because we have we've been so busy the
front part of the park we have made it
back over there well you've continued to
create your magic all over it's so
wonderful some rain's been wonderful
women's
a little little time here a little time
there yeah yeah it does
and there's a lot of documents
that's why we have you know kind of
moments of reflection today
oh yes
all right you're ready
are you guys ready yes okay no she
already knows though yeah she yeah okay
an avid fan of YouTuber is she having a
hard time I don't know
Becky
following the June 21st meeting of the
Bexley tree and public guidance
commission to border and we are calling
the role
Mary McMahon
here Susan quintense here Sheila Straub
here Dave Wakeman Celeste Williams is
out of town Jim Wilson here Linda
zubnick we have a quorum of four out of
our seven
um Barb Giller alternate not here Larry
Hellman alternate not here ex-officio
Molly O'Donnell not here Ellen Bowden
ex-officio and our staff Elena Andrews
is not here Grant Archer here uh mayor
Kessler president
thank you so much thank you for hurrying
to be back here to start us off lorianne
feible is unable to be with us and
Jordan Cavalier was a maternity leave so
we are ready to go
we have a quorum and now I will look for
approval of the minutes of May 17
2023. so move is there a second second
is there any discussion
emotion has been made and seconded that
we approved the minutes of May 17 2023
as emailed all those in favor say aye
all those opposed same sign
motion carries
do we have any additions to the agenda
hearing done we will move on to our
announcements and small victories
um uh the 2023 Bexley and Bloom
donations are coming in well we have
around 14 800 from about 114 donors and
last year we ended the year with about
eighteen thousand dollars so we're
hoping for more thousand dollars I'd
like the minutes to note that uh
commission member Dave Wakeman is now
present Dave Wakeman
yeah okay I want to make sure everybody
has their microphones on Natalie about
her it's yes thank you has said that she
has a hard time distinguishing voices
when the mics are not on
okay uh last Friday there was the
inaugural
there was the inaugural vexley Landmark
Tree Golf Cart tour through the streets
of Bexley and I think mayor I had sent
some photos to Emily to upload I don't
know if you can find them but
while the mayor's looking for those
Sheila maybe you could just give us a
couple highlights yes
um so there we go I'm going to just turn
off the okay as you can see we had good
participation we had lots of enthusiasm
lots of questions
um we also had requests to do it in the
fall from our crowd
um I it was
um completely filled so
um we look forward to the next uh
process of doing our Landmark tree dick
O'Donnell deserves special recognition
who was my counterpart here in the tree
tour and he did a great job and we had a
lot of fun
so for our guests here today this is The
Reincarnation of Bexley Landmark trees
and Sheila and her committee designated
um trees that were of it was fun of
unique stature in our Park since we have
the year of the parks and they were
chosen they were approved by the tree
commission and we waited till June when
the leaves were out to take a golf cart
tour focusing mostly on seniors in our
community and so the great thing about
the golf cart tours is you could drive
right up to the trees and I think it was
a big success and mayor I also want to
thank City staff for helping out city
council people drove golf carts and the
police you know waved their magic with
little red light and you were there so
we're grateful
was it it was a delightful event for
what I was able to join for well the
fact that you participated at Jeffrey
Mansion the crowd was very impressed
they elevated thank you you didn't ask
them to identify trees did you I didn't
I went I drove right into it wrote into
right into it we learned about a
Kentucky coffee Coffee Tree yes it's not
coffee beans it's coffee trees yeah but
the beans were abundant that's great so
good seeds so it sounded so easy when we
decided last year to move from bicycles
to golf carts for a tour but it took
lots of time on Sheila's part to find
people that are willing to drive golf
carts and take a couple hours out of
their Friday afternoon so again we are
grateful uh mayor we're going to go on
and reports Ellen do you have any
reporters next official member
um no no report to give okay okay mayor
we're going to go on to your report then
oh thank you should we turn the lights
back that's what I was going to do yeah
fantastic unless you've had uh images
you're showing
um I should I should have brought images
to show you but I will simply report and
then you can picture from the abundance
of verbiage that I use in your mind what
it is I'm reporting on you're the parks
uh hums along
resoundingly well uh the pond is under
construction if you haven't had a chance
to visit it you can pop in and and take
a look uh
Grant couldn't help himself he made it
larger than it was originally planned to
be after some on-site examination of the
dimensions
um the the footer has been poured for
the the tree island in the pond and the
the stone quarry is slowly being filled
into the pond right now as we speak so
it's it's fantastic
um our our Natural Dog Park Grand
Opening took place last weekend
um it was a resounding success
lots of dogs there so that was good uh
dog water station is in at Schneider
we're working on uh way finding signage
which is part of our sign package but
we're getting some stuff up uh earlier
sooner rather than later just to make
sure people know where to find things a
little bit better than they currently do
um
there's a lot more going on with the
other Parks but uh I could talk like
literally for 30 minutes probably with
updates so I will move along to keep the
meeting going uh commission
conversations we are due for another
commission chair meeting coming up so if
you have any items of Interest Jim
Wilson is your uh conduit uh feel free
to share them with him those are that's
our coordination meeting between our
various commissions
um is there anything else I need to
highlight on that
uh no except I think we're going to try
and set something up uh on a regular
basis five three times a year three or
four times a year yeah Susan suggested
every month but you know it may be
important
yeah and lovingly front yards Corner
Lots meetings we had a meeting uh last
week I think
um some really
good conversation around developing uh
standards kind of like a form-based code
as it pertains to front yard uh
pertinances of various types A lot of a
lot of talk about fences hedges
play structures Garden structures
there's a lot of passion in our
community for
um specifically what we're seeing a lot
of right now is requests for front yard
garden plots that look like our
community gardens essentially and so
just how to regulate that in a way
that's
respectful to the fabric of the overall
neighborhood but also provides people
with you know opportunities to grow
plants where they might have a harder
time growing them in other places of the
yard so working on that
um
might need a mediator here pretty soon
but so far it's really good
uh
Main Street guidelines we have a meeting
scheduled soon I think to talk through
the launch of it or we should be we're
still trying to get that put together
Arboretum website uh Spencer who's been
working on our Communications for
Arboretum first off uh has a a Instagram
account that has been taken off for the
Bexley Arboretum
um so take a look at that and follow
that on Instagram if you don't already
if you don't have Instagram you can go
to the website instagram.com and I think
you can follow through the website for a
little bit I think they want you to join
like they'll let you see a couple things
and then ask you to join
um but uh he has uh We've slowly been
outfitting him with the equipment so
that he can update the website just when
his laptop arrived I think he's on
vacation this week is that right
um which uh and he is driving our brand
new fleet vehicle our you're the parks
electric truck that is parked over here
in our in our parking lot is Spencer
Martin's uh fleet vehicle which is
exciting
um so as he gets working on that we're
going to have him in to meet with tree
commission just say hi
talk about what he's doing and uh any
sort of suggestions you guys have moving
forward with the website he will be a
resource as part of our Communications
team focused on Arboretum
our Landing strategy committee
commission uh had our our inaugural
meeting
um of the landing strategy 2.0 last week
uh Jim Wilson is representing the tree
commission
um it's a really great group of people
really
multi-disciplinary uh really
multi-perspectable on that
um we're going to be taking the summer
to sort of Orient and then we'll
probably have some public workshopping
beginning uh in the fall and speaking of
others items uh
the Bexley draft strategic plan
um is in front of council to look at and
provide recommendations before we go to
our public workshopping piece of it
there's a link to this on the blast last
week but I'll go ahead and send you guys
the link as well let's take a look at it
um it has some environmental
sustainability infrastructure goals that
overlap with tree commission as well as
development and some others
um
it is very much a draft I mean it's it's
a complete draft but it's uh
a uh a draft in uh in that there might
be some typos you know for example who
knows uh there will be some you know
there's the mission vision is being
updated by Council and myself so that's
still under development
um so it's at the workshop stage this
will be workshopped with city council
initially then Workshop through the
public and would love feedback
throughout and if you'd like I can do
like a little bit of a presentation on
it maybe at the next three commission I
think that'd be great yeah so so other
if if you didn't do that is there any uh
scheduled sort of discussion of the
Strategic plan with each Commission
um
that is a fantastic question I was going
to wait to have Council provide a little
feedback before I did that and then take
it kind of on a road show okay yeah then
that'll look like probably the
all probably September october-ish
timeline
so I encourage everybody to look at the
Strategic plan you know maybe we needed
a you know another whole volume just
devoted to tree commission so
just to wait and see
yes thank you sorry we have an outage
hour in central Bexley and our internet
is out so yeah I believe there's a tree
down somewhere in the city
well the the wind the wind is crazy it's
pretty calm right now yeah well
sometimes their delay Falls right so
yeah very active yeah
uh any questions any questions for the
mayor
oh you're going to get off pretty easy
today mayor it's great to see you all
right thank you for being here
um so now we're going to go on to review
of landscape applications Ellen is not
able to be with us today Jim Wilson will
be leading the discussion we have five
projects to review
um so um Jim is going to be a tough task
master and keep us on schedule as far as
the amount of time devoted to each one
and so Jim uh take it away thank you
um just to remind
um both the applicants and members of
the commission of some of our ground
rules so everyone should know that our
meetings are videotaped and will be
available on bexley.org website within a
few days
um uh as commission members
um we do not comment or discuss the
findings of other commissions uh nor do
we comment on subjects under review from
other City commissions
and obviously as a commission we do not
make negative or disparaging comments
about City staff elected officials
appointed officials or city Consultants
or other commission members
um comments today particularly given
that we have five applications should be
germane to the subject at hand
um so
um I know that this group will stay on
topic but if not I might remind us what
the topic is
um and um uh
I think it's unlikely but if in the
chairs view any uh presentation is
trending to become inflammatory or
confrontational we'll recess for 10
minutes for the benefit of our
applicants some of you have been before
us before but we've adopted some more
structured procedures than probably the
last time you were before us so um
Eleanor usually kicks it off with her
staff recommendation you'll get me today
making a summary of her recommendation
but you should have seen those
recommendations already
then you'll have up to 10 minutes to
present
um your explanation uh for your plan
um normally we're a little lacks on that
10 minutes but given the fact that we
have five today
I have a timer and I will I will try to
flag you at about a minute before just
so you know if if you're if you're still
going
um I don't see a lot of folks in the
crowd that are likely to be testifying
against plans or in favor of plans but
anyone that does choose to do so uh
would each have three minutes if there
is such um comments then the applicant
will have uh five minutes to respond if
not then we'll move on to board uh
deliberations we'll start with questions
from the members of the commission uh to
uh the applicants about their plans and
then we'll have a discussion so
commission members think of your
questions and then we'll try to separate
the questions from the discussion so
with that I think our first applicant is
uh at 2831 Dale Mike McCoy
um uh welcome
um this application comes to the tree
commission from bzap uh which made
approval of a landscape plan a condition
of a variance to allow a driveway
expansion and fence the application that
we receive contains all the required
materials
um since presenting to bsap as I
understand that the applicant has
modified the location of the wooden
fence from the plan presented so instead
of two and a half feet from the sidewalk
it's going to be four and a half feet
from the sidewalk which will allow a bed
with four bronze Fontaine horn beams
with think a ground cover at the base
screen the wall uh Ellen's
recommendation is to approve the
proposed landscape plan with the
condition that though one foot strip
Edition to the sidewalk not be mulch but
one of the recommended plant materials
lawn ground cover or decorative gravel
so
um Mr McCoy make sure your mic's on so
that we can fully record for those in
posterity that might want to listen to
your presentation and you have your 10
minutes
okay thank you uh Jim
um yes so that is all correct uh the
overall origin goal of the project was
um to mainly expand that driveway
um uh the homeowners they actually uh
have a little bit of a tight kind of
space in between where if one was parked
on the driveway it was hard to get in
and out of that garage uh so with
expanding that driveway we proposed on
on moving the fence further and changing
the form of Defense as well
um
the landscape plan was there in place to
get in uh achieve a common grade in the
backyard to create privacy from the old
side of the property uh we walked down
uh the old side it is a 48 inch tall
fence right now
um where uh you can just kind of see
right into the backyard and lots of
their pageant so the goal was to get a
common grade and get a landscape plan in
front of that fence to find the effect
of a wall light structure
um with the form beam and these data
below but then also
I just get more room uh on the backyard
side
um and to create that privacy
um we did expand out uh closer to the
sidewalk and we're recommended to put it
back uh further away from the property
line uh which left about a foot hit the
bottom of the wall where we were just
planning on doing mulch we unfortunately
did not know that uh there was there was
a guideline in place to keep the mulch
away from away from the city's Iowa our
plan was to most likely put the annuals
down in front of the wall but I think
the homeowners now agreed to just get
depressed for right now
um I didn't have a question though as to
if possibly uh if we were to ever do
multimeter on this project or another
project uh we were able to do like a
steel edge up against the sidewalk to
help retain some of that launch
um
so that we'd be able to play teams in
front of the wall so you don't see it at
all
I would say that's a separate question
for another time not you know and your
decision won't be predicated on that
because bear some discussion with our
staff consultant
anything else uh
no that is it other than
great thank you
and do we have any one in the room that
wants to comment either in support or
opposition to the plan
very known to members of the commission
have questions for the applicant
could I just make a comment
uh let's just make sure we don't have
any questions so we can keep those
separate
um I don't see any questions so you can
make a comment Mary just want to let you
know to let the homeowner know that the
sweet Autumn clematis clematis is highly
aggressive and in and it spreads
everywhere
speaking from experience okay
okay that's what I think yes
thank you it may take more weapons than
that I I killed mine and it came back
from the neighbors
so
I would like to say that I think that's
a big Improvement for that corner and
well thought out and we'll look forward
to seeing it
thank you God will you have any trouble
getting the horn Beams I know I have
heard that they're in short supply in
the nursery
Supply
um I think I have seen a couple but
um we may have to
um
so you would hold off on the project
rather than substitute a different tree
is that the planet um
um
events
but I know I unfortunately the robotics
I think has been going on since uh I
think uh to get the approval from the
buildings
in January so at the time we did the
plan
um the heartbeats were accessible but
now
would become less
I had one more question is that air you
can be irrigated
okay
inside of the fence and you're just
going to extend it on the outside of the
fence
um
any other questions or comments
Dave chair would you like me to make a
motion yes yes why don't I call for
motion
um we'd like to have a motion to approve
this plan or deny this plan
Mr Wilson I moved to approve the plan is
presented with the modification that the
one foot strip adjacent to the sidewalk
um
the grass rather than mulch as presented
in the plan and with the condition that
if the property owner decides that they
can't obtain the hornwood horn beams and
wants to substitute another tree that
they consult with our our staff to
determine whether that require uh
whether the staff can approve
is there a second
second second okay is there any
discussion
okay motion has been made and seconded
that we approve the plan as presented
with the two conditions of having the
grass strip in place of The Mulch and if
there's a change in the tree species
from a hornbeam to something other that
you are in touch with are staff
consultant Elena Andrews and she'll
determine whether you return or whether
you need to go ahead with your alternate
species all those in favor say aye
all those opponents same sign okay
motion carries
thank you Mr koi thank you
commission members did really well on
one oh my gosh come on don't get cocky
though yeah I know I know
I'm nervous oh yeah okay Mr Wilson our
second application is for 193 Stanberry
Avenue
um Mark schieber uh will be presenting I
think for the homeowner
um this uh project is requesting the
rebuilding and extension of falling
stone walls in the right-of-way as well
as additional plannings in an existing
bed in the right-of-way
uh landscape plans as those of you that
looked at them saw a show
um an extensive landscape master plan
for the entire property but the tree
commission only needs to focus on the
areas in the right-of-way the
application contains all the required
materials Elena noted that the existing
silver maple west of the driveway is on
the current tree removal list for the
city due to failing health and
aggressive pruning over the years to
avoid the power lines running directly
above I believe Grant had confirmed to
Elena
that there is room in the tree lawn that
begins west of the driveway to add a new
Street tree which would be added when we
next plant trees in that area of the
city is that right grant that's correct
so
um
I just like to make one comment mayor if
you scroll up to the top of Illinois
remarks
um a little further please
well let's see all right down down okay
the second paragraph it says along Dale
Avenue and that's a typo it's along
Denver Avenue so I don't want you I
think there's some confusion in our D
streets the first one Dale and this one
Denver so this is yeah this is the den
or this is the Stanberry side those of
us in central Bexley are honored to be
confused okay all right so um Elena does
recommend approval of the plan as
presented with the condition that if the
wood fence is not replaced within the
year landscape screening uh be put in
place to subject to class or to I'm
sorry staff approval so
Mr shiver if there's any exhibit you
want us to pull up while you're
presenting this is what what uh trying
to figure out
um
thank you uh mayor and Madam chair
vision for hearing us here
The Proposal stands and if you've seen
it however uh
and I want to say thank you mayor for
all your energy and proposal that you
gave us for him which I would think Liz
will do but your energy going forward
and affects me
just know that compliments to the mayor
still count against your time
thank you
the uh
the plan is as stated however I've
brought a revising plan for a couple
elements here which I will pass out and
I also have a thumb drive
the major issues that are involved are
really not affecting anything that we've
applied for in the right-of-way
uh there is
the there is a path in the backyard
where you see the plantings just south
of the patio so there'd be a pathway
there that runs through a gate
which separates the front yard impact
that's on the south side of the house
and the mayor was able to pull it up
there and say we're out past the
building
well what's more important is that Elena
address offense change
uh or the Privacy with privacy fans so
the owner would likely change the
defense on the north side of the
property so if the pictures in the
pictures if the mayor could scroll
through and then back
to locate for a few candidates
to locate that Denver Avenue picture of
North fence
which also shows the tree
are you you're talking about the wooden
fence or the wall fence okay
it's not a
um
residents yeah
and so and I'll
I'll forward
you know it
all right now
actually that's it right there okay so
you'll note that if you're able to also
then
it would help them to see a picture
pictures
in the area of question
it's not it's not online
so that's defense
it's okay
we're getting there yeah
so what we want is the picture from
Denver
which that right there okay that is the
fencing question
so the owner would like to change that
fence out and in its place
but an aluminum wrought iron flat fence
which we'll pick up the shadow pattern
of the lines of the wooden fence
which is what you are seeing here and it
rains that Dan mayor so maybe see the
full profile along the screen so that
would be the view now in exchange of
that privacy wood fence so that you
would have a glimpse in the backyard but
on the inside of that if you look
through the plan there is a series of
plantings that pretty much filter your
view
well that's a proposed change
okay so Mark is that in the right of way
is the fence on the right-of-way or in
the right of way
so it doesn't it's it's not a just I
mean I appreciate looking at it because
number one I'm impressed they want to do
that because it's so much better than
the fence that was there but it's not a
question that we would discuss because
it's not in the right of way
rights and and this is
a client
better elements there okay
right well we all always love looking at
beautiful landscape plants so that's you
know that's candy for us
okay
and the plantings are behind behind that
they're not in front of it so there's
okay
there's no wall there now
ground cover falls on yeah
sidewalk and there's an area that had
been Disturbed and so there's runoff
topsoil has been going on with sidewalk
off
so that's all being corrected in the
wall consistent with the other rebuild
wall
yeah
will be set back six inches from the
sidewalk and there because the brakes
are that one will be closer to 18 inches
in height
whereas the other one is well
peace
so you can see it in the profile if you
win and all three of them
there's a few different types
you're just messing with Miriam yes I am
so you can see the wall on both sides of
the driveway on the left hand side down
below
iron
[Music]
are you done mark
okay one more thank you we've created
out of three the tree that's being
removed which we requested to remove
that the client is going to plant a new
phone entered Mrs which I would suggest
over the
chamber label only doesn't feel a little
bit more height relative to the ability
to walk on the sidewalk
that's the street treat yeah
landscape plan o
so you'll see the new tree uh
events area in right to the left a
little bit
right there that would be the new tree
in the tree line
and that's the old tree that's being
replaced for the winners pointers
have you
why don't we um see if there's any uh
when with an interest that wants to
comment and then we can come back with
some questions particularly about the
the street tree and get Grant's comments
on that
is there any is there anyone
from the neighborhood that wants to
comment
Perry no one
um
uh I guess I'd like to go to Grant and
get your views Grant if you're if you
have views since this is just I assume
something you've just heard about the
different species
oh yeah I mean so there's a large Silver
Maple in the neighbor's yard
so it's going to have to be an
understory tree that that goes into that
area and you know paper bark maple is
one we plant in the city so I don't know
that that would be an issue
West right
this is a 2019 photo that silver maple
is much larger if you go back towards
the property man
yeah uh so they'll be planting it right
there in front of that fit that wooden
fence
in front of the bench but to the left to
the left yeah
you can go a little further but we've
split the difference between that and
the power lines where the problem
existed yeah yeah
so I actually thought where the soil
yeah
Joe Graham I understand correctly you
think the three they're proposing is a
suitable Street tree for there or
it is yeah I think it would be
sufficient for that suitable
um uh right now we're planting uh cork
trees on the one side uh
the north side
um so yeah I don't see an issue with
paper Mark Maples
oh man I have a staff comment I'm fine
with whatever matches the landscape
honestly
uh if I make supplement staff comments
real quickly because I I'm I'm viewing
this with increasing curiosity as I look
at the sidewalk condition on Denver
um
with just the just the thought to
consider that you know increasingly we
would love to see the sidewalk of the
tree line
um be returned
in this section so we see how the
sidewalk kind of moves towards the curb
there
um that is generally a less desirable
condition in the city we would like to
see a tree line between well we me the
tree line between curb and sidewalk
um and for pedestrian safety issues uh
not not to mention just the fabric of
the green space in the city
um and so I would encourage that any
plans in in this property be cognizant
of the fact that at some point in time
it would be nice to have a realignment
of the city right-of-way one of the
things or not the right-of-way righto
exists the sidewalk uh so as we've added
sidewalks in uh an example of sort of
analogous to this a little bit is
Clifton where we are trying to expand
sidewalk but it hits a wall between
um Ashbourne and and Drexel because of
mature trees and we don't want to take
down mature trees right so there's this
balance between those two so just be
cognizant of as we review this
are we establishing a fabric for the
future where we're not putting trees in
line with future sidewalk realignments I
know it's not what you're talking about
is not but the question might be because
of the template of Tree Lawn that's
occurring do we want to kind of continue
that more this way with the hope that in
the eventually we have a change in
alignment to the sidewalk
so the question if I'm understanding is
whether the tree would be planted on the
street side of the sidewalk versus on
the other side yeah I guess I could have
said that in one sentence but yeah I
mean I wanted to set the stage for the
fact that down the road even further we
might see you know this that pattern
continue potentially at some point in
time
doesn't treated
yeah
so um Mark I thought Ellen alluded to
the fact that the right-of-way changes
mid-black there is that true
[Music]
so you see this
so this this property is made out of two
parts
so an owner in 2011 I believe merged
through a lot in space separate area and
it's all gone there that parcel that
extends normally sound practically along
the fence yeah
um so
you can point to the property like okay
so that is the property line of the
small Arsenal the lower one is the
property line of the large
the
one to the West there shows the property
line or the right-of-way line uh right
next to where the fence will be
that actually affects slightly behind
that the wall this way
the uh
and then as you come
for ease the property line or the
right-of-way robs
according to
conservative
so all of that
yeah
and is in this plan is any of what's in
the right-of-way
um east of the driveway being modified
other than cleaning it up adding the
ground cover and those two
Japanese maples
but not but that's not in the right way
yeah
I would encourage you I would encourage
the commission to think about and I hate
to throw any curve balls here but now's
the time to think about does the
sidewalk want to be realigned given
especially the work that's happening
here
in this space
foreign
it's a good thought it and it it
probably should be a discussion I mean
to your point
um we're I would say we're in a not a a
great situation because as you know the
treat commission does not meet in July
so therefore August would be the next
time to deal with this and so we'd be
putting the homeowner in a little bit of
a precarious position so how could we
have that discussion and still
um be good neighbors and and help help
the owner since this you know wasn't
spotted by by staff and right we're a
little bit at a disadvantage here sure
and I I to be fair to staff probably
because the question wasn't being asked
realign and you know it's just you
working within a current footprint right
um
I think the tree commission has a
different perspective because you are
the tree commission and part of what you
do is you look at those public spaces
those right-of-way spaces and you look
at the tree lawn
um and so I think that uh
a question could be asked of the
applicant like is there a phasing of
this project where
you know much of this work is happening
within private property so it's it's not
impacted but you could we you know
applicant holds off on The Hardscape
particular happening with them
right-of-way because there's
the way I'm reading it you're rebuilding
a stone wall within the right-of-way
is there a way to phase it such that
some further review can be
cognizant of uh what's happening
and
again I'm just pointing those things out
for you to consider I don't well it's I
mean it's it's an important question
it's a really important question
so
um
I'm wondering if we can ask the
landscape architect if uh to your point
May or if there's a phasing in where
um there are things that could be done
in the next
60 days
that are outside of what we're reviewing
and uh and then there could be an
internal discussion about you know how
this plan could look if we tried to
reclaim the tree lawn
yes do them I think I need to also
verify that right away relationship
because I try to plan which came from a
survey by
ERS today
uh it's interesting though that there's
a 16 foot right-of-way called out there
which incorporates half the yard across
the street to this portion of the yard
on this second so on the other side of
the street we have a ball which is
over here
so I'm trying to Quest to see if so
basically it's calling this right away
at the 16 foot right away at this small
screen
or like
Stan berries is eight
uh
so it's pretty a lot of right officials
so I'd say definitely
so can I I just yeah can I just suggest
that we table the the plan
um to our August meeting
um and encourage the city and the
property owner to be in conversation
um about what the city's plans might be
with respect to the right-of-way
I certainly wouldn't want to invest in
even rebuilding the wall if the city's
intention would be to
reclaim
remove claim so yeah I mean it's a
situation where you know because it's
right-of-way at any time the city could
reel on the sidewalk without consent of
the property owner the question is is
this an opportunity to look at that
opportunity to look at that possibility
and design the landscape and The
Hardscape intelligently around it in a
way that
you know is a little bit more
intentional and purposeful and I'm not
even to you know yes it is true that
sidewalks with a tree lawn are are a
better fabric for the community from a
pedestrian safety standpoint irrefutably
there's lots of reasons that that's the
case another thing that we would call
out in the situation and I'm really
talking off the cuff here but the the
sidewalk uh angle changes when you have
an apron like you do right here so this
apron
uh that
is
creating a slope a cross slope right
here I don't know that we've measured
that it needs to be less than two
percent to be Ada compatible so I don't
know if this is Ada compatible so those
are the sorts of things that this
application is triggering for me to look
at and fair enough I mean we were
looking at it from a landscape lens with
Eleanor this and they were looking I
assume this went to Planning Commission
where it's where the visap was that
would trigger this review in the first
place
right and so it's just one of those
things where it's like you know you look
at it and you see this is a little bit
of a special situation so I think
um you know I also want to be uh
sensitive to the fact that you have an
applicant who probably wasn't asking for
this question to be asked but uh
nonetheless
it is the right-of-way and the question
needs to be asked so I think
um to Mr Wilson's point we could take
some time offline to have conversation
um
if if that's okay you also could do a
conditional approval of the plan as
submitted uh conditioned upon you know
unless
City within a 30-day period triggers
further review that might be a more
friendly way to do it
puts more pressure on us but that's okay
I think always happy to allow the motion
that puts pressure
so mayor I have kind of a not not nice
question to ask but one one that
probably should be asked is I look at
the concrete it looks to me like it's
new concrete and I'm assuming that would
be City laid concrete no honestly no
Grant no so tell us about that a
property owner can can work within the
right-of-way if it's to our spec
[Music]
um
if it's newly I don't have any idea of
the age of this I know it just looks so
bright right so if it's to spec in
theory so if it's period it shouldn't it
shouldn't have that
um
the cross slope issue uh in theory in
theory that's a big in theory there are
conditions in the city that have been
allowed to
um continue with that because of
confined right-of-way issues this is
potentially not that case based upon the
survey that you have so I think
Bears some further examination and it
sounds like there's enough questions
here that I think right uh if you're
comfortable doing a conditional approval
that allow us to delve into it and if we
clear the issue and say we don't have a
dog in the fight at the moment then it
can go forward
I'm happy to make a motion but if
there's other discussion
um that might inform emotion
um
Dave Linda and Mary Sheila any questions
or any other comments or
opinions
can you approve the work except the
north side of the house
I mean
correct because that whole site is is it
that but everything we're doing in the
right of way which is all we're
approving is on the North side right
right yeah we're yeah we're not gonna we
do anything else
well yes I was going to say requires our
approval no because it's not a new build
it's not a new build
oh is your mic on Mark
Eric thank you
yes thank you
so there are Amarillo used things
those are the elements along with the
ground
well do you think they'll plant now in
the seat or if you think they'll wait to
September Amusement anxious
so some of the elements
whether some are others will not occurs
or fall
thank you
potentially set that up but more likely
yes
well but I think I mean it's from my
perspective someone academic because the
city's concern is only on the North side
so if we approve the plan conditionally
the property owner is not at any risk in
moving forward with the the east side of
the plan
um I mean I I think In fairness to the
property owner given that this is within
the right-of-way unless a new survey
suggests the right-of-way somewhere
different
it's only fair to them to be on notice
that the city at any time can exercise
its rights there so
um my suggestion would be that we move
to a motion
um if the property owner has any
questions about what risks are they can
certainly talk to Eleanor or the mayor
about what's under consideration for
this city
yeah for sure I would I would only just
ask that maybe that motion does sort of
stipulate a time it's at any time at
risk but that it doesn't even go into
effect maybe until the discussion's been
had or there's a 30-day window or
something just so that it makes it even
more clear that it's an open question I
think maybe and the Auditor's website
does seem to track with your survey just
it it does suggest there's an extra deep
tree line of that area
right away
what you see out there other than those
two gadgets essentially
exists there now
the wall exists there now is falling
down so therein the reason for
rebuilding and then following the newer
space Jackson Texas to follow relative
to setting that wall saying
no
so those who really
other than a ground cover with coral
metals
uh those are the only things that are
being added
contact already existed so the owner May
that
have a major problem with the
conditional approval with reviewing that
because
she wouldn't mind or solving the expense
wall
uh
so they're in I think
if everything else could be approved
certain things
future meeting you know that's the thing
yeah
regarding those things
and determination on how
um yeah we would we would coordinate a
meeting with the service department
and Ellen Anders brother I think we need
to move this along given the number of
other applicants are there comments
about the plantings on stanbury yeah I
suggested to mark that that also is
something we should um comment on uh as
you know we have
a policy of not approving plantings in
the right-of-way and uh this these are
in the right of way
so it's a it's a question that bears
some discussion or at least some
awareness of the condition that's being
called out here
do you have a uh elevation of those Mark
of the stand very site
oh shoot
yeah so you can see the openness that
exists there so on either side of that
wall
ornamental tree so that was a final
exactly the property and then the very
low
passes that we're going to use it would
be at on either side this Parkway to
begin to produce and breaks up in that
area it's kind of Define well
sort of Park plane construction
not meant to be ahead I'm just spreading
uh
follow the nature of the
spreading below you know
Narrative of semi standard Road
so it's meant to be open almost like a
little bit larger crowd
so Mark the wallet those little walls
are in the right away correct
those walls are assisting
so we don't know if they have just a
whole harmless on that
we don't know if there's a whole
harmless on that I mean I know that they
were probably done 20 years ago 25 years
okay
so Mr Wilson I know that you had
um you have been noodling about some
motion I have I would just offer the
comment that in the past
very recently when we've approved
plantings in the right-of-way it's been
expressly conditioned on any change in
the planning that's coming back through
staff
that are made in the right-of-way so I
think the homeowner does need to be
aware that they can't change any of the
plannings in the right-of-way without
staff approval understood
[Music]
um
even though that's not in there that's
me the commissioner
um so I if I maybe yes motion I would
move that we conditionally approve the
plan giving the city
um 30 days
um to raise objection due to
determinations it may make with respect
to its plans regarding the right-of-way
um absent objection from the city in 30
days the homeowner can proceed with the
provision that any planning's in the
right-of-way require staff approval if
at any time they are changed
is there a second to that motion
second is there discussion
okay so you heard the parts of the
motion conditional approval a 30-day
limit it's I think it's the obligation
of the city to bring the discussion to
the applicant
and uh then the obligation of the staff
to approve any changes in the proposed
landscape that we've seen today
is that correct and those four elements
that was the intention of my motion okay
that's right
all right okay emotions made in second
and that we give this uh plan
conditional approval with the
stipulations that it has a 30-day window
for the city to uh air its objections
and for the city to call
um a meeting or discussion with the
applicant in the home order to review
the concerns and that any change into
the uh approved landscape plan of the
plantings in the right-of-way have to be
brought to staff and the staff will
determine whether it comes back to tree
Commission
all those in favor say aye aye all the
suppose same sign okay motion carries
okay thank you
um our
next application is uh 2010 East Broad
Street Saint Charles
um
just for the information of the members
of the commission we first reviewed this
project in March of 2020 2022
um the project was approved with the
condition that the applicant obtained
staff review and approval of the two uh
waterfall features on either side of The
Grotto during construction of the
convocation center the plaza was
redesigned this application is a
revision to the original approved
landscape plan uh the application
contains all of the required materials
uh however the plan indicates nine
symbols that are not identified in the
north and west side of the building
which will need clarification and there
is not a South View looking at the
Performing Arts Center so the staff
recommends to approve the Landscaping
plan
with those conditions that is that the
symbols be clarified on the plan around
the plaza and grotto that aren't
currently identified in the elevation be
provided looking southwards so that we
have that in our files so with that
applicant you have 10 minutes
thank you
um I just want to date a couple points
uh
number one Gary Indiana
water features kind of process for the
first approval uh we are we will provide
the elevation of the passports
or a success
with the symbols I wasn't quite a fear
I'm just talking about it
I just read her report
but I do think that's an issue that
unless there's questions in confusion on
the plan you can just clarify with lnet
assuming we move forward and Improvement
s
um and of course that the new version
then changed the ones on top left there
which is quite easy
being positioned uh the drive that comes
from the space
um a lot of widened it a little bit
because the drop off purpose is
changing about us into the shape of that
was previously available now a circle
um to provide Landings which connects
with a series of circles in the middle
of the space of the plot of space there
there is quite a great chain from the
most common temperatures within the
publication entrance of those kind of
serpentine
um there are five metal stairs that have
helped with decoration
um serious bats connecting all our
different entries different pieces that
we have uh in the space
um
there are many different planets that
there
part of this stuff to the Southwest
um
I believe that there's some things where
the uh in the center of the planet Earth
market area
mayor do you have a marker or a
light pointer
a point a pointer relationships okay
well good let's how about a grant to the
Community Foundation yeah
16 right there on Monday
I'm passing the timer okay look for a
pointer be simple okay
but we know our mayor can do most
anything here so
over here
um
but
some of the trees around the Toronto
area here have been taken out the foot
back in again
um the location would change they were
down around this area before and one of
the transplants
there is an enlarged plan in your
package that has the product
for Two Rivers whoever was shared to
replace
back in here we had some dogwoods
one there
um
and hemlocks that have been taken
phenomenally been taken out we're trying
to recover some of them and I'm adding
additional eight along with that place
enable
people who are handicapped to access
uh this is going to be a stone wall
that's around this lower area here which
helps the great wonderful building the
area for reflection to talk uh maybe
just put in a few tables of related
here in The Grotto area with the two
poles there's a reflection area with a
grotto being here in the center
um
that we're going to try to keep as
pre-covered and natural as possible even
though it's a little bit hormone but
we're going to try to keep that natural
is there any questions
we'll do the questions after we'll do
the questions after you're done with
your presentation okay um
the free access through either every
entity of the campus
steps
to transverse down to the lower level
this level of approximately the same
height as the Norway one through to the
new complication chart
um
the ramp we have I think they're not in
here because we have a handicap access
to the M series
[Music]
um
a lot of this is roses
interior
same thing here
out around the outside we've got some
more boxwood around the perimeter uh
with some hydrangeas and perennials
as well there's different kinds of foods
the southern end down here
yeah take the red one
um
in dogwoods
plantaries out here along the building
we get a little different color and then
back within two year we've got the
silver query that come through the
theater Plaza
um that's Robin with the Evergreen
back then
and
from
daylilies
um
okay
around the area up here we've got
Wildfire blackouts
and we wanted to clean more of the
driveways the line was between red plain
Maples on both sides
this is here again
foreign
one minute
perfect
all right I am not seeing anyone in the
audience but is there anyone that wants
to offer comments in opposition to the
plan
anyone that wants to support the plan
if not I think do commission members
have questions
I have a question um when you're talking
about the water feature you're putting
in there's a lot of existing trees that
are there that you're looking to keep
you said maintain
um
[Music]
um
so are you are you providing some
protection for anything existing to when
you're do putting the water
features in there
um
that should be gone a couple of the
hemlocks are there yeah
so the ones that didn't make it are
you'll replace them or get something
else
thank you
and there's any Irrigation in any of
this well right now we're planning on
irrigating the whole don't worry about
in our budget okay that's good
yes any of it to be considered deer food
I mean it's a lot of deer that there's a
little bit of beer back in there we
haven't had that much
production and things the deer or the
habitat and wander down the constrained
land
able things in there but it's not as
well
um I was planning on putting some
positive
um
that's just yeah appetizers
other questions
I don't have a I don't have a question I
have a comment I I have a question well
Mr Wilson do you have a question yeah
mayor if you could put up the old plan
um and if you can
like it is far north so we can see the
bottom part or I mean start South um
so I walk by this at least three times a
week it seemed like that the trees that
are in the old plan in the existing
parking lot have been removed
and are they going to be returned
um
but they are going to be okay
because I I didn't see all of that on
the new plan so I just want to make sure
that that's going to happen
were they was
were they removed
for for a reason or was there some
problem
s safer
um
I won't comment on other commissions
yeah
that was my question okay okay are there
other questions okay
um I have two actually
um the first one is what's your timeline
on this
um
[Music]
is the irrigation system in irrigation
somewhere
that includes everything that we're done
[Music]
and I've to walk past this a lot and I
know that there's been seriously heavy
equipment on the grounds I'm just
curious how the compaction is is handled
because obviously you're you're going to
try to be planting in these areas
well a lot of
them
has been raised
so this is all going to be a new soil in
this area
yeah and this area right here is
that's the way down okay
here isn't here very heavy compacted but
uh the two circles are both raised the
walls around them so that's not going to
be an issue for those
reports there
um this will be all in this soil that
build in this area
on the other plan
so if that should be an issue of the
compassionate spirit
other questions
okay well I was just going to make a
comment that I think your plan is
wonderfully aggressive I mean you
there's a lot of plant material in that
new plan and
um I personally like the integration of
your circles
um I I don't know how that will read at
Ground plane level but at least from a
bird's eye view it's impressive to see
the way those come together and it just
it just seems that the whole plan is
feels integrated a little bit more than
with your lawn panel and then the
separation of things on panelism
right right well we see that now so
um and as I say I think the irrigation
system is going to be key so I'm glad to
hear that you're doing that and also
it's it's it's uh exciting to hear that
you're bringing in Topsoil and we'll
deal with the compaction issue so
um
connection
be ready for a motion yes no other
comments correct or discussion opinions
okay Mr Wilson approval uh of the plan
just on the condition that the applicant
clarify Elena's questions and by
providing uh an elevation looking South
towards the Performing Arts Center and
clarify any symbols that are in the plan
so that we have an accurate record of
what's been approved
yeah if you just email Eleanor she can
clarify exactly what symbols she's
unclear about so okay
it's not only helpful she's thorough
yeah
is there a second
second is there any discussion
emotion has been made and seconded that
we approve the plan as presented with
the conditions that the South elevation
towards the uh performance arts center
is sent to Elena along with some
clarification on what she needs from the
symbols that were not called out in the
plan all those in favor say aye aye all
those opposed same sign okay motion
carries thank you congratulations well
we'll look forward to seeing it by
September right good luck who's going to
deadhead all those Roses
the students
we ready to move on we are
our worth application is 202 South
Columbia Avenue this is a new build uh
eight Sampson I think it's here and uh
the commission
um met and approved some aspects of this
plan in May uh three trees were approved
to be removed
um on the condition that um that a
landscape Plan B presented at this
meeting one street tree a maple um was
on top of the sewer line and two others
a Linden and an Oprah within the
property lines uh and needed to be
removed for construction access or and
or were unhealthy
um the existing tree protection is in
place so
um a couple comments to summarize
Elena's which were lengthy so I'm really
trying to summarize here
um the proposed landscape plan has two
new oak trees in front of the tree lawn
um symmetrical of the front door uh
these trees replaced the canopy cover of
the Linden and removed in the front yard
uh there are four additional ornamental
flowering trees planted around
the the property
um let's see the um
Elena notes that there's room to plan a
new Street tree in the right-of-way
after construction is completed uh I
think she's consulted with Grant and
that while Oaks are the street tree for
Columbia
um there's not enough room for an oak
um and so the recommended tree in the
area for this area is a maple of the
same variety that's been removed
um and the owner has agreed to pay and
install the new Street tree
um and Elena recommends approval of the
landscape plan with the condition uh
that the species of Oak in the front
lawn and the Maple Street street tree be
removed and approved by staff
so
um you have your 10 minutes
um it's good to see you all again uh the
um Advanced Gap architect was having
some call issues so I'm here to help Ben
and present the next answer any
questions that you know about this
um but we uh have submitted the revised
site plan that are called out the
replacement of the street the placement
of the extraordinary the mistake
required for the access
Drive uh we do we are showing an updated
sex and the half of that access drive as
well as submit we had to call out
13 foot by an access you just want to
make sure it's all accurate uh
protection is up if you can buy the site
um and with the replacement of the I
think the code change on site there was
a question uh
year last month uh another Shady Creek
that you've added so in our plan we
specify that not only the program that
has taken down to be replaced with an
additional perpetration in the front
yard change repeat incorporated into
landscape
um we also uh shown the extended path uh
and footprint of the Applause which was
a little bit of a gray area
and that's the Limestone actual pattern
they blocked in the product and so on
the site I think of the landscape plan I
just offered a lot to me
so as you come out front there is sort
of a landing Square to reorient you
towards the driveway uh and also have
you in the driveway uh as a sort of
Dropbox Zone it's not speed driven one
and one other note would be added on
this it doesn't question uh from the
previous hearing was about the length of
that drive uh the current drive on site
is nearly 16 feet wide
um and is capable of handling traffic in
both ways so we do not show an
additional Cloud Co-op at this point the
uh two neighbors are on concerns and I
think that there's also the human face
Synthesia and the ARB as well but you
know there is the intense is to have a
shared access in the future we express
that to them and I think that they would
ever sell was valid after you speak in
place so so
um it is an intent it was shared uh but
not in places they're being two
thousands are
members of the same family
um
show that the accurate safety area on
this in this tree is if there's any
other questions there's something that I
skipped over uh based on the
conversation last time I think I would
um
before we do that
um
doubtful but are there any comments
either opposed or in favor
hearing none members of the commission
do you have questions
uh Grant is going to ask is this the
paper bark maple that you would be
specking then
uh no I believe it's a sugar maple
correctly okay because because South on
Columbia on the east side it's the
paperback Maples and that correct but
there's no power lines here the power
lines stop just
just south south of this property okay
so that's why it continues without oh
that's great that's great news I mean
because you get a bigger Tree and more
more shade more canopy
you know
yeah just to help understand the
extended scale
and then I wanted to thank you for the
addition of the oak tree because again
you know when we talk about the Giants
in the tree Kingdom the oak trees seem
to be the clear Lions so thank you
other questions or comments
is it a willow oak
I believe that I know from last Friday I
believe Elena's comment was that staff
would approve the particular type of
Voters right yeah
I know I know a little knowledge is a
dangerous thing right I've developed the
ability to ignore you mayor okay
uh so are we ready for a motion I think
we are
um so if Mr Wilson would you make a
motion please I move the approval of the
plan as presented
um with the modification that the
species of Oak in the front lawn and the
Maple Street tree be reviewed and
approved by staff
is there a second I second is there any
discussion
emotions been made and seconded that we
approve the plan as presented with the
species of the oak tree in the front
lawn and the maple uh Street tree be
approved by staff all those in favor say
aye
aye all those opposed same sign okay
motion carries Mr Sanson thank you yeah
thank you very much for coming back and
for the addition of canopy really
exciting
okay
all right we ready to keep moving we are
we are you're really gonna be tired of
me by the time this one's well if we're
not going to take We're Not Gonna I want
to end myself in this one uh so this is
the Drexel Avenue median there you all
have seen the materials but just to
clarify there's really three issues that
we're asked to address here one is the
species of tree for planting in the
medians on Drexel Avenue a second is
approval of the brown cover and a third
um is I would characterize as our
aesthetic advice as to Screech sign
options at both the Main Street and
Drexel ends of it um
so
um
sorry what okay
um so starting with the street trees you
all have the plans and
um
the the gist of it is that there are
going to be 14 medians here and a number
of bump outs
um the overall width of the medians is
five feet with a six inch curb on each
side so there's four feet of clearance
to plant trees in these medians
um the other issue that has to be
considered in making a determination
here is that there are numerous utility
lines that cross over uh Drexel so that
limits the height of trees in the median
um just so you know since we've asked
the question every time the cut topics
ever come up the city did investigate
the cost of burying the utility lines
and the cost was prohibitive
um can we clarify that that now yeah
I guess Capital me yeah
um the other issue is that we have
mature trees on either side of Drexel
um
and um and then we also while it's not
quite as bad as broad we do have to plow
and salt Drexel which affects the
species that can be planted so
um Elena as you probably saw in her
report is recommending
um the
I hope I pronounced this correctly
poisson flowering cherry uh as the
street tree it has a maximum size of 25
to 30 feet with the 25 to 30 foot width
that's got a base uh shaped habit is
salt tolerant and is recommended as a
street tree to withstand a difficult
Urban environments so they would be
planted 12 inch on Center and each of
the 12 foot on Center in each of the
mediums oh I like that I planted you
know I desire for canopy got the best at
me
so just as if reference point
um the the trees outside of City Hall
um are planted in a medium that's six
feet and they're also 12 feet on Center
so it's going to be roughly well exactly
because of Grant's Precision the same
distance as the trees allegations it's a
good vision
[Music]
I have a question so you know we we
learn every day from those smarter than
we are in uh Molly O'Donnell was saying
last uh week that
um our cherry trees out here have
full-time big-time scale and that if we
don't spray and take care of them
they're going to go asunder now I know
they may go asunder anyway with with new
with new plans but I wanted to ask Grant
how susceptible they are to scale and
how treatable it is and if that's
if they are susceptible if we need to
have some sort of maintenance plan for
them
uh yeah I mean I think
the insects this spring have just been
crazy happy
um
so yeah that's very treatable it's
treatable with a basal treatment in the
fall
um we do typically
like the horn beans and the address of
circle Mass planting like that is easy
to maintain
um
it is something that we're going to have
to really look at into because these
cherries are
um
are are infested and it's there's really
not nothing we can do with them right
now so we'll have to do a fall treatment
along with the boxwood and and the
parking lot
um so yeah so I have a contract already
for uh Allen Arbor to come in and treat
all this stuff in the fall thank you
grant
any other questions
that was my question too I did read
where they're very susceptible to insect
damage and and that sort of thing so I
just wondered is there not another
alternative
if you know that's the discussion today
yeah so whatever you guys want oh okay I
went Oaks Willow for a privilege
oh
yeah that's nice
Oh I thought you were gonna say you
could buy them there
to give some more context yes yes we
talked about this uh and in fact I think
Eleanor would be as the British would
say chuffed to hear you talk about a
columnar Oak she initially proposed to
columnar species of some sort I can't
remember what it was
um and
um
a certain city staff member
sitting right here uh had felt pretty
strongly that I think
that uh having an ornamental flowering
tree
um in the medians would provide a lot of
interest
um and uh columnar something that blends
more with the tree canopy uh and we
talked a lot about how do we limit this
up to make sure it stays away from the
trucks and Grant satisfy that it could
do that as opposed to sort of
punctuating the canopy with something
more upright when you have these
overarching branches seemed appropriate
but
that was our perspective well I think
the commoner Oak might get too tall as
well Dave for the cable lines across the
streets
now when I read about the you know
swansonism you see on the title base
they also have the yoshima status says
susceptible to the diseases so they well
I think that's probably what we'll get
here from Acorn is the yoshima's we have
those currently at the service garage
beautiful
[Music]
I think it'll look great
Grant is this just an a year that's
unusual I mean
uh yes this year is just just been great
maybe it's something that's been waiting
to happen for a long time but this has
just been a ridiculous year for right on
my mind pretty long I've had M.A solder
about their string
about everything
yeah well I know
settings
and the beaches have uh aphids so yeah
there isn't any one thing that's not
huge right right anyway we digress Mr
Wilson Jermaine to the subject
are we ready for a motion yes Mr Wilson
I'm ready for a motion I move that we
approve the recommended uh cherry tree
or the median
um so let's just clarify that again it's
not the Kwanzaa it's the
yoshishima
and we're also discussing ground cover
yeah but that's a separate motion yeah
okay
those two variants interchangeably would
be good just because it'll particles
depend on the supply available
uh correct yeah we haven't um
yeah but sorry yeah okay yeah ideally uh
yeah
but they're very similar
is there a second to the motion
okay
okay is there any discussion
okay emotions made and seconded that we
approve a Quantum or yoshishima cherry
tree for the medians on Drexel all those
uh 12 feet on Center all those in favor
say aye
uh same sign posed okay motion carries I
I was going to mention
um that Elena has said there will be
Irrigation in the medians so no there's
not there was last Friday
but there's no irrigation
okay so just to understand that yeah so
these mediums are narrower right I know
four feet five feet
okay but our opinion we just not only
could again
unlikely unlikely yes because it's
pretty nice
right
um
in this environment and the static
trade-off is not working okay well
cherry trees have done very well in
Bexley we have a lot of them and they
they're doing well okay
uh yes they are they they were irrigated
for the first two years we are not using
the Year Engagement
okay so it's just a water truck
are you not doing anything we're not
watering yeah
yeah for two years we irrigated for
establishment no Mr Wilson uh on the
ground cover which is what everyone has
been waiting for I know it yeah I know
Mary has I know I know if she does she
have her her Blazers out
um so to be brief about it to allow for
discussion um Eleanor's recommending a
winter creeper as the ground cover for
the medians you'll see from her report
that she's addressed the issue of its
invasiveness she's also
provided her defense of not recommending
um a a native plant
um uh and so the recommendation is
winter creeper and um
I think we can discuss that okay well
first I would like to turn to Grant and
ask for his endorsement of a ground
cover because he's uh he's fought the
good fight on Main Street in one fought
the good fight on Broad Street and so
far it's a draw
so it's getting better
um
I mean we also have winter creeper out
here in the islands on uh
in the parking lot it's you know it's
it's readily available it's used widely
I mean our current nurseries are
carrying it my only fear is to approve
something native that we can't find and
find it year after year
okay that's
that's good
okay so now we'll open it up for
discussion so
Mary are you ready
um first of all I want to say a huge
thank you to Elena for doing what she
did and and documenting documenting it
accordingly
um I guess my comment is I maybe a
question why do we even need a ground
cover in that small of a space and could
we not just Mulch and and allow the tree
to get established and grow you know be
and not have any kind of competition
from any other plants
but yeah we could very easily do that I
just think that's a standard for what
we've been doing in our Islands but I'd
be more than happy to have a mulch and
nothing else that's that would require a
lot of Roundup though well I I
understand I understand
um and I guess my other
um comment I guess if you will is the
fact that you know Bexley is a very
forward-thinking community and we have
such great initiatives uh like love your
alley this sustainability committee
um you know we we pride ourselves on
trying to be a step ahead and I feel
like if we continue to do the same thing
over and over with some of these
particular types of plants like liriope
and and winter creeper which is not yet
on odnr's invasive species list but I
suspect it's forthcoming based on
everything that I've read
um it just seems like even if we could
try uh maybe a couple beds where we do
something like for example bearberry
um it's native it's Evergreen it's um
got wonderful red berries you know maybe
just try a couple beds and see how they
do and if we discover that they really
would grow we could maybe change our our
thought process on some of our ground
covers
um I guess just because we've always
done it that way isn't always
you know a good reason for continuing to
do something especially when I know that
I'm working in the Jeffrey Woods pulling
out
winter creeper because it's you know
it's escaped somebody's yard from
someone's yard
and is strangling our trees so that's
all I'm gonna say okay thank you for
that information and the passion so
others Dave do you do you have any
thoughts about winter creeper
before but uh what about a lot of
cements
I think that would mean
that's too tall I think that you're
gonna have
maybe a two foot gap between the logo
sumac and the bottom of the tree and I
think it's going to be a visual thing
is Ivy at all a consideration as we have
in New York that's oh my Mary's already
having a heart attack all right so what
do you think Grant I mean it falls in
the same uh category as winter creeper
uh because we have the pack of Sandra
and the outdoor uh uh conference room
which is doing very well we also have
on the back of the city hall
um
I can't think of Boston Navy
yeah but yeah so it's I mean yeah and
you know it's what we're having our
discussion for
you yeah
I think Ivy would be more of a
maintenance issue yeah a maintenance
yeah we would be out there more often
well I mean you've got a whole lot more
Vines I mean what a creeper you've got
you know you've got branches otherwise
you know you're clipping one Vine at a
time
Linda do you have any comments I'm just
wondering I mean is it worth trying to
do
experiments with
some of the islands with a variety of
things and then
I know a lot about the bearberry is it
salt tolerant for I'm trying to find
that out because I too don't know a
whole lot about it but it is listed as
an alternative it's nice I mean it's
very yeah you know the the one comment I
would I would make is that
um I don't think Drexel is the road to
try something experimental
um it's the Stanberry median I mean
something a little bit off the path
you know we've we have places don't we
Grant on the median that we could try
something like that right behind and
um Cindy and I could take care of it so
I I I'm not against that I think we
could have Trial Gardens yeah you know
and try something
um
I think it's the similarity we've always
talked about keeping things
yeah well but I I guess I just go back
to the fact that you continue to plant
something that is a known problem and
perhaps it's time to rethink and and
you know I don't know how many people
really would notice that continuity if
you will yeah I'm not sure you call it
out I think it's more subconscious yeah
I mean it's like having the same signage
throughout the community I just feel
like it
your mom your mom all right Sheila
I will go with the groups um both
however I do love the ivy
all winter it just always looks
wonderful yeah don't you look at those
beds and you'd think what's the story
behind you because they're beautifully
maintained yeah it's condo fees yeah
yeah
sometimes they're plastic right yeah we
tried that uh well we haven't heard of
your dog Mr Wilson
yeah
as deeply as I appreciate Sheila I will
never vote for Ivy in my life having
spent the first two years of my current
residence removing I
so I you know I I do think perhaps in a
conscious way the city ought to book
into what an option might be to winter
creeper
um that might be a native plant but I
agree with the comment that maybe doing
that at Drexel I mean we can always
replace this if we find a native plant
that works and I think given our
timeline and the I assume the goal is
for this to be planted in the fall
um
so I I would move forward with Elena's
recommendation
so does anybody have anything else more
to say I just want to ask if that would
be an option to just mulch for a year
and then plant
I you know I who has opinions on that
right besides me well my own I I I if
you've been to my yard you know I like
mulch uh my concern there is is to me
winter creeper is less bad thing than
Roundup
um and so and I just I'm just thinking
about the the weeds and how it's going
to look and we're going to spend five
million dollars replacing Drexel and
it's we're gonna have thistles and this
one and no Bloomers out there so I can't
have Ivy how does just so I can
understand that I want to be better
educated in this
um the objection that it's I know it's a
non-native
uh
but it
how does it it spreads through
propagation doesn't it like how would it
gets well obtained how what's the
concern just so I can understand it
because it's contained it's less of an
issue but it's when it doesn't get
contained it starts to spread and then
it flowers and it goes to seed and it's
like the Honeysuckle and the birds eat
the seeds and then disperse it elsewhere
okay so but again I mean I realize we're
controlling it and that's that's a good
thing but you know like I said I'm just
trying to think of the future like what
happens when that plant does wind up on
the you know yeah invasive species well
to to that point like I does this is
total ignorance so please laugh at me
it's cool but like IV doesn't flower
right it spreads through
like how would I would Ivy be less of a
concern from that perspective because
it's fully contained and can't be spread
through seed little Ivy seeds yeah it
does yeah that's why you guys are
laughing at me no it's on the other side
of my house we also plant Norway Maples
which are on the invasive species list
we also still have pear trees that are
on the invasive species list and we also
do plant honeysuckle so
um yeah
the roundabouts on Google native yeah
it's native honeysuckle yeah well that's
different I'm just I'm just saying so
yeah I mean we we still do but you know
when you have an opportunity to make a
conscious effort to do something else
yeah I totally get that I'm just trying
to understand like the I'm just trying
to try the mechanics the mechanics and I
I would concur that I I
uh you know a mulch bed that it would
where weeds will pop up and they'll
either sit there for a while before they
get pulled because we can't have people
all there all the time
um or they will be you know chemically
treated which means they're gonna be
yellow I mean it's just the it's it's
unsightly so yeah I don't love it okay
I'm calling for motion Mr Wilson I move
that we approve the staff recommendation
uh winter Creek is there a second
I will second it any any discussion
okay we will allow for abstentions and
no votes so all those in favor say aye
aye all those opposed same sign no all
those who want to abstain in case
abstained so we have uh four votes in
favor one abstention and one negative
okay all right now signage Mr Wilson yes
signage
um if we can sort of kind of roll up
that bottom corner yep
um the
um incredible aesthetic Taste of the
commission is being called upon to make
a recommendation as to which of these
two signage options you would like for
clarity they're not they're not going to
be on each median there's going to be
one
um facing north at the the Broad Street
and and then one down at the Main Street
facing south facing south right
so
um
and I
since I'm not the one with any aesthetic
judgment on the commission I can't tell
you how these correspond to other signs
in the city I think wisely there at
least one of them is an imitation of the
one on Bexley Park the finest Street in
the city and it's my understanding mayor
these are the same material as those
with a black uh wrought iron
that is correct so you have the circles
on the ends of those islands with the
slats in the middle so it's kind of uh
we're separating those out and you're
gonna have one or the other
you can have one or the other found on
like Bexley Park Fair and variety right
right
they've got just the circles well no
they have circles on either end and then
the the slats in the middle class in the
motor yeah now you can see the circles
oh okay that's kind of the library the
library
Okay so so yeah we're doing either one
or the other for the Drexel so that was
a conscious decision not to imitate the
ones in the medians I think they'll be
too busy they're going to be really
tight I mean you're talking about
three foot right there a smaller yeah
you would need to
almost that option one you would need to
replace in your mind that middle section
with some slats it would just be
you know it's it's literally that wide
total so
um so okay so Mr Wakeman what would be
your favorite
okay Mrs zubnick
I think it's too fussy I you know and
three feet
so option two okay Mrs McMahon option
two
oh I I'll pay for you again later
I would vote for two
option one and a chair would vote for
option one that means that we're three
to three so yeah
all right so
um who's not here Mr Hellman's not here
and Mrs Williams is too bad that we
can't call them in so um I'll just have
to live with let's read about
let's revote
okay so run it again okay we'll run it
backwards this time okay Mr Wilson
I'm still with option one Mrs quinten's
I'm still with option one and I'm still
with two okay
I like them both I guess I'll go with
one okay Mrs love Nick too okay Mr one
okay
um so option one on the second vote a
recount was no hanging Chads since the
is the winning option thank you for all
anybody have stating okay all right so I
think that takes care of all of our
trees landscape applications for today
oh my gosh is that four minutes for the
rest of the meeting I know what one
would you have picked then
you know I it's interesting we we gave
you two options because we didn't have
an opinion uh I was I was satisfied with
either but thank you for asking
um yeah well I mean I think they both
have pluses and minuses and I think when
the plant materials in front of it it'll
no one will notice yeah but when it's
not it has that consistency of you know
that the Circle Cross kind of circle x
uh symbol so and they will be uplit
yeah Grant why don't we go on to your
report
because you know
uh
what you do is pretty important to the
way the city looks
so yeah the tree plotter we did not get
the training the other day we were going
to do training
okay yeah Spencers
oh yeah he's
his
grandmother passed away so he had a
meeting scheduled South Carolina okay
certainly and Spencer will be the one
running the program and then what like
could we just revisit that a minute
mayor because we talked about uh those
others might want to be trained are you
thinking that it'll be kind of like a
Ponzi scheme where no well yesterday we
were
Spencer as you heard had a family
emergency but um our we were having an
internal meeting okay to plan the
deployment rollout and then training of
it so it wasn't just training it was
okay overall uh coordination okay
um Drexel Avenue tree updates I mean
um so yeah there are a lot of stressed
trees on Drexel Avenue we do have a plan
in place that we're going to do some uh
deep root for and potentially maybe some
mulching deep root mulching
um to accommodate some of these trees
um it was uh it was either take them
down in lieu of the pro uh the
construction or let's see what's
happened because some of them are pretty
young and I might be able to come back
from them and it would be cheaper than
to have to just replace them all so
it was a risk we were willing to take
um spring takedown list uh currently
we're running the city when we're not
picking up Storm Damage uh evaluating
the trees I don't have a list a full
list right now stump removal will happen
again in the fall
um the two that the employees that grind
the stumps are currently mowing grass
uh again pruning we haven't even started
on pruning storm damage has been
um pretty prominent almost almost every
weekend
um so uh this was the first storm that
was a lot of City trees most of the time
it's residential stuff that falls in the
city right away
um
so the central Bexley mediums I'm
assuming that specsley Park Bryden and
fair uh we do I do have a program we
have been discussing about potential
spacing on those islands they are over
planted a lot of residents would like to
see more grass and less trees so as
trees are being removed the last few
years we have not replanted them and I
and and the idea to get proper spacing
in those islands so there are a few bare
spots so
and we have have had discussion on the
replacement trees which was Yellowwood
and the other one was is that yellow one
on all three islands no I think it was
the yellow wood for the pears on Bexley
Park and then uh what is Bryden know
perhaps no yeah I don't know a Golden
Rain Golden Rain yeah
so and then fairs Oaks it's Oaks yeah
so that is the the plan for those
islands
well so Grant let's just kind of move
into the old business a three-year plan
to end Phil Bexley and reach the 40
canopy cover you know sort of the tree
plotter information is essential to that
right
um yeah again that that doesn't give us
so you'll have to do that canopy cover
every three years that program that we
purchased is not going to provide us
that information it doesn't calculate
the canopy cover all right no no I I
wasn't thinking about that I was I was
thinking about how we go about starting
a program to be ready to infill the
streets to reach the 40 canopy cover at
some time so
um you know we need to know where all
the vacancies are
and I think that we get that once all
the information is in tree plotting we
know how to use it so let's just say
that we concentrate on South Bexley and
we get all the information on how many
vacancies we have and what trees we need
that how are we going to go about you
know kind of marshaling the forces or
having a plan to make sure that happens
how you know how is we as volunteers can
help staff you know March 4th
um again that's that's going to put feet
on the ground because this again this
program is only marking the existing
trees that we have planted it doesn't
tell you how far away they are it
doesn't tell you if there's a space
between two properties that allow you to
have another tree planted and it doesn't
tell you where the water line is gas
line or any of the underground utilities
um so again that's going to be
um the program in which when we remove a
tree we replace a tree if we can get two
trees in there we will
um but it'll be just you know again
driving the streets and seeing what's
available and what we can plant on those
am I wrong in thinking that we paid
extra to have some of that information
on the utilities uploaded into the
program no we did not have that
um I understand is that we can put that
information we have to do it manually
but we can
we can you know where there are where
we've what we've done in the past is
gone through the streets and then it'll
be permanently there and we will know
where those lines are well why did I why
did I do some more information because
our initial cost was like three thousand
dollars and we paid six thousand Florida
right and that and I thought that was
the utilities that they wrong now they
let us in Portland
in theory it shouldn't be easier okay we
wouldn't use that to maintain that
information because we're using arcgis
for typical GIF mapping which means like
global standard but that's where we're
really into the best explosive Tech
information
we get it in there but it would be more
like for reference and we would be the
dynamic updated okay
so I think Grandview has their tree
plotter online I need to go back in and
look at that and see what information
they have and and to see how that
compares with the information we think
we're going to get I don't think I'm you
know talk about being educated mayor I
don't think I'm educated enough to talk
about that yeah the tree Potter will
give you uh you know how much water is
being
uh storm water retention from the street
trees how much carbon
monoxide is being uptaken
um you know it gives you that
information based on our tree data
uh that that's about really what it is
okay well I'll I'll come back in August
or September with I think the first
thing is get trained and then we can see
you right now okay so mayor uh we're
gonna call ourselves uh into a German
soon I was just wondering if there'd
been any
um forward movement on the mulch volcano
ordinance
are we treading water
are we uh I would I'm gonna
graciously defer
to uh your counsel liaison to answer
exactly where it is I think there's a
draft okay it's just whether or not
there's and I have percentage of council
and I have it on the timeline okay on
all those things great okay all right do
I need to send a letter to my council
person
yes yes
meeting with our council is is on
tomorrow I could ask yeah right so yeah
there's a draft it's concept ready to go
okay yeah all right well who's running
for re-election then you know if
everything got our Council
yeah
okay
before we conclude today I wanted to
introduce for those of you who came in
late Monette friedlander Monet is a new
Resident to Bexley as of last fall she
is a landscape designer and worked with
Elena and worked with Mark schieber and
now works at Hidden creeks and lives on
South Montrose and she's looking at
continuing her Civic involvement she was
involved in the East with the East Side
commission near East Side commission and
moving into Bexley she wants to be
involved in public service in a
volunteer sort of way so she agreed to
come and see what we did and consider it
among her options so I don't know if you
have any parting words for us Monet
um
okay well we'll talk offline then and
we're glad you came and thank you for
being interested as an early new
Resident appreciate your interest
already and I think we should be clear
that five applications is a record we
don't normally we do normally do other
business besides that yeah yeah but I
appreciate I think Mr Wilson did a
fabulous job moving the applications
around today
yes mayor I think you had great Insight
on the Stanberry Denver it was so yeah I
mean
well you know I mean people are
reasonable if given an opportunity to
have a a positive discussion
yeah work through it and uh Grant good
to see you so again no meeting in July
so you're adjourned until August at
which point Mr Wilson will be running
the meeting and he will need to come up
yeah
so he will need to work up a system
where he can where he can have someone
else present so he's not both calling
the motions and presenting and
um discussing so uh best wishes for a
happy Fourth of July thank you um yeah