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Council favors city canopy‑replacement program over individual right‑of‑way plantings
Summary
After discussing four options, council directed staff to draft a tree replacement policy focused on replanting removed trees on public property and parks rather than replanting in private right‑of‑way, citing canopy restoration and administrative practicality.
Public works staff offered four approaches for tree replacement after removals in rights‑of‑way: (1) no replacement in rights‑of‑way (status quo); (2) one‑for‑one replacement on private property outside the right‑of‑way (city planted); (3) a voucher program reimbursing residents for nursery purchases; and (4) a city‑led canopy replacement program focused on replanting removed trees on public parks and land. Council members expressed concern about the administrative burden of planting in private front yards and said they preferred option 4, which prioritizes city plantings in parks and public open space to restore canopy.
Councilors also discussed nuisance and dead/diseased trees on private property and noted existing nuisance tree code can be used when trees present safety hazards. Staff will draft a policy for council approval implementing a canopy‑replacement approach and identify budget and staffing needs to scale plantings on public property.
