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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-0205 Tree MINUTES ASHLAND TREE COMMISSION MINUTES February 5, 2009 CALL TO ORDER –Chair John Rinaldi called the Ashland Tree Commission meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. on February 5, 2009 in the Siskiyou Room in the Community Development and Engineering Services Building located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR. Commissioners Present Council Liaison  Laurie Sager Kate Jackson (arrived at 7:15 PM)  John Rinaldi Jr.   Zane Jones Staff Present  Bobby Townsend Amy Anderson, Assistant Planner   Anne Rich, Parks Department      APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 9, 2009 Tree Commission Minutes – Rinaldi/Townsend m/s to approve the minutes of January 9, 2009. Voice vote: all AYES, Motion passed. The minutes were approved as presented. PUBLIC FORUM Nancy Appling – State of Oregon Heritage Tree Commission: Ms. Appling has been a local volunteer on Commission for past 6 years. They are looking for nominations of trees with ‘state’ significance. Putting together an association of Heritage Tree Commissions – May 2 at Champoeg State Park – there will be a dedication of a Cottonwood that witnessed development of state history. The objective is to put together a group to assist with mentoring the new commissions and assist with the gathering of information for established groups. The Department of Tourism funds the State Heritage Tree Commission. Locally there are Heritage Trees on Beal Rd. in Central Point; it is the 2nd oldest Black Walnut in country, at the Peter Britt Gardens, a sequoia, and the Hanley Farm tree. Ms. Appling asked for the Tree Commission to give her some feedback for things that work and things they would need help with so she can pass that information onto the State Commission. Electric Dept. Review: David Wood, Arborist for the Electric Department and Scott Johnson, Electric Operations Superintendent. They explained the abbreviations on plans and that E = cabinet H = hanhole (underground services) T = transformers. According to the Electric Dept. representatives they need to provide all of the vegetation pruning and removal information to the Public Utility Commission so its creating the report for the Tree Commission is not an additional burden. Commissioner Rinaldi asked about their awareness of Tree Line USA program through the National Arbor Day foundation. Dave Wood explained that he often has to educate the public about their plantings and that city has to top conifer or evergreen when under lines and that the Electric Department’s hands are tied. Dave Wood prunes by taking the leaders, arborists remove the laterals leaving him nothing to prune back too. The Tree Commission suggested that the Electric Department host a Tree Pruning around Electrical Lines seminar or write something that goes out to the different tree people in the valley. By law Arborist and tree trimmers cannot prune within 10-feet of the line. Commissioners asked who has the authority to get arborist out of trees. The electric dept. can and OSHA will if they are around. TYPE II REVIEW: PLANNING ACTION: 2009-00043 SUBJECT PROPERTY: 380 Clay Street APPLICANT: Housing Authority of Jackson County DESCRIPTION: A request for modification of the previously approved Planning Action #2004-00141 for the Willowbrook Subdivision to allow a Land Partition creating three lots and Site Review to construct a 60-unit multi-family residential affordable housing development for the property located at 380 Clay Street. A previously approved request for an Exception to Street Standards to allow a portion of the sidewalk on Clay Street to be installed at curbside to accommodate a cedar tree on the southwest corner of the site remains unchanged, and the application also includes a request for a tree removal permit to remove 12 trees six-inches in diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) or greater where only eight trees were previously approved for removal. (This property is owned jointly by the City of Ashland and the Housing Authority of Jackson County. The 2004 Annexation and Performance Standards Subdivision approval for Willowbrook Subdivision was for 107 residential units. The required minimum density of the site can be met through future development of the remainder of the property.) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Low Density Multi-Family Residential; ZONING: R-2; ASSESSOR’S MAP #: 39 1E 11C; TAX LOT #: 2500 Site Visits: Commissioner Sager recuesed herself. Site Visits by all. No exparte. Amy gave the staff report. Applicant Discussion: Mark Knox –UBS Kelly Gustafson – Laurie Sager and Associates Jason Elzie – Jackson County Housing Authority This project started out as a much larger project at one time has been reduced from 117 units to 60 units. A vast number of city policies that dictated the design of the project and physical amenities/ constraints that affected design. The proposed subdivision allows for future development of YMCA soccer fields. The existing house will also be on its own lot which will also be in the ownership of the City of Ashland. The project is proposed to have bio-swale parkrows which will storm water into filter wetlands then into natural wetlands. An overlook area near the wetland areas is being proposed. The housing authority requires a building layout and design that provides a common area that can be monitored by the tenants. Over 120 trees are proposed to mitigate the loss of the 12 trees proposed for removal. According to the applicant, it should be noted that the large poplar trees were originally slated for removal by project arborist. Second design came back with another arborist and the project was redesigned. Within the same year one of the trees proposed for preservation fell and nearly hit the neighbor’s home. A lot of the buzz in Ashland is that we need affordable, family, rental housing. And this project accomplishes that. This project is designed to have kids on the site and having houses under the trees is very incompatible. The large poplar trees have been maintained and were last pruned by an arborist in 2006. Commissioner Jones asked who would maintain the area around the house and the area with the preserved trees. The applicant’s responded that the Parks Department or another city department would be responsible, or another designee of the City since it is their property. Public Testimony: Greg Gargus – 400 Clay Street Spoke about the neighborhood petition to save the trees that was developed in 2004 and asked what could be done to bring that back. He finds that taking out the one poplar tree sets a precedent to remove the other tree. There is lots of conflicting information out there about poplars. Tree Commission Discussion: The Commissioners had some questions about the bioswale parkrow and who will maintain the wetlands. They wondered if tree #23 be saved. It would be in the parkrow the applicant’s agreed to save it possible. Recommendations: 1) Tree Commission recommends preservation of the Black Oak (Quercus kelloggi) #23 and moving the sidewalk meander between the Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) #1 and #23 to achieve critical root zone preservation of both trees. That a revised Tree Protection and Preservation plan shall be submitted showing the modification. 2) Prune Poplar (Populus trichocarpa) #15 and the Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) #11 to a safe manner prior to the street installation. 3) Include electric vault and transformers on the final landscaping plan and be assured of the clearance required by the Public Utility Commission and the City of Ashland Electric Department. 4) Provide a final irrigation plan prior to the submittal of the building permit to be reviewed and approved prior to the issuance of the building permits. 5) Evaluate the use of the Washington Hawthorn in proximity to pedestrian gathering / traffic areas. Voice Vote: Motion to approve Townsend / Jones. DISCUSSION ITEMS Arbor Week Events Arbor Week is April 5th – 11th On April 7th the Mayor will read the proclamation and the Commission will receive the Tree City USA from Oregon Department of Forestry. The Tree of the Year winner plaque will be installed sometime during this week. Amy will contact the property owner. On April 11th Anne, Zane, Bobby and Casey from Upper Limb-it will be hosting a tree walk through Southern Oregon University. Earthday is April 25th at ScienceWorks. The annual Tree Planting could take place4 during the Earthday Event. Laurie will call Mark DiRienzo, the Director of ScienceWorks and Amy will contact the Earthday folks. Ashland Parks Department has a regular sized balled and burlaped Bald Cypress tree that needs to be planted. It would be a good tree choice for that location. Steve Siewert would be a good resource for a ‘planting seminar’ at the Earthday event. Recommended Street Tree Guide Meeting on Thursday, February 19, 2009 in the Siskiyou Room at 51 Winburn Way. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS Liaison Reports Anne Rich provided the Lithia Park and outer Parks report of removals. Councilor Jackson about mitigation and whether that information was included in the report, Anne said she could provide that list. Interstate I-5 Exit 14 & 19 Aesthetics Committee – John reported on the two meetings the group has had to date. Meeting on Feb. 4th had good discussion about soft-scape. John stated that his thought was that the landscaping addressing the four seasons of the Pacific Northwest would be a nice feature. Since it’s the first official off-ramp there could be some great integration of the hard and soft-scape. Themes to the bridge… Mayor’s monthly lunch meeting with Commission chairs. Mayor wants to capitalize on the GeoTourism and Ashland was #19 on the list. National Geographic is working on mapping it and Mayor wants find Distinctive Tree Guide…If anyone wants to do the lunch – Bobby Townsend Feb. 27 at Student beginning to mapping – Distinctive trees / Tree of the Year winners. Bobby thinking about going to the May 2 meeting. Old Business Distinctive Tree List – Zane working on list and Bobby would like to work with him on the list. New Items: Goal Setting – Laurie explained what has been done in the past with the board and creating the long list than short listing it. At John’s house on (Tuesday 24th 5:00 PM) – notice the paper. Current Balance - $ 46.32 ADJOURNMENT - Commissioner Rinaldi adjourned the meeting at 8:25 PM. Respectfully submitted by Amy Anderson, Assistant Planner