tree is live and can be saved. For very large trees (described in the discussion as over roughly 36 inches in diameter), council approval is required before removal.
Board members and the mayor noted practical constraints for reconstruction projects: when crews dig for sewer, water and other infrastructure, roots are often damaged and trees must be removed. Several speakers said most reconstruction projects are time‑sensitive and funded by grants with ADA and other regulatory requirements that limit design alternatives. The mayor and other officials said funds for replanting can come from project closeouts or the capital budget when money remains.
The planning board member who raised the topic asked the board to bring a recommendation to the township council asking for policy change (lowering the threshold that triggers board review; removing the opt‑out that lets property owners decline replacement; or automatically replanting trees). Chair Pearson encouraged the member to take the issue to council and said he would support the effort.
The board did not take formal action on the recommendation at the meeting; members discussed next steps and avenues for the member to present a formal request to council.
