Rec e
okay that's fine I just didn't want to
not call on you
yeah I don't even sure most people were
like aware that there was a plan with it
I think
most okay
juster
occasion ready mayor are we ready gr are
we ready thumbs up
okay like to call the meeting of the
bestley tree and public gardens
commission to order and call the role
Charlie
flower Mary mcmun here sistant quintens
here Sheila strob Jim Wilson Celeste
Williams here Linda znick Barb Giller
our alternate is out of town audre young
here and then our ex official members
Ellen Bowen and Larry Helman are not
with us uh but we have fabulous City
staff here Grant Archer here Karen bker
staff
consultant here Ken here okay turn on
turn on your microphone mayor
Kesler thank you you and Matt Clinger is
here just um stepped out for a moment as
they say so we have a
quorum uh I'm going to appoint Audrey
young as a alternate a voting alternate
to replace CH Charlie flower who has not
come yet I'm looking for approval of the
minutes of October 16 2024 I apologize
for the late notice on those um Jordan
did a great job of transcribing and I
have reviewed
them they're approval all right is there
a second I second okay is there any
discussion a motion has been made and
seconded that we approve the minutes of
our meeting of October 16th as emailed
all those in favor say I all those
opposed same sign any
abstain they are approved do we have any
additions to the
agenda seeing none we will go forward
with our first order of business which
is the review of landscape applications
U Mr
Wilson let me briefly review our
procedure um so everyone should be aware
that our meetings are videotaped and
available on the becky. org website
within a few days uh and that website
can be accessed by anyone anywhere uh so
you're duly cautioned um as commission
members we do not comment or discuss the
findings of other commissions nor do we
comment on subjects under review from
other City commissions as a commission
we will not be party to negative or
disparaging comments about City staff
elected officials appointed officials or
city Consultants or other commission
members comments presented today should
be Germain to the subject at hand you
all know that I'll do my best to keep
you Germain uh so please stay on topic
um if in the chair's view um any PR
presentation is trending to be
inflammatory or confrontational will
recess for 10 minutes regain our
composure and proceed with our business
so uh for the applicant um uh just our
procedure which is somewhat similar to
other commissions but just so you're
aware um we'll have a brief presentation
by our staff consultant uh but not a
fome review of the plan um um given our
current staff situation um but Karen
will'll just make sure we're on the same
page as we should be um and then we'll
hear initially from the applicant um the
applicant will have up to 10 minutes to
present their case including any
Witnesses or offers of evidence um if
there are any opponents present um we
will recognize those individuals for up
to three minutes to present their case
in opposition to the
request um including if they choose any
Witnesses or offers of
evidence um we'll do that in
alphabetical order if there are multiple
opponents present um at presentation
then by supporters again three minutes
um the same sort of process if anyone
wants to speak in support we'll then um
give the applicant an opportunity to
respond for up to five minutes to any
comments made on the
application after that um we will then
have an opportunity for members of the
commission to question um both the
applicant and staff member
um to the extent that there's useful
information the staff may have for us
then we will move into deliberations we
will keep our Del our questions separate
from our deliberations and once we get
to this stage of deliberations it will
just be the members of the commission
with the opportunity to speak so if
everyone's clear on that Ain you wanted
to give us some context sure I'll just
give you um a quick um little historical
perspective here when it first when this
project first came through um for ARB
Bap and then eventually approved at ARB
it consistently showed a circular Drive
um when the current I don't know if
they're owners yet or in contract took
replac the original they decided that
they just wanted one driveway to go to
the back of the property to the garage
which I think and my board would ARB
would say is a great Improvement more
green space the better so that's what I
would point out I don't have the
expertise to talk anything about the
trees and the the the species what's
what is um what is selected although it
sure seems to be a very uh robust plan I
think that the applicants did have
Ellena Andrews do a review for them not
for the city so but we can all feel some
comfort in that you know we're familiar
with her knowledge base so um that's
really all I would have to say I hope I
didn't confuse you by downloading one as
version one and version two that I can't
think of any way simpler to do it but
version one had the circular Drive in
version two um I've been working with
Lori who you'll be introduced to today
has been incredibly responsive any I did
go through the document checklist for
all of you and I think everything is
there um so just so everyone on the
commission has the right thing before
them if you've printed things out it's
packet two not packet one so and I think
we'll have it on the screen yeah I do
like to keep both of them on the website
so that you can compare and know the
history so it is version two okay I
think we're ready to hear from the
applicant now we're not allowed to swear
people I
asked hibody I I just want to check and
see can everybody see or do we need to
pull down the shades on the south side
of City Hall John and Brandon can you
see and yes can you see okay thank you
okay folks so I'll start with a little B
just I don't know how many how much you
know about this property you know
certainly John could you introduce
yourself oh oh John Beall Beall Samson
Deeds I'm the architect of the house and
and really started the whole original
site planning and
Lori Watkins is the landscape designer
from Oakland Nursery and she did the
actual landscape plan and and plant
selection so a little bit of background
so I just I think it's interesting the
history of this Pro property just so
everybody knows this these two original
Lots it's actually two in a slice
original Lots were part of the Bon house
which then became the Elman house uh the
large house to the north so this was
part of that large
estate in the
1950s it's interesting actually that
that house belonged to Columbus Academy
for a while so somehow through the years
that changed hands Pro it's kind of an
overwhelming house that Don ransky now
owns thank God he has it uh but um I so
obviously there was there was some
consideration about how much maintenance
and how much property they had and and
Charles Lazarus came along and bought
the the two lots they separated those
two lots from the main property and uh
and so uh Charles and uh granny Lazarus
built their house in
1953 uh and as you probably know there
was after Franny died there was a
divorce that house went to uh Charles's
second wife who lived the rest of her
life in that house but clearly when we
saw the property and what we know from
the family it the maintenance of the
property basically stopped at the point
of that divorce and that's what we see
as far as the house was concerned and
that's what we see as how the property
and the Landscaping was was concerned so
uh pretty much a total renewal of this
property sort of became the the only
real
option so we we are maintaining we're
trying to maintain the trees that the uh
that the uh arborus says are viable so
we have actually a really nice today
today it was so beautiful Geno tree the
back of the property that from what I
can tell was there already in
1953 and then a sugar maple towards the
street which again was on the landscape
plan from 1953 as an existing tree so
those two trees are important trees that
are that the arbor says are still in
good shape and will remain and of course
we have three beautiful Street trees
there too which are which obviously will
remain most of the other landscape on
the property is
either uh
basically uh you know volunteer growth I
mean there's a lot of course invasive
honeysuckle all weeds the calorie pairs
that were in back of course calorie
pairs are illegal now but they had never
been maintained and outlived their life
so we have uh we have just basic trees
that are remaining on the site and then
we have Lor's extensive landscape plan
which luckily we can make just basically
maintain the existing driveway and uh
CLE and basically clean up the site and
it's as you can see it's not a minimal
landscape plan it's a pretty Lush
landscape plan and um I guess the other
thing I just want to mention is because
we're taking out the uh the uh tennis
the tennis court we are even with a
larger house we're increasing the green
de decreasing the hard surface cover and
increasing the amount of greencape we
have on this slot so I it it seems to me
it's like I said to Susan before the
meeting it's the dream project for the
tree the tree commission to really renew
a property in this Lush way and and uh
and bring this this property back to
life so Lori you might want to talk a
little bit about the actual
Landscaping hello again I'm Lori
Francisco Bodkins with Oakland
Nursery and um excited about this
project so as you can see um the
property is very interesting it has a
number of existing um large trees but
also a lot of volunteer trees and um
extensive
undergrowth um we do intend to keep as
John mentioned the Silver Maple in the
front and there is also a honey locust
in the back by this we call it the
secret garden in that back the green one
there and then the Ginko tree up in the
the back corner there um I went through
with an harborist um and reviewed all of
the trees and I think we've included an
extensive report that he submitted on
the um state of the trees and what we
can keep um there are a number of um of
the larger trees that show fungal growth
and some um there you can see them some
concerning aspects of them um in their
longevity so um with the um the
homeowner is very excited to increase
the trees on the lot but he wants to do
it in a safe way so any trees that we
felt in the the arbor felt were you know
potentially hazards in the future we're
definitely going to ask your permission
to remove um and then we'll replace them
with you know the opportunity to put
something new and exciting in um in the
landscape plan itself we are paying
homage to the Three Oaks that are in the
center of the property um with a
grouping of three new red Oaks um on the
south side of the
property um you can see them up on the
upper right yet those three right there
so we wanted to you know just a little
nod to what was there before um planting
wise um the homeowners are a lovely
young family very young family and
they're excited to have a green space to
play and they want to be able to to see
the street and enjoy um the neighbors
and people walking up and down the
street so the removal of the um uh
Hemlock growth and all of the things
along the street which right now you
could drive right by this property and
not see it because of all the hemlocks
and things that are growing so he they
really want to open it up and make it um
much more friendly and um a better
environment for their kids growing up so
I have a mix of um a lot of flowering um
trees a lot of boxwoods um
hydrangeas perennial
um it should be very Lush and very
pretty and then in the
backyard we're looking at what you we
call the secret garden which is there
now it's a really neat feature on the
left side there on the you can see
there's an
existing um brick storage areas and a
brick wall that goes all the way back um
that's where the pairs were I'm sure in
its Heyday it was quite lovely there was
a grouping of 10 pairs that ran down um
they were in um badge shape and um not
able to be saved but the homeowner um
told me he really likes the idea of
keeping that as a special
space um especially for the history of
the lot so we're reworking it and um
doing a lot of hydranges and boxwoods
and things like that with a line of Oaks
um this the thin Oaks the skinny ones
that run along the back um and with a
small gravel patio I believe I'll I'm
exploring still but I right now I show
it as a gravel patio with um some Birch
multi- stem um white Spire Birch in the
middle so that when you look out from
the house it's lined up now with the the
back of the
house um and then in the north part
there's an existing Fountain right now
that's on that wall so we'd like to try
and rework that Fountain and make that
space a little private space and there
are some existing I don't know what kind
of tile they are right now um it looks
like they came would they built the
secret garden and the homeowners is
excited to try and rework those into the
plan so that we can save that aspect of
the existing garden and kind of use
those either in the Fountain area or
somewhere in that that secret
garden have any question anything else
we will ask you questions after we've
heard okay sure from any oh I should
mention so um the neighbor to the South
has an existing uh wall that borders
their property um that area is covered
in Wisteria and honey suckle so we'll
clean it out and do a nice mixed
planning of um and it's actually on the
top of that view yes it's right in there
so we'll use a mix of Evergreens um some
flowering
shrubs and um just so they'll get lots
of color and privacy I'm sure the
neighbor would also like that as well
and then on the on the north side which
is down at the bottom um we're going to
do um I'm proposing a row of um horn
Beam with under plantings of hydrangea
along that property there with some
Evergreens to Shield um the view from
you know the neighbors to the north so
they don't have to look at the garage uh
coming through this
way and sure you can all look at all the
other plants but that that's a brief
overview of what we're what we're
thinking of doing thank you John did you
want to say one thing I forgot to
mention the sighting of the house so one
of the issues that we had with the
previous house that was here was it was
very short here you have two two large
houses on that side of Columbia that are
you know Ma pretty much Max height 40
feet for and you had this little house
little short house in the middle off
center and it right away we recognized
there was a scale problem
so that if we're going to do a new house
we really need to uh really need to have
you know tall shoulders to kind
of actually I think it accentuates
certainly the neighbors thinks it would
accentuate their property and the sense
of scale for the entire street so this
house is 40 feet tall Max height for
Bexley and it's quite long and fills the
lot now although it's certainly a more
mod a more casual style than the other
two houses but yet it has a scale
feature and of course is designed to
have a sense of history of Bexley in the
design thank you do we have anyone that
wants to speak in opposition to the
application see no one is there anyone
that wants to speak in support of the
application then uh and go
ahead and please introduce yourself and
if you could give your address John
orchansky 260 North Columbia next door
on the North side thank you for hearing
me today I'm not necessarily in
opposition or in uh support uh I'm here
just as a
neighbor uh adjoining the property who
has not seen this plan before uh my main
concern is the fencing and whatever
coverage will be between our two
properties uh it's extensively covered
now as you could see from the
photographs and the drawings with the
hemlock uh that is not in a great state
at this point so I certainly am in
support of what the applicant has said
to you today about their removal as well
as the large tree that's there that has
Decay uh that is true I've had my own
landscape people look at them several
landscape people look as well uh there's
an existing fence made of wood uh there
is also a difference in topography in
these two sites uh when the lman Mrs
Lazarus lived there and before it was
excavated if you were to look at my
house from their side you're
significantly higher than when I look
across the fence at their property now
that they've excavated I think we may be
on the same level but when they start to
construct again I would guess that
they're again on a higher level so
they're seeing very clearly over the
fence can easily climb over that and I'm
a little bit concerned about that in
terms of view and since I have a pool uh
and they have small children I want to
make sure that uh that is clearly
thought about and dealt with here as
well as the quality of that fence there
is no quality it's falling down I mean
the the trees are in Decay the fence is
a lot worse than that so I I I don't
know being new to Bexley I'm not sure
who is in charge of that if this
commission or others have a say in that
or have all the say in that and I I
would like to hear from you all about
that thank
you U does the applicant want to respond
um to the
comments I mention but we don't have
aine yeah no I think listen I think look
look at this plan some this trying to
make this you know this is a this is a
big project so clearly we need need to
do some Ving I just think that our
client has not uh thought they haven't
thought through exactly what that fence
replacement is it's a fairly much of a
standard events now would you say so
um my suggestion to the client and
to John is I think since I don't think
anyone knows whose fence that actually
is the existing is that they split the
cost of whatever they decide mutually on
a
fence uh through that area uh the rest
of the property
has most of the rest of property has
either brick wall or ston wall so and
there's a little wood fence um where the
stone wall the brick wall fell down and
Mrs Lazarus would not allow them to
rebuild it so uh there's a little piece
of wood EV there and so there has to be
some agreement but to me that's an
agreement between two homeowners that
they they need to decide decide mutually
what they want to do with that fence of
course asked to meet Bexley standards
and uh so frankly most of it is covered
with Landscaping
so so anyway that's our comment great
thank you I think now is the time when
we turn to questions um we just another
the lights
yeah uh celest you want to start with
you and maybe we need a mic I gave her a
mic oh okay make sure you have it on
Celeste okay thank you uh so I have a
question about the Landscaping of course
um and not to to James Jim but um so
that would be to you Lori
one is maybe you could come to the
podium so that pick up your answers on
the
recording do you know how many trees are
being lost from this and I'm sort of
softly including the the silver
maple so I don't have my full thing in
front of me so on the the site list
right there um the number of trees I you
can see on there can you see a
I used the caliper of trees on the
bottom there how many were
removing um the Silver Maple in the
front stays it's the red maple on the
North side um R the tree R so we're
keeping the silver maple near the street
um so we have a total caliber of trees
existing as 1,65 total inches of tree
we're taking out
959 inches of
tree and we are so we're actually
removing 69 trees and proposed planting
71 new trees and some of those are dwarf
trees some of them are or I'd say
ornamentals like ornamental not
necessarily canopy deciduous trees we
have um the three Red Oaks towards the
front are um canopy trees the um horn
beams coming up the front drive and uh
um flanking the front door they're not
maple trees but they're you know they're
large trees and The Oaks in the back
will get tall but they're you know
skinny and big BL okay um and know our
our um tree commission City isn't
necessarily uh we we don't plant silver
Maples anymore so I didn't know if that
was something that our group would be
interested in asking you to take out the
silver maple so you have a whole fresh
new beginning with the other
trees because silver mels don't last
that long and can be um quickly is at
the age of this property when it was
last attended to it it could be going
downhill
fast it's a glorious tree it's a
glorious tree glorious tree okay I
didn't notice that yesterday can't
because all those hamls hide it but it's
a glorious big tree it's in good shape
it was there in already in 1953 so it's
it's got to be
at least 80 years old I mean maybe it
will eventually come down okay it seems
like well I'm glad that you you put a
dagger in my heart and there you stood
up right away yes oh I appreciate that
because most of them 90% of them aren't
can't speak can't speak to that is it
really a silver maple Maple or is it a
sugar maple oh I'm sorry I know it's a
sugar M I think sugar that's my fault I
keep flipping okay
yes okay sugar sorry oh that's all right
and the arbor did inspect it and he
feels it is good that's excellent
because then you have your canopy um and
then the other part I I don't want to
other people will have more questions so
I'm not going to take all my questions I
written down but do I understand that
Oakland understands our standards for
replacement and after a year if things
aren't doing well or they're dying that
they are replaced
within a certain time limit I've had
that experience with with Oakland and I
haven't been happy with it I'm sorry
about that yes so well Oakland has the
industry standard of a Year's um
warranty on any plants that are replaced
and you are due some plants but yes so
that is the standard industry standard
so after a year I will often if we go
back if something if the homeowner calls
me and says
you know L you put these trees in but
this one looks a little funny or this
one seems to have an issue sometimes
plants go into shock when they're
initially planted and they'll have like
some stunting or they'll come out next
year and some of the leaves are smaller
than we would expect I will usually make
a note and I'll say well let's give it
another season just to see and if it
does look like it's struggling um
especially on a large project like this
this is not a small installation um my
boss Oakland Nery is usually um
agreeable to me replacing something
that's not thriving because you know we
want it to look good too okay thank you
very much I passed questions on to
others I have a a question when you said
you're putting all the horn beans along
the the drive um is there a lot of large
canopy trees there that that will create
a lot of shade on the horn beams um no
so the biggest tree is that um red maple
that we proposing the removal the large
one um right now it's just a line of um
thin hemlock trees that run up that side
on the other side there's like an access
Drive um on the North property and
there's plantings on the other side but
we should have room and the horn beams
would be the more narrow European
version um and then underplanted with um
some hydranges underneath them and then
the um you talked about the fence I mean
it it's obviously been cited where the
property line is so
whoever's fenes belongs to it's their
responsibility to do something with it I
did speak with a homeowner the newest
homeowner Mr um Connor um about the
fence and he is in agreement that it
needs to be replaced um and he wants it
to reflect the um the property itself
and since there's um brick along that
that back Edge you know we talked about
and I don't want to speak to him before
he has a chance he's got a lot of
decisions to make but you know we talked
about maybe brick columns with wood in
between to tie into the brick wall
that's going there so he definitely
wants it to look purposeful and
intentional in that space and he
definitely knows that um it needs to be
replaced um not only just for the
Privacy for um the the homeowner with
the pool but also he has small children
so he wants it to be safe as well would
that be something that's reviewed
byb will review
itend opinion be
reviewed or if it's a really elaborate
something different I imagine it
wouldn't by me but
occasionally there's definitely a
problem and is there also irrigation
there would be irrigation for the whole
site thank you you're welcome
Sheil I was going to ask about the wall
and so that's been clarified thank
you no questions Mary um quite a plan
very very nice um just a couple comments
um the um Barberry can be invasive if
there's any opportunity to reconsider on
that one that would make me really happy
okay um they the especially the pygmy it
from what I've read um it can convert
back to the straight species and it can
then become invasive and we've got a lot
of wooded property in the area um the
other thing is you know you're probably
gonna have a major problem with deer
over there so you might want to consider
protecting all these young plantings
right now's the time for questions of
them oh I'm sorry you're sort of
launched into
once again sorry that's what I'm here
for Mary I I apologize um can I ask how
you plan to plant these will you remove
wire baskets excellent question yes I
know that is a topic of discussion
between Oakland and past works so uh
any um specific planting methods that
you want to employ I'm sure my employer
will agree to well well the biggest
concern is you know the burlap and bald
and and a lot of the burlap apparently
from what we've been told is is not
degradable like it used to be it's
actually made of plastic there are some
Growers that we try um in our growing
but we do bring in some plant material
they will use that synthetic wine so we
certainly wouldn't want to keep that on
so um I know Oakland is likes to keep
the balls intact during um planting
while they grow um so usually we will
keep the burlap up and the twine on so
that as the tree moves uh the ball stays
in place but um I know that the baskets
have been an issue so um and I spoke
with the owner before I came here and
told him that we were GNA meet and um so
he's he understands that great um
actually the odn or no USDA has a great
um tree manual about planting which I
mean I realize you guys are
professionals but I have seen situations
so um and the other thing is do you
plant the volcano mulch no we do not do
volcano mulch we try to keep everything
at the level I feel like people do that
when they plant the Trees Too Tall and
then they have to cover it up and then
over the years they just keep but we
want to keep that flange at the at the
grade level keep the tree
healthy all for my comments and
questions
yes yes um well so I for one I'm very
excited that it's not a circular drive
because it certainly gives you more to
plant and and it uh doesn't destroy that
fabulous brick curb and so I do want to
talk about the brick curb and ask if you
know that there are protections of that
brick curb that need to be installed in
the plant in during this time yes so I
you know the the curb that curb cut
we're not changing the curb cut correct
correct so it's uh because we don't need
to and that is fairly new the one thing
that was done to that property at some
point was a new new apron so see it
seems to me that the we don't need to
touch that c why do you think we would
affect it well is the construction
access through the existing driveway
yeah well let me ask oh yeah okay
because you
know so here's why think you need to
protect it because I walked the sidewalk
today and the trucks that have already
come on site are um taking a tight
Corner in and so they're driving over
the right of way and driving up around
on the brick curb so the there are
protections I think Grant Karen can send
you the protections that you need to
take to make sure that the brick curve
not destroyed or if it is destroyed or
removed I think they've done that Grant
haven't they people take the bricks hold
them and then and then put back in yeah
you replay yeah and then they should be
all part of the permit that they already
have should be all you might just want
to check that yeah okay okay okay and
then
um I did want you know as I was walking
today I did want to ask Grant if he
feels there will be additional trees
planted in the right of way in front of
John's Home on Columbia because that
might I don't think that would affect
the trees that you're planting but I
thought that it would be a question that
maybe everybody would want to know
Upstream rather than
Downstream I can look into it at this
point I don't I don't know have okay
yeah so maybe that's something we get
back to you on the three trees that are
the the three trees there look pretty
good I mean they're not ancient but
they're already pretty good size I think
there's a sweet gum and two one sweet
gum and two map two Maples so they look
pretty they look pretty good
and already has them protected right
right we've we noticed that when we
walked so those are my questions so Mr
Wilson I'll call on you for questions I
have a few questions um can we go turn
back to the like the initial drawing of
oh Grant can we go back to the uh
drawing of
the so um I understand that demolition
has begun is that right completed okay
so what plantings have been taken out
already
uh well okay that plan there is
not uh well I guess it is is that the
that is that supposed to be the existing
okay that's what I understood to be that
that might be a more useful drawing
there at least I understand colors
better than shapes yeah yeah so that's
what's the green is still there and then
the red was what's proposed to be
removed except then the large tree to
the north of the driveway the north of
the driveway is still there it's the one
we've been
discussing North is to the to that one
just went past r r and then the uh the
Three Oaks that are in the right in the
middle of the footprint of the house
they're still there they're still Yes
yes yeah I guess my question is what of
the Shrubbery that's screens the
adjacent Lots has been taken any of it I
mean there's a wall continuous wall so
we didn't jump over the wall to take
anything out you know continuous wall on
two sides fence on one side and then uh
John W chance he's had we have we have
in the front we have a
uh hemlocks and then John has a service
drive on his property there adjacent to
that so pretty much there's we can't
really touch the neighbors I
guess the hemlocks are still there we
didn't take those
out and we left the hemlocks in front
too for now I mean we were thinking
leave the hemlocks in front why does
everybody have to look at the
construction that's walking by leave the
hemlocks in for a while while while the
construction starts and then eventually
you know take those out yeah and I'm
just trying to understand I haven't
walked the site um so I I don't have a
visual for it I'm trying I mean part
just to give you context not to make a
speech part of the reason for the
ordinance that we're working under is to
protect the screenings in the adjacent
wads and what I'm trying to understand
at least my point of view is that should
be protected until it's replaced not
removed unless absolutely necessary
during the construction and that's what
I'm trying to understand is whether any
of the
screening between this house and the two
adjacent Lots has already been
removed um because that may impo deal
with some conditions that I would
consider making so that's the background
to my question and so when I look at the
drawing I see screening on the south
side and the north side and I realize
there may be walls but I'm trying to
understand what's been taken down justas
on
I and he wanted it remove he hated those
things so yeah we took it out and the
only way to see that the pine tree take
it out Pine Tree on the South Side there
that's still there by the way you
couldn't even approach it it was covered
with hysteria and all kinds of stuff we
had to take get look at that tree and
then the can see it and say
wasn't but everything
with he
wanted yeah I mean I I think you know I
think the other the flip side of that of
your uh
thought thoughts on that is this
invasive this junk has been growing this
invasive plants have been growing there
for 25 years and the caufman could not
do anything about it all those years and
so now finally to get it all cleaned out
uh is a relief to them because you know
how that invasive stuff goes it starts
to affect their property too and I
understand that and and the commission
can discuss how it understands the
ordinance the ordinance says nothing's
removed until we approve a landscaping
plan and that's what I'm as it's
currently written and as we look forward
as to what we want in an ordinance I'm
trying to understand that I understand
this neighbors's not offended but we
also have an ordinance that says nothing
gets removed I understand def demolition
was the permit was granted and that's
done but I don't think a demolition
permit supersedes the ordinance that
says None of the Shrubbery can be
removed until we act that's where the
only comment I have to make and I
understand the the intention of that
ordinance but if you if I think about
where I live my next door neighbor came
in two days after they brought the
property they came in with chainsaws
they sawed everything down on the entire
property and they didn't and then when
they came to the when they came to the
Architectural Review and Landscape
review there was nothing to review so
this this is you know quite unfair
because this timing thing is basically
unenforcable okay I'm not debating that
I'm just trying to understand what's
been red because it
may impact some conditions that will be
put on approval so that's
not looking to debate that um so
um I just want to be clear I think that
this was said in the opening
um uh statements but you are
representing that all of the trees not
being removed are healthy is that
correct according to our arborist yes
those those have been
evaluated okay um I think that's the
questions that I have all right so um
there's no more conversation with our
applicants I but it's for our our
okay Grant have you evaluated the trees
on the property I have not stepped foot
on the property only the trees I've
looked at are the city trees out front
so you don't know about the oak trees
that are listed there that need to be
taken out well I mean they're in the
middle of the building footprint I don't
think you could
safely unless well yeah build a building
on it and keep the health of the trees
so um to Oakland's um credit they did
have an arborist from uh Russell Tree
Service come in and that's part of part
of the report so I think you know Lori
showed us the um the fungus at the at
the roots of those which is
disappointing because the canopy is
fabulous having seen that but just just
a comment too I mean just so you know
but if we had saved the house that was
there those trees would have had to come
out right because the the remedies to
save the house would have destroyed the
trees so those tree un you know well
even if they were healthy they would
have had to come out I know the the
challenge AR with trees is they may be
unhealthy but they may still look
beautiful so you still have this
Bittersweet kind of situation in your
hand it's not it's too bad those trees
were planted right in the middle of
where you would normally put a house I
have a feeling they were there no no
they were planted in 53 in 53 they did
well okay Mr Wilson
MERS what is a raspberry pair I looked
that up oh it's
a a raspberry
spear oh spear yeah it's a raspberry
spear crab apple so they're a narrow
crab apple with um beautiful um
raspberry colored blooms and a fruit set
and they're located on the um north side
outside of that arched window there's a
grouping of three of them okay you're
welcome
it's probably my labeling you
[Music]
know okay I think we're ready for
discussion amongst members of the
commission
um we're gonna go in different order
this time Mary would you like to make
any
comments okay don't get your feelings
for I me I believe yeah if I had
feelings yeah yeah so can we put in our
um approval whether or not you know
volcano mulching and removing cages I
mean are we allowed to say believe that
we can we can put conditions on the
manner in which Replacements are planted
yes I think we've done that in the past
certainly suggested in the past that any
plannings conform to I think the Ohio
nursery Association planning standards
okay
anyone have comments no
comments
M no I do
not thank Susan no i' just like to you
know go back and and note um the the
Brick protection and um you know uh
reinforce the fact that the access is
the existing drive and um they uh you
know interested in and grants uh
insights and plans on trees additional
trees in on Columbia so that's it I
don't have any more comments do we need
to mention anything about the rightaway
trees and being
protected they're already protected
protected is there a written tree
protection
plan not not not a re uh you mean with
the application process right yeah
because it's it all it's all in the
application so it's the same I it's the
same for all applications correct right
so it'll be the same with the one we
talk about on Main Street today
okay all right so Mr Wilson do you have
anything you'd like to discuss um well
as my questions probably suggested I I
do have concern that um our statute
reads one way and we apply it in a
different way I understand that um the
city's view is that it can grant a
demolition permit before
um the uh We've approved the landscape
plan um and I accept that that's the
city's view I don't think um frankly
that it was appropriate to remove
anything other than what was
necessitated by the demolition permit
prior to meeting with us um you know I
think we can consider whether uh the
city or this commission wants to suggest
changes to the ordinance um not
suggesting that this this the screening
here was um optimal or something that we
loved but I also um my own preference
frankly if someone were building
something next to me would be to retain
the screening until something new was
planted and so I do I do have concerns
about that um I also would say that um
if the if this homeowner is the One
removing the fence then I don't think
it's the
obligation of um the neighbor to share
in the cost of a replacement fence and
so I will want if a mo if I'm recognized
to make a motion suggest that um if the
fence isn't replaced that adequate
screening um be put in place that's
comparable to the what a fence would do
we don't seem to have certainty and
fences aren't our priority I'm sure that
the design of the fence will be
carefully reviewed by the city but I
think where we stand is there's no
assurance that offence will be put in
and so I think we need to condition this
on um screening if the home owner
decides not to put a f okay can I ask
you a question about that yeah given
that a swimming pool is considered an
attractive nuisance wouldn't it be the
owner of the pool who would have
installed the
fence well I'm not repeatedly told that
I'm not an expert on our City's laws but
I believe that the owner of the swimming
pool um has an obligation to put I
believe a foot minimum around the
swimming pool the pool so okay well I
would you know I think that um and we
could all talk about it together but I
do feel that the conversation about the
demolition permit and the removal of the
screening is a city and a commission
discussion that the um property owner
probably uh was not
let's see was not part of that
discussion so that may well be that may
may well be so I would suggest that the
tree commission and the and the city
work through the nuances and the
timeline for those and um it can't be
all that hard it can't be all that hard
so are there any other questions
discussion issues
Celeste just want to clarify my concern
about the one-year warranty that Oakland
does step up to this and finds himself
responsible to be on duty and be
accurate with time and replacement
within a year thank
you I do think that's the property
owners yeah I would I think in the past
we've put an obligation on the property
owner to replace
plantings regardless of whether it was
still within the warranty period or not
so we can include that if we choose to
in the conditions okay okay so if no
other discussion or questions I will
take a
motion all right Mr Wilson I move that
we approve the plan as presented with
the following additional conditions um
first of all that um all plantings of
freeze and Shrubbery be in conformance
with Ohio nursery Association
standards um and secondly that if the
homeowner chooses not to replace the
fence that they um assuming we have a
landscape consultant by then uh that we
um that they present an alternative form
of screening to our landscape
consultant and then finally that um the
replacement Landings on the peripheries
of the property occur as soon as
practicable within the construction
process
that um the plannings on the periphery
of the property occur as soon as
practical within instruction process is
there a second to the motion second is
there any
discussion okay so the discussion had or
the motion had three elements to it all
right and there's no no discussion about
that so uh motions made and seconded
that we approve the plan as presented
and that all the plantings are installed
according to Ohio nursery Association
standards that um if a fence is
um
uh not replaced not replaced that the
homeowner uh
install plant material that would beic
or that would um screen his property
from the property to the north and that
the periphery plant thingss are
installed as soon as
possible all those in favor say I I all
those who oppose same sign any
abstentions motion carries okay who had
the second who seconded
that who was that Linda Linda okay okay
thank you all for coming today
appreciate it what Susan oh man if I
could just add some insight into the
application um when I reviewed the
application for demo uh the demolition
permit our code doesn't say anything I'm
sorry our demolition part of the code to
to to approve a demolition permit
doesn't read what it reads in 10
2616 about removing plants before so
we're working on code updates to make
sure both are reflected and then also
some tweaks so you know Jim and I have
spoken about that you know I certainly
would have adhered to that code if it
was in my demolition code but I was
reading the demolition code as like a
checklist and it it wasn't in there so I
you know an oversight on my part um a
learning a Learning lesson for me no
suggestion of an oversight just an area
where we can improve our City's code and
our process so that we get the goals
that we all want and I'm I'm going to
put the language um from 1026 on the
demolition permit so when it's issued in
the future when they get that
certificate of demolition permit they'll
know so so so without trying to you know
go to the Head of the Class here I don't
think we can say enough good things
about the fine details that Matt's
trying to work through to make sure that
A and Z line up at m&n op so thank you
Matt for being willing to integrate code
ordinance Behavior into one good luck
with that thank you John thanks
applicants before applicants leave all
right I just want to say how much it
means that you are investing as much as
you are the city thank you very much for
this project it's going to turn out
great thank and I want to thank John
who's a new Resident for coming and
being part of the process today and
knowing that you can always return to us
if you
wish yeah don't we all don't we
all okay so Karen while you were here
you weren't here last time because we
had no applications I thought you might
want to update the commission on um some
outcomes from your historical
preservation study group um we have not
met since you guys met again holy Mo but
I am working on um uh ways that we can
do the get start moving along the
process for a local um designation
process because that is as I think we
spoke about before that's the only thing
that really holds some meat to to be
able to to keep to keep things um big
and small so so I went to Karen's slate
um presentation oh yeah that I can tell
you about okay I won't belabor it but um
for those of you who didn't make it you
missed a good one because it was a good
one it was great um we actually didn't
have a a lot of people which I didn't
expect at a four o'clock meeting but we
um met around the conference table and
were able to really like touch and feel
all the slate and understand the
differences from one natural material
one natural slate to the next good bad
and different um and we got some
demonstrations on how they actually nail
them in and and um we're going to move
ahead with some
programs not sure the format that
they'll take yet um to try to in to
inspire people to keep their slate you
know incentivize them uh also um with
the permission and suggestion of the
mayor I'm already working on a tell you
I'm already working on this with um
Trevor fiser who owns Precision slate
and tire we're going to do a street by
Street survey of the slate and what kind
of slate is on on that particular house
um it'll take a little while but um
we're going to kind of get in a car
together with the computer and put it on
the the owner sheets that are on our
Viewpoint um you know there's
information about the house so we can
flag it from the beginning and a GIS
layer yes we could add into tree thingy
do tree plotter but yes thank you for
reminding me because I thought it was a
great session yeah it was fun so you
know slate can last 250 to 400 years who
wouldn't love that right yeah they also
do chimney caps in case the squirrels
have gotten the better of chimy caps
bottom line is if people maintain their
slate it'll last
forever okay I just like to comment that
I think Mr Wilson has one of the best
looking slates in the city it's
extraordinary they're welcome to come to
my I was wondering where you're going
there that would confuse anyone but uh
they're they coming to look at my
Chimney Cap so they can count my slate
while they're there
good okay so uh we have no residents
here or did you have a
comment I'm so sorry I was gonna say we
didn't have any residence
comments okay dog my go that's a dog
well um and can introduce yourself okay
yep pipp pipp and sit pipp sit she is
pien pipp
hi
hi perfect wait this on do I yeah that's
just
perfect sorry it was already on okay uh
I Michael meckler and I live at 919
South Roosevelt and this is Pippen hello
Pippen yes Pippin Pippen is a basset
hound he is a big fan of City trees he
has fertilized many of them uh on his
own of his own initiative um but I just
wanted to I didn't know whether this was
the right place to mention it um
but uh so couple of uh months ago I got
this app on my phone and it's from
Cornell University it's from the uh
Ornithology uh lab and it's called
Merlin and you oh so some of you aware
of this well what it does for those who
don't know about this app is that you
can point your phone and it will record
the bird
and it will identify the
birds so I don't know whether the city
is is doing this or has thought about it
or has talked about it but if the city
has
recording
um uh you know microphones or things
that are doing recording in any parts of
the city that uh one could have it timed
so that that those recordings were then
uh ident would would uh go through
Merlin and have the birds
identified and one could set this up in
a way where you would do it say a
certain number of minutes after excuse
me P I'm talk uh couple of minutes you
know after sunrise and Before Sunset
when the birds are singing the most and
by having that data that would actually
give you
uh some information about biodiversity
in our
birds and and that would also reflect
upon the quality of our tree cover and
our trees so I don't know whether
anybody has thought about that but I
just thought I would bring that up as as
an interesting project for people to
think about in the city uh because it
would actually be fairly easy to set
something up like this because it's all
automated and uh and then if you you
know did this for a year you'd have some
pretty good data about the different
types of birds that are here in Bexley
and where they are um and and that would
be also an interesting uh way to think
about our tree cover um and how healthy
our tree cover is so that that was all
that I wanted to bring up well you
should also mention that on your
property you have a Bexley Landmark tree
is that not true yes that is I I do have
I have a Norway spruce that is beex
Landmark Tree on my property so well we
still need a tag on it Shila well I know
I put a yellow ribbon around it yes well
I know I so I didn't know I thought my
neighbors had put the yellow ribbon and
I because I I didn't realize what that
was for and so I left it up thinking oh
they had put it up and I talked to them
and they said oh no we didn't put it up
we thought you put it up and and then I
got the information that that the city
put it up and and so yes well we thank
you for that great tree oh thank you so
um I think it's kind of exciting to
think about you know doing a survey of
our birds and or some cataloging and we
have bird enthusiasts in this community
we do
and within City Hall yeah Natalie V is a
big burger okay and so is Jamie Taylor
and I don't know who's in his in his
group but I know they're kind of a
groupy
experience so I think it would be fun to
you know maybe put out a little email
and have a study group meet and see if
they are interested in doing something
like
that I think we have our chair of the
study group so yeah that's right that's
right when you propose a new idea you're
in charge of it just so you know that
works could also be a great project for
a class at at the high school or CS
to do well thank you for coming we
appreciate your good thoughts for
hosting a city tree bringing Pippen with
you and um you gave me your card the
last time we met but I have misplaced it
so if you could have another card on me
okay that'd be just great love and it's
so much fun to have residents come with
such a happy idea and their dogs and
their dogs that's right he's sort of
Behaving yeah I uh I am trying to I've
I've brought him as the mayor knows I've
brought him to several City Council
meetings um and
masc well I I want
him a
[Music]
picy dog I think him over to the creek
side twice a month
Mike thank you for coming today so so
appreciate and we'll start to work on
this okay thank you so an announcements
and small victories Mary was going to do
a quick overview of the Bexley Community
Gardens and Bexley Bloomers end of year
yes well um as far as the gardens go we
had a wonderful uh season considering
the bad weather um we donated 1225
pounds of produce this year which put us
over for
10,755 PBS of donated produce since we
started keeping track in 2011 so that's
very exciting um we logged over 750
volunteer hours at the gardens this year
as well and um we started a fund at the
Community Foundation and that's exciting
that we are at um
$4,875 in contribution so far so um and
as far as the Bloomers go um another
successful year there too we've had
about 860 hours of volunteer time this
year um our luncheon is on December the
16th in case you were invited and
haven't responded and um we're gonna
have a wrap-up meeting on the 12 with
Mike and Ron and on Monday the pumpkins
go and on Wednesday Julie comes and does
the earns for the holidays so um oh and
then I've got um what other thing do you
have those pictures Grant
not that
one there okay so that is um some Bexley
high school kids and if you scroll down
there should be two
others right there and then and that is
Bill and Charlie Waterman um they were
at Jeffrey last Sunday and they
organized this group effort with the
science club over at the high school
they spent about 24 hours combined
removing invasive honeysuckle
um Charlie's doing this as a science
project and he identified a few areas
areas in the woods that he's going to
study um for Forest re Forest
restoration and it's part of the global
Scholars Program and it's actually a two
to threee study project so um it was
kind of exciting to see all those kids
over there pulling out all that
honeysuckle so I think we should count
them as Bloomer hours I
[Laughter]
did okay okay thank you thank you it
sounds like a great year and I was just
going to give everybody um a Tre for
Bexley update since Ellen couldn't be
here to date we've raised $
2663 for Grants fall project for
2025 which we feel might be rehab of uh
be
Avenue and uh that compared that to
$27,600
overall good news and then um can you go
back to those I was going to show what I
saw in the streets of New York last week
just thought uh it's a sign it's kind of
a let's see what else you got
there we'll we'll hang on there that one
to go back up there okay so we're
walking down the street and there
telling us help us plant 1,000 New
Street trees so a city council person is
asking his District to help him raise
money for a thousand trees to plant the
in between spots so I am disappointed
that Troy is not here because I would
put up signs for him if he wanted to
raise money for a thousand New Street
trees I thought it was kind of a clever
way they put it on the street where
they're planting going to plant the
trees so anything else roster uh Grant
Could you um Natalie perel roster is
right to the right of you could you guys
take one and pass it down that way way
and we'll see three of them three of
them okay good we just need to check and
see if the information is updated and
correct so I'll pass it down and then
once it is then we'll send it out to
everybody okay so Grant besides working
the computers are are you able to do
your report
now oh yeah okay good did you want to do
yours first bin or yeah what is what's
your situation like you guys oh no I'm
good you could you good all right
uh well the fall tree planting is uh
happening right now we have about 70
trees left to
plant um but it for all in all it's it's
going very well um we have had some
issues with some residents not wanting a
tree in their
yard um something that we can discuss uh
as tree commission members uh there are
trees that are behind the sidewalk not
between the curve
sidewalk um
so my personal opinion is yeah it's one
the two addresses currently are on
ashborne uh and their front yards aren't
very big and we're putting in Red Oaks
uh I can see why they would not want a
tree in their front yard that is an O it
does limit what they can use their front
yard
for um but it is they do understand that
it is city right away and
uh so that's you know that's discussion
we need to have as a commission on what
we want to do with
this with this certain aspect I did pull
it up on Google Maps here so this was
the tree that was
removed uh few years ago and then we
replanted one here in their front
yard and one back here on the other side
of these two driveways instead of
splitting the
driveway and um you know this
resident uh was not happy that we
planted I don't know why this is doing
this because it can um but so right here
this resident 290 and then we also have
one at 262 do you want to go down to
that you go down to that property see
here this would be the other address
that does not want a tree behind the
sidewalk and this is on that curb on
ashborne so on the what's that is it
ashor ashborne place so this side of the
street doesn't have much of a tree lawn
especially one to put an oak tree in um
so that's why we're behind the sidewalk
here how current is that Google Maps is
that pretty current this is
2019 I was wondering if there was um oak
trees is that an oak tree in front of
the red brick house there is still
they're still
there I I tell
you so would you like us to talk about
that now Grant yeah we can talk about it
now because uh you know we I need a
decision um to whether or not we plant
these trees or not can I add something
to that Madam chair yes you may mayor
Kesler so I received also phone calls
from these residents when they didn't
like Grant's answer the these two just
these two these two the two in question
yeah okay
um and so and Grant made me aware of the
fact that reive emails as well so we we
got calls and
emails um and last night as you know so
triggered by uh some recent tree
commission questions and act um about
the what is a Treon what is not a treeon
what's a dog what's not a dog just
joking we didn't talk about dog um we
had the legal opinion that says that we
have jurisdiction of coures over the
right of way treeon is defined two
different ways two different times in
our in our code two two different
different ways and whether or not we
can um through the commission Force the
placement of a tree on the section
between the sidewalk and a house um and
our city law director's opinion is that
the tree commission cannot compel the
placement of a tree in that area the
city can and that's confusing what is
the city um and I know Jim I think later
on we're going to talk about you know
how we're addressing clarifying the code
because I feel like this is I feel a
little bit stuck when I get a call from
a resident given that opinion um first
off I'm really interested to have the
conversation here at tree commission but
I also brought it up at Council last
night because I wanted to hear council's
perspective on it um and we we looked at
this exact street view and we looked at
the other one and just talked about it
philosophically how does council feel
about the idea of we have a resident who
doesn't want a tree planted in the area
between the sidewalk in the house we
can't otherwise here plant in the tree
lawn um and Council was pretty decisive
and in unified and not wanting to force
the placement of tree in that area they
felt like we should offer it and if a
property owner doesn't want to have a
tree in that space that we shouldn't
shouldn't force it in that space
although we have the right to do it and
everyone acknowledges that um they felt
like that was very different from the
condition between the curb and the and
the sidewalk
um I wanted to share that as a data
point just to and I know it's also
different I know we've
had and think of twoes four five yes of
property owners not wanting trees and
front yards I think one thing that has
triggered this not it's not just kind of
this deeper dive that we're doing in the
code it's that these lawns in general
are quite shallow this is like you know
like when you take a 0. five photo on
your iPhone and everything looks further
away you know from driving this this is
a small front yard um it's and this this
particular condition here I don't know
what their backyard looks like it's just
it's a very different interface than um
even a Dawson or Colombia or some of
these other areas where we have some
some similar conditions so um I just
wanted to add
that my preference would be to hold off
on planting here I mean clarify what the
what the rights are and what the what
the policies going to be going forward
and we can always come back next year if
we decide to take a more um forceful
stance in terms of like what's going on
in this area I do think that this this
whole conversation keeps on coming up
which is like what is the right of
people between the sidewalk in their
house and it's not consistently
exercised we are all over the city we
have different conditions about what
people are doing and not doing where
they're planting trees and not planting
trees and there's a little bit of a
lottery in a sense I mean I know we are
talking about property rights they're
they're definite but there are streets
where people own right up to the
sidewalk you know and there are streets
where they don't own most of their front
yard like like Dawson um and so I think
I'm done talking sorry I feel
likeing Point could you could you offer
something
smaller Jim um so I appreciate
everything the mayor in terms of the
short-term solution I agree that that um
we should um take the trees out and
hopefully preserve them um you know I
think this is a larger issue by my count
there's 23 streets in Beckley where at
least a section has more than 5 feet of
right away on the on the homeowner side
of the sidewalk so I think it's a
important issue because I think that to
Simply say that for all those 23 streets
that um the homeowners can veto it is
also of concern to me because some of
those streets that may be the only place
we can plant you know as we've talked as
I've talked about Susan talking about
with the mayor I think that that our
ordinance could be improved here I also
think our process underlying it could be
improved where you know and
unfortunately process improvements often
fall with more work for Grant um but for
instance we could have a process where
if we if we were going to plant on any
of these 23 streets we first notified
the homeowner that we were going to do
it and gave them a chance to come to the
tree commission talk to us about it
before they find a tree in the yard and
I realize that's more work for the city
yeah but that might be a possible way
for people to feel differently about
right so I think my recommendation for
now is the same as the mayor's which
would be that for now we we take these
trees out um I think we should tell the
residents that we're taking them out
while we study this that you know we
haven't made a final decision here but
um and then we try to improve our
ordinance try to understand better what
our underlying priorities are and you
know I I would welcome a conversation uh
with city council um about the
consequences I think it's easy to say
when home when citizens are complaining
let's not do that um but I think it's
also useful for the city council that
look at what the Lost opportunities were
be in terms of planning so I have a
question for you mayor was the
conversation see it was last night right
last night was it about property rights
was that the was that the jumping off
point for conversation
um well I jump it off was I brought it
up because I said that I know we've got
some fairly passionate residents here
and I feel uh you know like a little
uncertain how to handle the situation in
my response um I don't want to so but it
did come down to the sense that like
um there is a feeling that the property
rights we we acknowledge the property
rights are the same whether or not it's
behind the sidewalk or not in terms of
the city's rights right but there is a
feeling that um that section between the
sidewalk and the house is treated feels
like it should be treated differently
like there is a property so I guess yeah
property rights and also I think they
said said their perspective on looking
at those two was you know these these
seems like barely there's PL there are
plenty of canopy trees around it's not
like this is an area that doesn't have
any tree cover and I think that as we go
through this process and look at
Solutions there are lots of like there's
two extremes which is like we can do
whatever the hell we want there one
extreme apologize for my French The
Other Extreme would be like um you know
we're not going to do anything you could
always accommodate all sorts of you know
you could have a more sophisticated
algorithm that like if there is no
canopy cover in the area then it's
treated differently you could have
something where they get notice in
advance like Jim suggests and they have
the ability to come to the tree
commission if they if they don't want to
have it they at least have to show up
and talk about it you know they might
still have the right to say no but they
still have to come and have the
conversation like you could do all sorts
of sort of inet to try to really
encourage canopy and I you know my my
perspective is not to discourage new
canopy we want new canopy but it's also
I am sympathetic that
the the residents that are like this is
where my kids the only place in the
whole property that they can you know
kick the soccer ball around and um you
know Red Oak is not an insubstantial
tree over time so which is good I love a
red oak Red Oaks are great I'd like to
well that's loud I'd like to piggyback
on what what Jim and the mayor were
saying and maybe within the um ordinance
we can set some sort of parameters and
four different categories that we think
are important to consider one is the
square footage that's what's left in the
front yard and we find what we think
would be a usable the parameters or what
what would be um useful for um uh for us
to plant something um then consider um
what the neighborhood looks like and
what the Cana be cover is there
and uh what the Utility Systems how much
space there is within the
utility um accessibility Etc and then we
can that way we we let the the paperwork
and what we find within our consultation
or
evaluation then we can build a case
based on that
versus not just just in hurting someone
the between dis appointing somebody and
and making something happen that they
don't
want do that make sense would think to
that if the people come in and here and
and we explain to them I mean our we're
trying to create you know an LA if you
must and we've looked at each Street and
we know the dominant tree that and we
wanted to have it continue um and then
you have to understand that tree will be
there but the resident may move so
somebody else may want the the kind of
tree so
I think maybe just more have them come
in and understand why we do this and
it's free it's free right yeah Sheila
you had something you want to say um yes
I I think we should be sensitive to the
owners and certainly sensitive to our
mission um but also as you're deciding
and putting parameters together that
properties do change hands the next
owner may wish to have a tree and are we
going to a grandfather that decision in
with the policy moving forward um so
those are all thoughts as you're trying
to figure out the best plan so Sheila I
have an assignment for you to that point
would you be able to come to the next
tree commission and tell us how often
homes change hands so what's an average
is it you know I think I had told Matt
in the mayor before that I did a study
on Bexley Park and they change hands
every 10 years so are we I moved in yeah
just a
well yeah I mean I I I mean I I do you
know we can we can go on and we'll we
need a conclusion but right yeah so yeah
yeah go ahead AUD AEF question but she
was talking like how do you know that a
tree can't be touched you know in one of
these properties if the city drops a
tree in the next guy comes he decides I
don't want to Tree in my front yard
what's the how do we know ify the person
like what's the standard going to be in
a situation like that if we do put a
tree in someone's front yard is it
protected and how do we communicate
that's what the mayor says you can't
once it's in you can't take it down it's
protected by code but it's not it's an
educational thing to your point like I
think a lot of people don't realize that
the trees is in their front yard and we
tree commission sees this regularly that
they don't understand that it's a city
tree or you know or the plantings that
they want to put in that area are po you
know potentially need review and so it's
a it's tough because you unless we're
chasing every real estate transfer and
then figuring out whether you know what
are the issues this property has oh it's
a corner lot better let them know what
that's preview of coming attractions by
the way Corner Lots should come well you
know you you know the
saying when's the best time to plant a
tree today when was the other best time
20 years ago right I
mean and when's the third best time two
years from when they change hands or
what
exactly that doesn't work anyway all
right what else Grant so are we doing
are we going to are we gonna have a
motion on this or an endorsement of I
think we need a motion on this because
um you know it's a change it's a change
for us I mean because other people have
come before us and they haven't wanted
trees and we've said yes and now we're
saying you know we'll we'll think about
it or we'll we'll wait so
it's it's um it's inconsistent with what
we've done before which I don't think
isly healthy Mr Wilson um well I move
that the tree commission authorized the
removal of the two trees only one's been
planted only one's been planted yeah
then I move that the tree commission
authorize the removal of the one tree
planted we um notice to the property
owner that this is being done while we
study further the issue
these types of
plantings okay is there a second to that
does that mean that is there a second
wait y we need a second before
discussion second okay is there
discussion
Mary um so now I forget what I was gonna
ask you um can we go back in later and
plant it well that I think that's part
of what we need to work out in terms of
our ordinance because as the May said um
we don't if you read the ordinance it
doesn't say that we and direct the
planting of trees although I there's a
question whether our free planting and
maintenance plan can include that but
but we do have the authority clearly to
authorize removal of trees so it's
ironic isn't it also I would say to your
to your point Madam chair about
inconsistency I I totally appreciate
that I do understand that I also
think one one reason I have even more
pause on this is that it is a really
especially the one that has not yet
gotten planted if you pull up like the
partiel view of that is it's uniquely
it's quite different from the other
areas that we've had interaction with in
terms of limited yard area and and just
the way that that curve happens and
compresses the Lots so I think it is a
it's a fairly unique condition if that
helps helps sleep so so Grant um hoping
always that the outcome could be more in
our favor I
would suggest that you offer the
homeowner at 290 ashborne the
opportunity for you to remove the tree
if perhaps her mind has changed and so
that you would remove the tree with the
with the idea that it could be replanted
no assurances either yes no assurances
either no uh because she may feel if it
comes back it would be more of a problem
for her a second time than it has been I
mean I don't yeah I'll reach out to her
and have this discussion with her okay
is there any other discussion Celeste
Linda Jayla okay you have your homework
assignment right Sheila right
okay okay written down yeah I know okay
a motion been made and seconded that we
allow for the removal of a newly planted
tree at 290 Ashburn while the tree
commission and the city work through the
what should I
say strategic issues okay the broader
the broader uh strategic issues of uh
the current ordinances and of the
current ordinances uh all those in favor
say I all those oppose same sign any
exstension okay motion
passes what else
Grant uh that's all I have okay so you
have planted 130 trees and you've only
had push back from two
correct we have 70 more to plant so
we're halfway through but yeah two is a
good number two is a good number I
appreciate the water bags on a number of
the trees I've seen planted must have
taken some effort but I'm glad that
they're there yeah uh I mean they'll be
taken off here uh shortly but they're
not our bags they're Yard Barber bags so
and are they being watered are they
being filled with water okay okay
all right any any other questions for
Grant are the should I even ask if the
wire cages have been removed uh the top
uh the top two-thirds of the wire
baskets are being removed yes how how
about the burlap and burlap is yes
burlap burlap and Twine is being removed
as
well good better best
swear anything else for Grant mayor
Kesler it's your turn I was going to
make a joke about how good thing we
didn't remove the wire basket because
now we can just pull that red oak out of
the ground and put it somewhere else
really easily no one would appreciate
that joke and we are going to find a
home for that 290 ashborne Red Oak well
maybe it won't come out we'll be hopeful
people don't understand they don't
understand what they're missing
yeah sometimes um real quickly just to
update you all um the Stanberry
pillars are in the um budget propos for
2025 for be straightened
and I'm supposed to talk about plantings
in rway Susan but you have to remind me
what I'm saying about well you were
going to mention that and the drexal
circle walls right are in the yes Drex
Circle walls but it says plantings and
ride of way next to Stanberry
pillar is
that oh so so um there was going to be
some clarification about the plantings
in the ride of way which are between the
sidewalk walk and the curb and behind
the sidewalk and who is um to maintain
those at stanbury pillars yes okay
because as you know Grant they're kind
of messy right now I mean it the
homeowners sometimes the homeowners are
taken care of them my suggestion would
be that there be they become something
that the the city oversees they're kind
of analogous to like college in
Livingston or no they're worse or broad
I mean they're analogous to like the
broad right I mean I
just anyway and I it could be that they
need to have a design plan a design
planting plan around that okay I will
I'm somehow I missed that so I will
grant and I will Lee a later about that
jaxel Circle walls rebuilt rebuild are
also in our budget for 25 it has not yet
been voted on but it's part of our
proposal um and we do have Roosevelt
median contract sign
with Elena Andrews for design um we're
going to start with
a um we're gonna start with a
neighborhood meeting um just to involve
neighborhoods and neighbor
neighbor neighborhood residents
neighbors uh in the process of Designing
that um and I think Susan you're going
to help out with that as well and be
involved I believe yeah awesome happy to
come we also have slated the Livingston
College Gateway enhancement and wanted
to see if there any tree and public
gardens commission members who wanted to
be part of that design process before we
bring a proposal to the uh the
group audre would you like to do that oh
can you tell me a little more and what
is
the that those are good questions um the
so this is that area like at Speedway
entire choice where we have columns
today and then there are some plantings
actually on on the on the property side
where we have a planting easement both
at Speedway and Tire Choice um so the
scope is to redesign the area along in
the tree lawn itself next to the columns
just because they we've in general been
kind of expanding those planting areas a
little bit to to make the gateways stick
out a little bit more but then also
redesign the planting easement side uh
behind the sidewalk both the Tire Choice
and Speedway um timeline uh I think
we're going to just
be working on design through the winter
um not not intensely but just kind of
consistently try to bring it back to tr
and public gardens commission uh
hopefully in time for spring planting
who's doing the design Elena Elena
Andrews yeah oh
great sure
okay thank
you um and then that mean that I would
need to meet during business hours
between 8 and six because I'm
in nework I think
um we can figure out how to accommodate
okay keeping you keeping you that I will
probably have some more flexibility
closer we get to Christmas okay awesome
and we're meeting actually tomorrow
morning with Ellena to go over some of
these projects so I'll make sure that
she has that information um and then
Fair
Avenue refresh uh we have signed the
design proposal for that um paig DD
and Grant I believe are part of that
design working team yeah Paige crane DD
glimp yep
Ellen Grant and Elena right Ellena is
the designer is the designer y okay so
that's you've done well three for three
those are the those we're also working
on the beex police department parking
lot
perimeter um that's more of an internal
process unless anyone wants to get
involved in that you're all all welcome
it does it will not I don't think it
impacts the Community Gardens but
obviously it's a Jason to um it will
include anti-g groundhog
devices no way I'm kidding that's true
um uh Bexley Square pocket park uh team
design team I think we're waiting for
something back from Edge on that so I'm
going to get an update on that tomorrow
and then G cing
circles um I think we're we've been
asked to review the design of that and
I'm the plant material plant material
and and Grant has pointed out there's a
manhole cover in each of them yes um and
we were comparing it with the city of
columbuses to the east which now looks
pretty good considering that for 20
years they look terrible and ours don't
look so great so it's a war out there it
is yeah competition's great
competition's great
okay so what how would you like us to
work on that is that something that does
anybody want to work on that on their
own just to go look at it and compare
them to city of
Columbus I can do that on one of my
walks okay take your
dog bet my dog won't fertilize anything
okay more
treats and I thought maybe you'd want to
update or you and Matt would want to
update the commission on where you are
with the landscape staff design
consultant
yes yes um we have three applicants uh
I'm going to I've interviewed one of
them I'm going to interview the other
two for Thanksgiving um and then meet
with the mayor and we'll update you
probably first second week of
December and then I did have a resident
reach out um and volunteer to um catalog
all of the city rideway trees for us I
don't know U David Green wanted to get
more involved in the city and asked he
could help so he's got need that but
tree plotter and just to let you know
he's looking to get
involved yeah as a former city planner
so um Memorial tree policy we've been
working with the Community Foundation on
coming up with a standard for when
people want to donate um right now it's
a little halfhazard sometimes it's gone
through the rec department sometimes
it's gone through the tree Department
some sometimes gone through the
Community Foundation and we've had some
issues with um sort of miscommunication
about what the tree where the tree is
what can and can't happen um and so we
are working to unify that um Jim made me
where I had forgotten about the uh the
the pla it was a plaque standard
essentially plaque standard so we're
trying to inter make sure to integrate
that but essentially the concept is a
very high level if you want to donate a
tree in memory or honor of somebody um
and you don't care if it has a plaque
then you can select an upcoming planting
so Street trees would be El eligible as
would trees and
parks and basically that donation would
be recognized through an online mapping
system that would say this is who it's
was donated for if you want a plaque it
needs to be in a park not in a not in a
Tree Lawn uh the plaque would have a
standardized design um
the policy that was probably about 10
years ago I think that policy talked
about a brass yeah I I took pictures of
this here I
can so we'll likely just affirm that I
did ask
um I think I asked hie to look
into engraving Stone but you pointed out
that would seem sort of ferial which it
might like to look at different options
um whatever it is we don't currently
have a standard bont
well I know we apparently we do we just
haven't been following it maybe so we'll
I'll stop talking because I'm getting
myself in trouble we're gonna look back
at that work and incorporate it the real
big takeaway is if someone wants to
donate a tree we're gonna ask them to go
through the Comm Foundation the funds
will go into beex beautification fund we
will the Community Foundation will
organize the creation of the
plaque to the standard specified most
likely the historic standard specified f
um and then that will be a fixed in the
park and it has some standards as to you
know reasonable expectations for
warranty maintenance Etc so once that is
at a final draft St or at a draft stage
we'll circulate it around to all of the
stakeholders
um
yes for
the the owner Don so the there's a
minimum donation required in order for
it to be a memorial tree or a tree in
honor of and so that's a higher minimum
donation if there's a plaque associated
with I think right now we have working
numbers of 500 for tree without a plaque
and at least a thousand for tree with a
black some questions for the mayor I
have a couple more things oh I'm sorry
but I can take questions now I have
other you gave me other which was yes I
did give you other but uh so I do want
to say under other
also in our budget proposal for Council
is additional funding for our street
tree program adding another $20,000 to
that would bring it 100,000 um that
would enable us to start to do some of
that additional infill that we had
talked about um and we also have budget
for invasive species removal in
Schneider Park and along the bridges so
at Maine and
Livingston and um I imagine Clifton I'm
not sure that we quoted clion what did
we
quote just Livingston okay so never mind
just Livingston for now uh we have
funding to clean up the it's just there
so much encroachment in that area clean
that up and remove invasive species uh
we do have invasive species removal
funding for Jeffrey Park actually in
this year's budget but it's going to be
carried forward uh because they're
waiting for the finalization of that
Tree Management
plan um so those are some of the
specific funding items I think we have
more than that I'm but I didn't finish
making my list before you called on me
so also I do want to just uh bring this
up just to think about um some of the
comments that I hear during review of of
applications are really similar from
application to application and the way
that ARB handles that is they have just
a
standard conditions that they'll apply
to almost every property so for example
that there' be a warranty uh that there'
be uh the wire cage removed or burlock
whatever it is you come up with that can
be something that you can kind of we can
communicate in advance to applicants to
expect that it can be just known so that
it doesn't have to be a you know always
a topic of
conversation um I think that'd be great
I think that'd be great so why do we
keep bringing it up because
because you know all this information is
on to Grant's point the application
their applications so but what do we see
at cohatch you know right you see the
same same issues right so I think um
raise I think if if you just know that
I'm not saying don't bring it up I'm
saying that it's it doesn't necessarily
require your call you can debate
whatever you want but a debate you know
a topic of debate it could be something
that's just a wrote It's on video
conversation it's on video um and then
the other thing I would be very cautious
about is um any disparaging comments
about contractors specific contractors
or companies or saying that things
aren't done to a certain standard or
that we don't like how they're done we
have we actually do have some liability
in that I believe um if we're saying
things about contractors and it feels
like it's being disparaging to them it's
also I just want to be sensitive to you
have you know sometimes you have large
companies with lots of different people
doing lots of different things you have
somebody coming in from that company yes
they work for that company they don't
necessarily own it um they're not
accountable for everything the company's
ever done and so I want to be really
cautious about putting them in a
position where they're getting defensive
about the work product of their company
that is something that I think is best
handled and I know that nobody does
anything perfectly I think it's best
handled by talking to staff afterwards
and saying look I understand so and so
is doing such and such work you know at
this point in time can you please touch
Bas with them these are some things
we've seen in other projects to be aware
of we will do our best to pay attention
to that um I know that we're not perfect
at that I also think that during the
review process when you enter that into
the record it complicates the decision
that you're making so just be I would be
careful about uh specific comments about
specific contractors or designers or any
you know and I'm not trying to just a
thought I had listening hey Jim you have
something to say well I mean I do think
that um that planning being in
Conformity with Ohio nursery Association
standards is sort of become the norm for
approval and so I can work with Karen
to figure out that language and where it
goes in the application process or
however it's been
done but but would one also suggest that
then all the other kind of things that
are be protected the tree protection the
bricks the you know all that should um
be in this you know kind of standard pre
Protections in the ordinance I believe
yeah but but yes tell me in the
application yeah I mean you know that's
I think that's the point is that the
application is not three paragraphs and
building the house is probably the
priority the other things maybe come
secondary so if we have a chance to
visibly tell them I mean I walked by
there today they're not making the
driveway they're cutting the corners
that brick is going to have to be done
so to mention it to him I I think that's
I think I think it only benefits
everybody personally I'm not saying not
to mention it I'm saying that if you
guys agree on some standard language
that you'll be using okay then there's
never a question so it doesn't have to
be like it doesn't have to be a topic of
like well let's talk to you about like
do you understand this or that be like
you know every member knows that when it
comes time for the decision we're gonna
say okay just so you know we talk to
everybody about this this is an
important factor here's Ohio nursery
Association sure but specifically tree
protection plan the the ways these are
some things we often see we're going to
put this in our record of decision so it
doesn't co-mingle that with your actual
review of the Landscaping if that makes
sense you're reviewing the landscape
design and then you can then you can
have that boiler plate which is what is
your standard and it is an excellent
opportunity to educate applicants I
totally agree with you okay and I think
that that's used other boards do that as
well but it's kind of part of a normal
checklist so they know that they don't
have to
like right yeah so so it's just more you
just read this this laundry list
though makes sense
okay this is not in the spirit of
criticism I was just I just I think it's
good but I but I also and of course
you're wise enough to understand why one
would do it yes yes I get it yes okay
and then one last thing and I swear I'm
not it's all right mayor on that if I
could if I may may um thank you um I I
like to think in terms of um like a
application um of all of these things
because I was the contractor on the back
end and I would see you know I wouldn't
necessarily read all the things that
came before me I got a contract and I
executed the contract right and whether
or not that contractor plants to Ohio
nursery Association rules or they remove
wire basket cages I I can I would be
willing to bet a lot of money no
contractor goes back and reads A record
of decision from a tri and public garden
commission right and we put that on the
applicants the applicants are hiring a
contractor to build the building and
then they're hiring and then that
contractor's hiring a landscaper to to
plant the plants now yes the applicant
has ultimate responsibility I agree but
do they oversee that process of planning
so I I would I'm thinking through things
over here and all that to say is if we
really want it to to have it be done and
and to get down to the contractor level
I mean I think with
new you know I can talk through the
mayor but with you know we don't have a
ton of these projects that come through
and it might almost be you know they
have to pull a landscape permit for uh
for a new build on a house and then as a
part of that landscape permit packet we
give them the record of decision and
education and everything we want them to
know that way it makes it to the
landscaper because they're so far down
in the chain that when all this stuff
happens now and they get hired 18 months
from now when the job's already done or
when the Project's ready to be planted
like who knows if they ever actually get
the information that we talk about here
today um so that's just a thought well
so Matt when we met last week you talked
a little bit about having a contractor
meeting right and is that where you were
going with your yeah and reaching out
yep right part of the education to
contractors but yeah and a
pre-application conference so where we
have all the disciplines and even before
they're finalized and everything with
these types of projects like you said
there's only a few of them here but
they're the ones that get all the
attention and so I think like you know
the um so you know okay you want to
demolish a property like here's what to
expect and that includes Landscaping
that includes a lot of other things as
well right um and constant reminders as
the contractors start yeah and it's even
it's
even pre-application meeting have with
the Architects and maybe the developer
right or the developer or the Builder
but I'm talking I want a meeting I want
the the
landscaper the contractor on the end
have to pull a permit for a new build
just for the Landscaping if if you if we
really want the person that's going to
be doing the work or the to get this
information I think that's the best way
to do it yeah Jim um well I think we
talked it time that um
10266 which is the new build ordinance
actually probably needs to move into a
different part of the Bexley code and
could be expanded in a variety of ways
so I think that um this might be part of
a larger revision of that coordinance
and uh you know obviously they're
clearly ways to clarify it to accomplish
the underlying goal without making it
honorous for people who you know every
other year want to do a new building
effectively that's right yeah and I want
to affirm what you were saying Jim I
think you were spot on and and calling
out that ordinance was specifically
designed in part to not lose otherwise
viable shade like mature trees but also
maintain that buffer and so there was
not from us that it was okay well maybe
I don't think to remove the buffer we
would not have done that um the code
does give remedies uh to the to the tree
Commission in the city um we are not
providing that information like don't
worry about this because you know I
wrote it I believe in it like and it was
written for
irresponsible and I'm not it was written
not for It Was Written In in situations
where you have somebody coming in and
they aren't really just they're not
paying attention to the context
neighborhood and they're not going to
have to live with that situation in the
future and um so I don't necessarily
think that applies in this instance but
I think that uh we care that that is
followed and we you know we're it's like
a process with so many tentacles
everywhere that we're constantly raining
in I think we we have some really
excellent process Improvement coming so
even as we're working on revising that I
think we shall have better results going
forward uh finally sorry and I'll I'll
I'll end on this very quick quickly um I
know that I heard that we had Outreach
from a neighbor in this latest case that
wanted had some concerns about this
latest
application if if tree commission
members want to go and meet with
somebody or hear from them it has to be
a actually posted meeting it has to be
published it has to be open to the
public and if it's on site and it has to
be open to all the tree commission
members in order to maintain that um you
know the transparency and the the
sunshine law requirements that we have
also I know Mark had made a fairly rigid
statement that you shouldn't even drive
past a property he walked P that back he
basically said you shouldn't talk to
someone outside of the hearing and you
shouldn't have access to places that you
don't have access to as a as the Normal
public so if you're walking down the
street if you're walking down the side
of the Walk that's fair game if you're
talking to an applicant or somebody who
has who can testify at the hearing who
has standing you shouldn't be doing that
on talking to them about the case except
for in the context of this this room
unless a separate meeting has been
scheduled so if if you if you guys get
that Outreach you say you know we really
would like that that would be great so
nothing to stop you from reaching out to
Susan and saying can we schedule a
formal onsite look at this project and
we could do that we can accommodate that
so mayor we have new commission members
and we don't have all the rules rul to
share with them oh so we should figure
out how we want to share all those rules
because they feel threatening in a way
yeah and stringent and sometimes um
unsatisfying I would have to say so I
think that we need to give not only what
the rules are but the context and then
how again if if the whole commission
wanted to walk that property you could
get um
approval I think the decisions would be
better so on some like this something
yeah so let's work towards that okay so
now we're going to move to Old business
which also is kind of a mayor is
discussion because Audra and Mary have
been walking around Montrose at the
direction of the mayor to look at new
opportunities
Direction well direction is sort of a
neutral word um we gonna need voting I'm
gonna try to on on this issue or
anything else of what issue was certain
issue no there are we voting I'm going
to try to leave I didn't want to no I
was going to say I I mean I think that
Jim and Karen are going to work together
Jim and Karen Matt on some boilerplate
language I call it I guess that would be
inclusive of our general considerations
irrigation tree plant standards brick
you know whatever I noticed how you
slipped Irrigation in there yeah I mean
whatever those are and then and then
bring it back in next month so I don't
think there's anything to vote on on
that our quarterly meeting that we're
going to try to get together with the
other organiz no I was just going to ask
for feedback from our commission on
topics that I could share with them that
are of interest to us or importance to
us so so I think the next up Isa odra
and Mary and I shared it with Grant I
had a chance to share your information
with Grant Audra so why don't you guys
go
ahead since you did all work sure um
Grant un fortunately uh I wish that I
would have had I did not have time on my
work schedule I didn't even reach out
because I didn't have time um that we
could
have talked so I mean I worked Mary and
I went and tour the property um we
looked at it I think at the request of
the mayor he wanted to add some tree
material in or look for opportunities to
add in some tree material so Mary and I
walk the property just to get an idea of
what it looked like the status and um
where any openings might exist
so that's what this came out of um I
mean as a person who knows trees loves
trees uh I know there are a thousand
things that you think of I mean there's
you know a dozen trees behind these
suggestions that I could have made based
on any number of factors um so I feel
like this
is I don't know the first lob onto the
field for rins and Giggles but um so
that's what we
did uh so this is you know just looking
at at it
uh I saw opportunities um there's a key
on the little write up here do you see
the write
up there's a Word document attached to
this so basically um go ahead and jump
in if you want to too no you're jump
okay okay so um I circled the things
that look like places where we could add
new material um I noted the newas which
also um I have a nellia in my front yard
in the tree BM as well it looks lovely
I'm excited about it um and then there
are a few X's based on what the trees
look like um a couple of them were
damaged uh there's a calorie pair still
at the entrance uh to the playground on
the east side there um and then there
are a couple of very mature red buds on
the south side of the lot um
the other trees looked in good shape
uh on the north side of or sorry on the
west side of the lot there's another
tree that I thought could potentially be
March for removal it's a very lopsided
tree there are no um power lines above
it it looks like it sustained some
damage um and it basically looks like a
brush pointing towards the it's a hedge
maple actually this is is Red Maple and
tree PL but um that looks a little
misshapen so so anyway these are my my
suggestions I don't know if you know how
you make decisions we go through your
suggestions so that we I like to add in
variety I like ornamental features on
trees particularly smaller trees um I
think they add some interest what I
noticed where there were a lot of you
know we went for the first time we went
um in early October and or no in early
November and there were still some trees
on there's a lot of yellow in the fall
kind of palette so I thought you know an
obvious choice would be to add in some
red um which is why you see things like
the smoke trees coming up um have we
have we actually planted cinus abatus in
the city have you considered that is
that a tree you would even think
about okay okay well so we against it or
for it or
neutral okay let me either it's a native
tree um it's a great tree it looks
gorgeous in the fall it would probably
need to be limed up a bit um it's a
Smoke Tree you would need to make sure
that you get a single stem specimen
because otherwise you're going to end up
with a shrub or a colonizing shrub but
the Smoke Tree is a little bit different
than like the
cotinus how do however you say it the
cagri the smoke shrub that you see
around um Bexley so it's a great tree
has lots of colors in the fall
um said cotinus I didn't list any of the
Botanical names on here it's a Smoke
Tree I can list the Botanical
names I'm just I like to ner it up and
look stuff up whenever you guys say
things so I can learn well mayor the
Wildfire Black Gun Tree is the Nissa
silvatica nice
yeah I was wondering that myself I saw
that in a couple spots in central Bexley
looks great like in a tree BM uh it's
right next to St Catherine's they look
fantastic they've got to be wildfires
they're a smaller
stature we should have more of them in
the city but I was a little confused why
it was there because it's under a power
line
yeah so yeah do you think there's a
chance for you and Grant and Mary to go
over this list before the next tree
commission meeting and maybe the mayor
can look at those X's and O's that are
not for the football huddle on Saturday
but around can I ask can I ask this if I
could re I would if you have the time I
would be happy to go over this because
I'm just kind of curious just in general
as a tree Enthusiast and um and a you
know a resident of South Bexley but um I
mean is this like is the repetition in
these spaces is that more or less than
as the arborista Bexley you would
consider that could be yeah there's a
couple spots that are obviously I'm GNA
have you guys hold that Jim has to run
in a minute and he had a couple things
to say and then we'll come back to you
okay so I just wanted to quickly report
on the um the planning and maintenance
plan we continue to work on it Susan
laughed at me last year when I said i'
to have it done by April and that
laughter is well deserved um but
we I would say the May the where we we
La last month I think it was had our
conversation about um diversity or
monoculture or however you want to
characterize it what I believe Susan and
I heard out of that conversation was we
should be looking for a street or two to
try diverse plannings and and so that's
the direction we're moving but if you
think that's the wrong direction we
would love to hear it before we present
a plan the rest of it we're working on
and we'll get back to you the other
piece that I was reporting on was the um
the kind of came up in Grant's report
about um the tree lawn and plannings
behind the sidewalk and I think this was
mentioned but um we're going to meet
with Mark fishell the City attorney here
I think the sixth or the 9th or
something of December and try to uh see
what we want to do in terms of the
ordinance um whether we want to change
it clarify it um live with it the way it
is but we'll report back on
that so um thinking about what you just
said and the variety of species that
you're suggesting it could be that this
is the first trial run for a variety of
trees that it works both to your point
of wanting or seeing the opportunity for
more trees to be planted and our uh baby
steps into a more diverse Street tree
culture and and I just want to say just
in glancing over your document and the
work that you guys did on it it's great
it's really really interesting hard work
thank
you I love
it so and I do think you know
Grant is the key to understanding so
much of gas lines power lines utilities
that if there's an opportunity to walk
with him I know your schedule is manic
so yeah letting you know
that well we won't be planting them any
like in the next month so yeah time time
to well I'll look and see what the
utilities are I know on Remington we
were going to plant a bunch of trees on
the Remington side but we ended up
planting them in the schoolyard that the
pop the toilet poppers that are up there
so I I can't remember why we chose to do
that instead of doing it between a ker
side but okay we can get back to that
yeah okay and then can we just look real
closely because I think Matt can be
helpful on this lack of tree protection
at cohatch can you that I can send out
um some a tree commission questionnaire
on can you pull up those photos
Jim which
ones oh those those first ones there
right there okay Mary did you want to
treuse just the fact that you know I
think we had talked to them already once
about trees well you can see the
protection right there on the ground for
the sidewalk yeah no the orange
Fen that that was never around a tree
that was around a power box or it had
aspirations it had right yeah it just
waiting to get into high school right
everything's gone now but you know I
don't know what the impct will be to
those trees but yeah yeah a lot of the
the CMU block and stuff but they um it's
back up so the tree protections back up
it's down on one side because they had
to pour the concrete sidewalk back
um
but we we'll do a better job from the
code enforcement to try to um keep new
builds like this and Commercial Builds
on our on our list they were told about
the
truth I don't know that was before my
time but when I knew about it I called
them directly and they took care of it
after this or before this that was that
was that was the
same picture that you showed me in our
meeting and then I texted the
superintendent from our meeting and then
they fixed it and I drove by the next
day and saw that it was R their
landscape plan right I don't see a world
where you didn't tell them about the
tree protection we did it was I I made
again mayor I made a
comment Grant said and I he said it's on
their landscape plan Grant went remember
he was the one that three the city went
back to help um with theing right so so
you know the the tree protection up
during that what can we do better right
next time it in the facts and finding
right so this triggered the change that
um they will not be issued their
building permit until they sign a
document and review the actual checklist
from the tree protection plan and upload
it back into their uh building permit so
I think this is so egregious honestly
that I would add to that that I would
make them I don't even know what the
right word for it is I would provide a
bond or something in escro yeah in escro
escro account of you know years the tree
starts to show signs of failure that
they will forfeit or something yeah I
don't know this was after though I sent
her pictures initially and then you two
spoke and then I saw it again later this
was probably what maybe a week ago a
week ago well it's right before we met
last week and we met yeah when we met
last week then I got got on the got put
it back up so yeah
thanks so so and then the other thing
Matt has clarified is that um Tre
protection and code for the pre
protection is under building so if we
see this call MAT I guess text mat yeah
you know or C click fix
it trying to get away from but yeah what
what did you say uh Bexley base where
you take a picture of it and you can
send it directly to the code enforcement
yeah just
double so you know I think we should all
feel excited that Matt has only been
here five months and he's been will he's
willing to take this on it can only do
good things for us
so yeah yeah we'll continue to do our
best and I will look into the U the
escrow thing that's a great idea the
tree protection plan is it's in our code
right
that's well we'll talk about about this
I have some ideas okay about well you
know it's it's well it's interesting
because their behavior before they even
came to the tree commission has sort of
been you know the same was this same
pattern you know throughout this the
building process I would say the
contractor yeah because they they went
and the trees were uh they put the
building into the tree branches and then
we told them that they had to burun the
tree branches back and then they just
hacked them back to wherever they felt
was necessary and then we had to go back
through and reune the trees in the
beginning of this do you know if their
boring was
horizontal boring boring they bored
through the roots on that
tree they they dug they dug they didn't
they didn't they didn't bore I don't
think they bored do you see where the
patch is that's where they had to tie
into the city uh our storm our storm
line
oh I do
patch they ran but but their storm the
storm pipe goes under the sidewalk
that's why the sidewalk was
removed well yeah um so that's why the
sidewalks removed that storm line goes
under the sidewalk um well there is
something in our code that all the
boring has to be horizontal
correct no I don't think so I just read
that
to I guess
so I may I don't know that's what it
says I'll find it
gr yeah well it's horizontal or
it's May up down sorts of
geometry if it's a if it's a
geothermal large
okay we will save so the the last thing
on the agenda was that um as you may
know the mayor has convened the group of
commission chairs and vice chairs along
the city staff to talk about issues
topics concerns compliments that um are
kind of uh affect us all so um Jim and I
are chairing the meeting in December and
felt we could ask tree commission
members if they had talk that they would
like to see us discuss so that we can be
representatives of your commission could
be and I make these up it could be do we
do all three commissions plus the city
have an interest in historical
preservation or in um communication or
in um revision of ordinances or
communication or you know whatever it
could be whatever it could be you know
lisons to other commissions or some kind
of monthly posting of what you know
somebody done um the whole purpose of
this is to make sure that we understand
what they're doing they understand what
we're doing and that we can share our
concerns I mean let's just say that
those oak trees were fabulous they were
in great condition you had you know they
were 150 years old 200 inches of canopy
could The House been cited any different
I mean I don't know the answer that it's
hypothetical but it's it would be a
question worth asking they couldn't be
imprisoned for more than 30 days
we were I was joking with M we could
point out
them a that's right there are good
penalties there are good penalties the
desire is where is the will yeah well I
might I learned I I you came up with a
great idea tonight season that I think
we should talk about at that commission
meeting which is a we
have inconsistently offered training for
new members uh and audre I would offer
that to you Mary
Charlie
yeah
what's well gotta yeah um just to go
over Sunshine laws and public records
and um where the code is and what it
says um so happy to do that it's
typically been arbb that members but
tree commission has been morphing more
and more into doing more review which is
kind of what we're talking about today I
could stand a review I mean great yeah
I'm I'm embarrassed to say blind spot is
that every time we do that we pull out
all these materials we just talk we
don't have a sheet to your point like
and it and it breeds confusion because
believe it or not not every attorney
says the same thing so like right
shocking you'll have one Workshop where
one attorney says one thing and another
Workshop where the other attorney is
more stringent or whatever so it would
be nice to have like just a formal
here's what as a quas Judicial member
handbook hand even just a a single sh
here's how nut yeah just pey um because
what what we were talking about about
like talking to applicants and blah blah
blah I'm familiar with that
because Goa because of the what
the and having to deal with school board
oh
interesting but you know like to mat's
um quick clarification yesterday it was
so helpful it was so helpful but I also
you know I also had some commission
members email me and say well where is
that I don't know where it is where is
it man
where's what I oh the information that
you sent like if you go to the property
you have to stay in the public right of
way you can't go onto the private
property you can't talk with other
people oh gocha yeah that's in probably
like a thousand page binder the Sunshine
Law is probably buried in there that was
Mark in case La yeah yeah it's not we
don't have a right right yeah to that
point Y I agree so sing P of things that
you're going to get potentially legally
prosecuted for
you are not you do not have to worry
about being legally prosecuted as an
individual you're fine no I mean unless
you're like breaking the law like
trespassing or I don't know no no you're
that's not the concern is that the
process the concern is that the process
could get compromised so the the an
example of that would be if um the
applicant hated your decision and then
they go and they appeal the decision and
they say
look they met with this didn't happen in
this situ situation we're making up a
fake situation they met with you know
somebody was upset about this
application and and looked at it from
this property and that was outside of
the hearing because you're kind of
almost like a judge and it was improper
therefore I want the whole thing thrown
out because they were biased they were
receiving information and they would
have a good case so that's in a
situation where it's not like you are
individually liable it's the the process
is potentially compromised and it's just
a weird you know if the council has the
same issue there when you're a
legislator you don't have to worry about
that but as soon as you start to sit in
an appeal body or as a as a reviewer you
have a totally different set of
expectations I think it would be good to
have it in writing and make it
clear well just you know I mean we
have well it took us 15 years to get the
process down of the discussion so what's
another another 15 years right all right
we're adjourned thank you so much thank
you so much see you in December December
18th