Montreat tree board recommends moving forward with Chestnut Foundation planting after neighbor objections

The Montreat Tree Board voted March 10 to recommend that Town Commissioners authorize the Chestnut Foundation to plant three chestnut saplings on town right-of-way between Virginia and Assembly drives.

Chair Ed Kramer opened the meeting and described the proposal, saying the Foundation’s soil tests were positive and that the group had proposed planting the week of March 23 if the town approved it. Residents who live adjacent to the site told the board they were not notified before crews began clearing and placing stakes on town land, and urged the board to answer questions about access, trespass, maintenance and liability.

A resident summed up the neighborhood concern: “Nobody was asked our opinion. Nobody was given an opportunity to be part of the conversation,” and asked how the board planned to maintain the cleared area. Board members responded that the Tree Board is advisory and that final approval rests with the Town Commissioners. Chair Kramer said the board would not allow the March 23 planting to proceed before the commissioners considered the recommendation.

David Waits, a Public Works certified arborist, described the scientific context in which the Foundation operates and cautioned that chestnut hybrids have a long history of failing to reach maturity in Montreat because of historic blight. “Most of them have died,” Waits said, explaining that young seedlings frequently succumb before reaching 4 feet and that the restoration work is a long-term ecological project rather than a near-term visual change.

Board discussion focused on neighbor communication, whether the board or commissioners should require a maintenance plan, and whether the small number of plantings justified further disturbance of the site. Multiple neighbors asked about the source of access and whether some of the cleared area had crossed private property lines; board members said they had placed stakes to help clarify the town line and pledged to answer outstanding questions before forwarding the recommendation.

A motion to move forward with the Chestnut Foundation’s plan as described (plant three saplings on town right-of-way) was offered, seconded and approved by the Tree Board; members noted that the recommendation will be presented to Town Commissioners for final approval and that unanswered questions about maintenance and neighbor access must be resolved before the commissioners take action.

Next steps: the board said it will compile additional details about maintenance, safety and access for the commissioners and aim to place the recommendation on a commissioners’ agenda in the weeks after the board’s April meeting. The board also asked the Foundation and the designated tree-board contact to coordinate a single neighborhood liaison so residents receive consistent information.

Authorities and process: the board referenced the Montreat General Ordinance (chapter K, article 5) in discussing the board’s advisory role and the need to route final planting approvals to the Town Commissioners. The board emphasized it had no unilateral right to plant on town right-of-way without the commission’s consent.

The Tree Board meeting continued with other agenda items, including Arbor Day planning and a March 30 hemlock inventory; the board recorded the recommendation and will return to the item after gathering additional maintenance and access details.