The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2008-1106 Tree MIN CITY OF ASHLAND ASHLAND TREE COMMISSION MINUTES November 6, 2008 CALL TO ORDER -Chair John Rinaldi called the Ashland Tree Commission meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. on November 6, 2008 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 Russ Silbiger, Absent John Rinaldi Jr. Zane Jones Staff Present Amy Anderson, Assistant Planner Anne Rich, Parks Department, Absent APPROVAL OF MINUTES October 9, 2008 Tree Commission Minutes - Rinaldi/Jones m/s to approve the minutes of October 9, 2008. Commission Jones expressed concern that the Recommendations of the Commission were not read back and that he had concerns that the Recommendations were not the same as what they thought they were. Voice vote: all A YES, Motion passed. The minutes of October 9, 2008 were approved as presented. PUBLIC FORUM Bobby Townsend (inbtown@hotmail.com) works for Earth Stewards LLC., a tree planting and landscaping restoration company and has connections to Plant Oregon attended the meeting. He is interested in joining the Tree Commission and wanted to observe a meeting. TYPE I REVIEW PLANNING ACTION: 2008-01703 SUBJECT PROPERTY: 340 & 320 Grandview Drive APPLICANT: Carlos & Tamara Reichenshammer DESCRIPTION: A request for Physical and Environmental Constraints Review Permit approval, including tree removal to construct a driveway to access two hillside lots with severe constraints for the properties located at 320 & 340 Grandview Drive. Also included are requests for, a Variance to the Street Standards for private driveway grades to exceed 15 % slope, and an Administrative Variance to the Physical & Environmental Constraints Review to permit a flag drive to be constructed on slopes of more than 35%, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Rural Residential; ZONING: RR-.5; ASSESSOR'S MAP #: 39 IE 05 DC; TAX LOTS: 2401 & 2400 Site Visits: All; No ex parte Amy gave the staff report. Tree Commission Discussion: The Commission had concerns about the wall installation and how that will impact the trees #20, 30 and 44 which are called out by the Arborist to be removed. The trees are shown on the site plans but addressed in the applicant's findings to be removed. The Commission would like to see the tree removals mitigated for. They also expressed concern for the TID line and whether it would be removed and have additional excavation for the TID lines. Commissioner Sager asked if the property was in the Urban Wildfire Interface Zone and that the applicant's plant choices for the spaces between the retaining walls are not appropriate for the Wildfire Zone. The Commission also stated that the arborvitae and Leland cypress are not appropriate mitigation species for the trees proposed for removal. Recommendations: 1) That the three trees impacted / removed due to the construction of the retaining walls and the driveway (#20,30 & 44) shall be mitigated for following the construction with trees which will achieve similar size and stature at maturity as those removed. The proposed mitigation trees shall be shown on a revised landscaping plan. 2) Due to the properties location within the urban wildfire interface zone the landscaping plan shall be reviewed by the Fire Department with final approval by the Staff Advisor, and the plan shall be revised accordingly prior to issuance of a building permit or excavation permit. In particular, the proposed Leland cypress and the Arborvitae shall be removed from the plan and replaced with a more suitable plant material for the wildfire zone. V oice Vote: all AYes TYPE" REVIEW PLANNING ACTION: 2008-01517 SUBJECT PROPERTY: 232 Vista Street APPLICANT: Kerry KenCairn DESCRIPTION: A request for a Minor Land Partition, a Type II to Variance to the requirement that the new lot have a paved 20- foot wide access or an unpaved 20- foot wide access with less than 10 percent slope, and a Physical and Environmental Constraints Permit for development and tree removal on Hillside Lands. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Single Family Residential; ZONING: R-I-7.5; ASSESSOR'S MAP #: 39 IE 09BC; TAX LOT: 7500 Site Visits: All; No ex parte Amy gave the staff report. Public Testimony: Bill Hicks, XXX Fork St. spoke about the trees on the property and that the some of the trees shown to be removed and protected are on his property. He was also concerned about whether he would still be able to access the road across his property and what the building will look like. Tree Commission Discussion: The Commission expressed concerns about the trees on the neighbor's property and that it didn't appear that the applicant's had Mr. Hick's permission to remove trees from his property or to access his property. Commissioner Rinaldi asked how permanent the building envelopes are because he is concerned that they are showing a very specific envelope and proposing removal of very specific trees based on the envelop. Commissioner Sager stated that there have been times when the trees proposed for removal are not allowed to be removed until the time of building permit issuance. Recommendations: 1) That tree removal for the future construction for the residence shall not be completed until the building permit for the new single family residence is obtained. That the four trees removed shall be mitigated for with a tree species which will achieve similar size and stature at maturity as those removed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the single family residence. 2) That the recommendations ofthe project arborist shall be implemented on site and the project arborist shall be retained throughout the duration of the project. V oice Vote: all A Yes ACTION ITEMS 91 Gresham Re-Review ofPA#2008-1295: Amy explained that this proposal is coming back to the Commission because the staff person that reviews the Street Tree removal permits cannot approve the replacement of the elm trees to be removed as part of the previously approved planning action with Zelkova's because those trees are large and are recommended for eight foot parkrows and this is only a four-foot parkrow. Based on his site visit Commissioner Rinaldi thought that the large Deodar Cedar tree wouldn't have a huge impact on the proposed Zelkova's and likely wouldn't shade out new trees. The Commission was concerned that all ofthe existing trees are still not shown on the plan and that there are maple trees on the lot which are overhanging the existing sidewalk. The Commission recommends that the applicant bring back a plan showing the canopy of all large trees on the site which will impact the street trees and that if the Zelkova's are outside of the' sphere of influence' of the maple trees in particular, the Zelkova trees are approved. Otherwise a smaller stature - under story tree are still required. Recommended Street Tree Guide: The Commission discussed that they will be having a meeting on November 19, 2008 at 5:30 PM at the Standing Stone Brewery to discuss the revisions to the Recommended Street Tree Guide and that they would like for Donn Todt, Anne Rich and former Tree Commissioner Steve Siewert to bring their comments about proposed changes to the guide to the meeting. The meeting will be required to be noticed. Beginning small revisions and work on larger revisions later in the year. Amy will notify Donn, Anne and Dave Wood, Laurie and Bobby will notify Steve Siewert. The Commissioners will identify changes and bring those to the meeting and the Recommended Guide will be reprinted in the near future with those changes incorporated. DISCUSSION ITEMS Tree of the Year Presentation and annual Presentation: Laurie and John indicated they would present at the council meeting. Amy will recreate last years presentation and update with any new information. 2 -"'.--,..-----.~----.--..----.----TTr-. "T ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS Liaison Reports None Old Business Tree Protection and building permits (memo): The Commission supports the memo and would like it forwarded to the Community Development Department Director, Bill Molnar. Amy will update the Commission with a 'status' report on whether any of the proposals will be implemented. Distinctive Tree List Current Balance - $485.00 Pending bill for Tree of the Year ballot has not arrived and will deduct approximately $250.00 from account. ADJOURNMENT - Commissioner Rinaldi adjourned the meeting at 7:30 PM. Respectfully submitted by Amy Anderson, Assistant Planner 3