Council opens review of tree‑preservation ordinance; considers lower thresholds and stiffer penalties

Manvel — Council agreed to revisit the tree‑preservation ordinance after staff reported limited applications so far and described how the rule works for protected species, thresholds, exemptions and replacement requirements.

Planning staff told council the ordinance—adopted recently—defines protected trees by species and size, exempts single‑family residential lots, requires professionally prepared tree surveys for large developments and mandates replacement trees when removal is approved. Since adoption staff said they have reviewed four applications (three commercial, one residential) and approved two removals where criteria were met.

Councilman Rossy Knox urged extra protections for marquee trees, suggesting that very large oaks in commercial areas should trigger council review rather than only administrative approval. He proposed adding cypress and cottonwood to the protected list and lowering the size threshold for council review. The city attorney confirmed fines are generally limited by municipal court jurisdiction (up to $2,000 per day for zoning violations), but staff noted additional remedies could include more rigorous replacement requirements or multiple citations (one per tree) to raise the effective penalty.

Council asked staff to work with a small council subgroup and return proposed amendments, including stricter replacement rules and potential fee/penalty structures that comply with state and municipal limits. The council unanimously supported opening the ordinance for review and asked staff to draft options.