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Commission weighs new tree-preservation rules, replacement fees and protections
Summary
Staff outlined a draft tree-preservation ordinance that would protect residential trees 10 inches+ (commercial 6 inches+), require tree surveys for larger removals, allow a fee-in-lieu ($150 per caliper inch proposed) or 1:1 caliper-inch replacement, and create a variance/permit process; commissioners cautioned about homeowner impacts and asked to refine fee levels and exemptions.
Planning staff presented a comprehensive tree-preservation draft that would for the first time protect certain trees within the City of Murphy and add standards for replacement, surveys and developer mitigation. The presenter said residential trees 10 inches in diameter (measured at 4.5 feet, diameter at breast height) would be protected while commercial sites would use a 6-inch threshold; staff also proposed a fee-in-lieu option of $150 per caliper inch as one compliance path.
Commissioners generally supported protecting large trees but raised concerns about residential impacts and the fairness of a flat $150-per-inch fee for homeowners who may need to remove a very large or diseased tree: "If we got $1,500 for a 10 inch tree, that's a lot," one commissioner said, urging fee differentiation between developers and single-family homeowners. Commissioners also asked for clear exemptions for storm-damaged or diseased trees and for a well-defined variance and permit process for construction that might otherwise encroach on roots. Staff said they will refine the draft, add definitions and clarify the variance and survey thresholds before returning with redlines.
