I mean really so
hard
sooner we do it the
sooner
good
let us call the October 18
2023 monthly meeting of the Bexley tree
and public gardens commission to order
and call the role Mary mcmun here Susan
quintens here Sheila STW here Dave
Wakeman absent Celeste Williams here Jim
Wilson Vice chair here Linda znick here
we have a quorum and Barb Giller here uh
as alternate Barb um I'd like to point
you as a voting member since Mr weman is
not here all right um Larry Helman is
absent um and Ellen Bowen put on her way
and then we have a staff Ellena Andrews
staff
consultant we have Grant Archer Urban
Forester um and we let's see um lorian
fibel is out of town U mayor Ben Kessler
present okay Monette free Lander staff
Consultants here okay and we have a I
don't want to say a guest because
hopefully um this gentleman will be with
us more often not sure how often that
might be but we participate and um City
arborus Spencer
Martin so there you are okay so Spencer
since you've now been introduced and
you're the brightest spot in the room
why don't you just tell everybody a
little bit about yourself about your
work with the city and uh so everybody
has a chance to get to know you I like
mentioned uh my name is Spencer Martin
I'm the park for the city of be I work
directly on Grant but often I work with
Susan as well doing all the par things
and yeah I know interested in getting
involved with
our am so well you know I know more
interesting things about you than that
so I so I know that when you graduated
you did not graduate with a degree in
forestry you graduated with a degree in
Communications yes helping out with the
website and um also developed the arum
Instagram actually arum you got a follow
if you're listening okay so great yeah
all right so what else should they know
about you that I don't know uh I spent a
year in the Smoky Mountains doing
vegetation management um so that was
great then I came back to
Ohio uh went to Dublin as a seasonal for
a couple years and then found a place
here as a full-time employee
for so the only other thing I know about
Spencer is he does not live within 270
so you live in I meet from Frank
currently 56 minute drive to
serve
so yes yes so so that's everything I
know about Spencer at the
moment and everything maybe sposed to
well welcome we look forward we look
forward um Spencer is on the mayor's
communication team I also know that I
guess and the communication team has
four or five people and they meet weekly
to go over um I suppose a lot of
information for the blast and so if we
are looking for promotion of the
Arboretum and the urban Forest I think
Spencer is the person we needs welcome
welcome okay so as I said we have a quum
with uh Mrs Giller appointed for Mr
Wakeman's position um and now I'm
looking for approval of the minutes of
September 20th so move and is there a
second second okay is there any
discussion I'm I'm going to discuss just
a moment because do we for the record do
we need to say the motion was by
Linda Linda okay I think that's helpful
okay Jordan has worked very hard to make
sure that she understands voices but she
said some of our voices sound similar so
Linda if you can say that and Mary Did
You second Sheila did Sheila second okay
thank you um I that that in the minutes
um after they were sent I did make a few
um
punctuation uh changes and the only
other major change that I that I made
was to
um I guess the word extraordinary which
you used Jim in describing what variance
what the the need or the condition for a
variance would be ex extraordinary
special permit and in the draft of the
minutes it was listed as extortion so I
thought I mean I I
actually I don't I you know what I
almost thought about leaving it so so
those changes were made and that's
what's posted today but that's not what
you received in the draft so just to
make sure so the motion has been made
and seconded that we approve the minutes
of September 20th all those in favor say
I I all those opposing sign anybody
abstain motion carries so are there any
additions to the agenda again there was
some fine tuning of the agenda as a
couple of the applicants that we had
listed in the draft agenda are not here
and then Mary's going to just offer a
little piece of new business so anything
else okay well then let us move on um
Mary is uh part of the leadership team
of the Community Gardens and she's going
to give us a quick wrapup of year 2023
it was a good year good good growing
season um just some some numbers we uh
donated uh 7 uh 20 pounds of produce to
the Broad Street Presbyterian Church we
had uh
687 hours worth of volunteer time so far
um at
$31.80 an hour that equates to
$2,846 60 in service to the city
uh we were the fortunate recip
recipients of three grants this year one
from the Community Foundation uh in the
amount of $5,000 that went towards the
picnic tables which I hope show up yet
this year and the um we received a grant
uh for500 from the little Garden Club of
Columbus and 300 from the Greater
Columbus growing Coalition and those two
grants will go towards giving
Gardens any questions for Mary this uh
part of the leadership team is over both
the North and South Community Gardens
and we wrap up the season at the end of
the month all right to include that
right any questions okay well thank you
Mary um alen Bowen isn't here to give
the trees for Bexley campaign the uh
mayor and I signed it seemed like 4,000
letters but it's probably 350 and they
were mailed a couple weeks ago and um
the returns are starting to come in uh
it's especially I just happened to be at
the foundation office one day and some
walked down with their envelope which I
thought was kind of a great moment okay
I wanted to remind everybody that in
November our meeting has to conclude by
six o'clock because the Board of
Education will be in here for meeting so
um if that's the time that we do any
time for re big re review of a pending
landscape application it might be that
we ask everybody to come 15 minutes
early half an hour early that's still up
in the
air and then um esac the environmental
sustainability committee and the ferry
Village and the um uh Arbor Day
committee are working on a joint
application to the Community Foundation
for funding for our Springtime
activities and I think the mayor had a
chance to review some of that this
morning so we're well on our way to
being able to submit it by
Friday any other announcements or small
victories are we um meeting on Monday
the 18th in December yes we are
on the 18th again thank you Jim again
that's because uh of the holidays felt
it was easier to meet earlier in the
week than
later the airlines are cheaper the
beginning of the week than at the
end four o'clock same time okay um this
is the part of our agenda where we have
requests from residents and um Mr Hoyer
I think you're here to talk uh talk to
us a little bit I am
well I think they they're here for a
different reason for an application okay
so if you so if you come to the podium
and turn on the you can turn on the
microphone I don't think I need the mic
but I well I just gonna say you you need
it for let's see Celeste can you help
with that is it on okay yeah if you yes
and if you say your name and your
address yes tting oh geez yeah okay okay
okay Bill Hoyer Bill Hoyer at 25 69
Brentwood Road I appreciate the
opportunity to talk before you we've had
a dead tree in our yard for the last
couple years we've tried to get it
removed it's the the one uh we're at
2569 brentw one at the northwest
corner uh between the sidewalk and the
street I did bring some pictures of it
that I
can I can walk around then I sh also
took one with the tree next to it to so
you could see the difference okay okay
so so
this
so
um thank thank
you so and Mr Hoyer you've let the city
know and or the city has been in contact
with
you I don't know I talked with Grant
Archer well Mr Archer's
here
okay I think I talked with you at one
time and I don't know if they checked it
or not but uh
about about a month ago maybe less there
was a a tree cutting company right in
front of that
tree in the street and I said oh yeah
which one are you going to cut down they
said that one right there I said so good
and then they went down the street and
cut something else down so so so it's
still there and I'm just requesting that
get that one
removed well thank you very much for
coming and may I ask Grant to um you
know talk with Mr Hoyer the convenient
time about what the plan would be or if
you have anything you'd like to share
with us right now Grant it's it's on our
list remove we do removals in the winter
time okay so and we are currently
working on some removals right now in
between pruning jobs sure best eat of
our time so it is on our wrist we are
aware of it and take care of it
appreciate
it and with as full and I don't know
what you normally do but as full as that
one is next to it I'm not sure we need
another one there well you know the the
good news is we got a capable team here
that will be able to determine that for
another one to Blossom like that one
well thank you thank you very much for
coming really appreciate your interest
in the the city street trees in the
Arboretum well thanks for the invite
you're welcome you're welcome I know I
have known so many people here I'd have
brought a
snack well you know we have really we
have really interesting meetings so
you're always welcome to come you're
always welome here till you want to
bring us a
snack is really looking for a snack yeah
thank you for listening all right thank
you very much thank you very much for
coming okay um any other requests from
residents okay all right then oh you are
okay I'm sorry
I can you come to the microphone for
just a minute and introduce yourself and
give your address and then you can say
what you'd like to say hi my name is
Jackie Phillips um I live at 17 North
Merkel Road um and honestly like I love
trees and wood and I just love living in
Bexley and I'm just I need I'm looking
for things like in my community to just
kind of what I can do to make things
better so I have like a bunch of ideas
and I'm just looking for ways that I can
help and so um well you've come to the
right
place like honestly like I want to take
like our front yard in my house and like
turn it into Treehouse and like give it
to the city and just we live on berl and
Broad and it's just like such a busy
intersection oh my God I could go on
forever all right so I should probably
get my thoughts together and I don't
know I just I'm looking for things to
just be a part of so all right than so
so you know what if you could um just uh
I don't have any paper here if you could
give us some contact information um you
know it won't be long before we're in
touch with you I could be tomorrow you
have I have Jackie's contacts okay and
actually Jackie doesn't know this but
she's on my list of people to reach out
to because of an email you sent just
recently so okay okay so um I I actually
I'm right now you know I'm we're we'll
go on with our meeting but um there's
many opportunities in the city many
opportunities yeah okay so uh Grant I
know that uh you have some issues from
residents or some comments that you want
to talk about um yeah so one of the
topics I want to start discussing in
these meetings is what some of the
residents biggest issues are or
compliments they don't all have to be
negative anyway recently we were pruning
trees on Remington and we had commission
with resents they didn't like the way
pruning those trees we prun them for the
he not necessar not necessarily for
Aesthetics
purposes so that was last month we had
several
res
that you so Grant how long it had it
been since they had been pruned to we
bit l l
trees not
like
ni crotches
and so when you cut one of those out
that's a large hole usually people don't
understand what we're doing they they
get upset but if you go to South
brington we did those a few years ago
and they look great they come back and
you know they'll put off two or three
feet of growth after really
good Grant I have a question please what
how old were these trees how old are
these trees that just got
trimmed 12 years old okay because what
what I'm learning in the tree commission
Academy is that one to three years the
first three years are really important
and I'm I'm learning so much and I there
almost should be U you know there you
don't have the time to to train all
these trees and look at them every year
the new ones but if if you can get to
them by the age of 10 people need to
understand that that that it's a problem
and it's not and you're doing your best
but the best practices are hard to
achieve
yeah especially on something that hasn't
been pred
before we could stop
planting whose option is
that I see a Communications opportunity
for
Spencer well I I want to just um put a a
small compliment to um Grant and Spencer
when I was on one of my walks um I saw
Spencer pruning the trees on um
cassingham the ones that we just
installed so he was down there actually
doing just that in terms of actually
pruning them out so they can actually
start to grow and have a great um you
know sort of structure as it moves
forward so I mean I think when it's
possible they're definitely out there
doing it so thank you for that so so
Grant as as um you think about it is
there a benchmark
for a city to prune trees obviously you
can't do it every year you can't do it
every three years is it every five to
seven years eight to 10 years no we
don't we're just aard reduction group
people call us we go
out street we're not
really so there's no pruning program
like all streets within 10 years okay
and that would be because of Staff or
dollars or sta
okay keep up withal and
and
just we have PR up this tree several
times the last couple
years you know we have a braid route
that we have to
PRS do all that well so actually the
residents on Remington should be
grateful I mean really that I yeah REM
Remington because you you pruned
everything I mean that yeah I mean
that's a big victory it is for the
that's normally just pruning hazards the
lendons that he was referring to those
because of their kind of upright nature
they get skipped often because they're
not necessarily in the way of the
sidewalk or the road
right hey Grant did if you explain
things to the people did they change
their comments to you or uh we do our
best to
or something that will eventually fill
out most of the time most residents are
very happy that we're there and you know
our guys do take time to talk about
trees in as
well sometimes an job turns into
two yeah I I know that you been generous
and your Department's been generous with
with your time with residents
yeah some other comments from
residents no that's that was the big one
big one other than I was G to introduce
Spencer but we did that in the beginning
well maybe you know more things about
him than I
[Laughter]
knew but yeah so he's you know my G GIS
guy my health specialist so you'll see
him out there quite a
bit okay how about questions for
Grant so Grant there were a couple I was
I was rereading the minutes uh that's
how I found extortion and I was thinking
that um there were a couple things we
talked about last time I wanted to bring
bring back up and one was You' ask the
tree commission members to walk the
streets and look at the
the species and the health of the trees
are there any particular streets or
species that um you would like us to
take a um you know a more pointed Gander
at no not necessarily it's just you know
when you walk a street and I'll
throws out on Park they're very slow
growing tree they've been in for 15 to
20 years now and we have theol
20 20
years
blackan is that the look we want know is
that are we okay with this slow growing
it's that those kind of things that I
feel this committee should look at and
see if
that's on the
street0
years
same Roosevelt you know faster growing
tree
fter
no Jim you had a question I would just
say that I like my black gums better
than my sweet
gum so the the one the one thing that
I've been thinking about uh Grant is the
the longevity of trees um and their
canopy and their root ball I mean the
advantages and thinking that an
understory tree lives 20 to 25 years and
you know our larger trees are Oaks live
live longer and so um you know what what
is the offset would say would a tulip
popper that grows fast sort of mitigate
the slow growth of a black gum that will
get large but right now it's not large
and you know you know are are we looking
at what is going to happen as we get
warmer will We Will We our our range of
trees that we're able to plant be
affected um yeah I believe
so think
that you know when I first started here
the average Street free life was about
24 30 years with all the digging and
everything that goes on with the trees
that are in sidewalk so I mean do we
want to get you know as big a tree as we
can in those many years and I think
we're also very lucky that we have some
of the larg trees that we do have most
of don't have
that so it's just things like
that at right
right any other questions for Grant uh I
have one um what about tree diversity
Grant what do you think about that um
you know you know I I hear about these
researchers and um other you know tree
people who are are seeking trees from
Tennessee and for you know South and
trying to plant them up here and see how
they're doing and are are we considering
anything like that or should we consider
something like that we are mean trees
on oh wow see It'll be our first B
further
sou interesting we we have looked into
that we resarch it tree diversity I mean
I I would like to
see I think our streets are pretty
diverse right now I think we need to
come up with a percent of what want on
one street so we don't have 100%
something on a street but I don't know
close to
that
something the street yeah I mean I I do
know that that's been some
recommendations that we look at the
plants in
Tennessee Pennsylvania West Virginia and
um and within 20 years will be the next
zone so so I mean if you're looking for
a plant that's going to last 20 to 25
years I'm not sure that it's quite as
important as if you're looking at an oak
that's going to last 20 to 80 years
because it will mature into that new uh
growing zone so
okay Jim you had a question no okay okay
no any other questions for Grant I do
have one okay um just came to mind we
are speaking of species and diversity
and Monette is your microphone on just
to make sure okay good thank you yeah
but I'll just tell stated for Jordan
This is Monette freedlander staff
consultant thank you um have you heard
any reports of spotted spotted Lantern
fly sightings because I've heard of them
across Nelson
Road
I have not heard yet I know that they
are looking for them I haven't got an
email I know there's something else that
they're looking for now what was that in
addition to the lantern fly yeah there's
a new emerging pest that the um first of
all the Odin R yeah they have been
through um and put out their Barone
traps to look I haven't like Grant I
haven't heard of any reports of them
being spotted in beex specifically but
they are approaching but yeah there's a
new pest I think it's called the zigzag
Elm worm or something like that um and
the ODNR is currently uh asking and
requesting that people are on the
lookout for that that is
true always something it's sorry
something that's right excuse me should
we be thinking about putting that on our
arum or the Bexley blast to to ask
people to look for these insects
well I G I guess only if there's
something to be done about it or if
they're supposed to be reported Spencer
will just leave that in your court if
that's something that well again if it's
supposed to be reported to someone
that'd be great yeah you're supposed to
kill them right yeah you're supposed
yeah you're supposed to kill all those
invasive pests that you find some are uh
it just depends on kind of the status of
the pest if it's a already established
pest in Ohio then reporting it to OD
andr isn't necessarily as important but
these ones that are kind of spreading um
and kind of new to our area they're
curious on following those
patterns the uh isn't tree of Heaven A
host plant yes tree of Heaven for a
spotted Lantern fly like that anyway
specific but that is a favorite of
theirs but they'll eat a lot of
different trees so I know a yard that
has several of those trees if you're
interested and want to do some research
yeah tree Heaven is in basic I think you
I think yeah I know I think you have an
ulterior motive
perhaps okay any anything else for Grant
or Spencer well thank you both for your
report and information um and
um if you do if anybody needs help
finding uh Spencer's blog let me know or
let Spencer know okay so it's good all
right now we're going to do the mayor's
report if the mayor is ready um he's
always ready um I actually there's one
part of my
report that I need to step to the next
room so if somebody Spencer why don't
you talk about your feelings about
native trees and I'll be right
back I am an advocate for native trees
species and also increased diversity on
U individual
streets I think that a main problem kind
of what Grant was heading on with the T
tupos which are the Black Gun s on
Bexley Park and then conversely the um
tulip poppers is that they're each
street is it's all kind of U each are
the same so the smaller trees are
noticed more you know the black gums
it's noticeable when you drive down at
every tree small versus on Roosevelt all
the large trees just right in a row I
think that's um I think that we could
mitigate that kind of perspective just
by increasing diversity
on each Street yeah on each Street well
there could it be achieved through
understory with the Tula popers it could
be but um understory I don't think that
understory plantings would help the tupo
I think on that street in particular we
would be wanting to plant overstory
trees that are that grow taller that way
you have a dynamic
canopy there I think it's it's a big
discussion right that's what we set you
up
we did that a long time ago yeah so I
there's there's something here though
that could be more important it's elen's
birthday oh here we
go happy birthday to you happy birthday
to you happy birthday dear
El happy birth to you and many
more
I turn 30 it's a big one it's a big one
it's a big one also Sheila's hungry
so you guys might think that you're too
old for these not too old too I don't
know cool professional Fancy no Here In
Your Capacity tree Commissioners but
fancy that's the right word I
wow disee so uh but you're not so I have
we have eight more of these in the back
so we'll start with minute okay well
this comes at a perfect time because
you'll be talking and then we can just
be slurping I guess exactly what and
what better way to celebrate a birthday
than at the beex tree and public art I'm
so happy it's a highlight of the month
well they all say I like to think of
this I like to think of this that um
Ellen Bowen should really get a finders
fee for
you because when I said several years
ago we need another tree commission
member she says how about enena and do
you remember that Elena was here I Elena
was a tree commission member before a
staff consultant so yeah so in any case
when the finder fee comes in I'm sure
Ellen will donate it to trees for
Bexley okay do not fear Grant's bringing
a few more out so okay no
excuses
uh happy birthday
yeah thank you Elena mulch volcano
ordinance
implementation uh the ordinance is pass
it's in effect uh we did have a a
communication going out from our our
Eagle Scout which which landed on in
Bexley homes with the bexi magazine I
believe and then um we are uh now going
to or we need to now we are in the
process of Outreach to um contractors
that would fall under the umbrella of
the ordinance making sure our system is
set up to receive the registration for
those
contractors um working on education so
we're in the process of that um we also
will have our own communication that
goes out probably in the February is
marchish time frame to Residents uh just
to educate them about not just mulch
volcano but uh also uh proper weed
treatment around trees you know what you
know try not to plant around root zones
um the weed whippers are you doing too
yeah weed weed yeah weed whackers weed
whippers weed eaters um pre eaters don't
package your city
tree give it a drink of water if you
want to what else
Spencer yep you're doing great thank you
sir I listen to you I sure do and
Grant thanks Grant um so that's in
process our ARB website which Spencer
has been working on updating does now
include embedded tree plotter um I know
that you guys have started doing some
inputting in tree tree plotter which is
great um I uh I think that we're
attempting to get a ride of way layer on
there so it's clear where the rideways
are um and also another thing that we're
working on is putting um
a map that shows the recommended tree
species by
Street um until Spencer gets his way and
we have a multiv of tree species on
every street but until then um working
on that for the mapping system and I
think water lines too right grant the
gis could be uploaded for that right and
Sewer for that matter some do we have
sewer on
GIS we don't have the gas lines but
Columbia might have the gas lines that
we could Import in I'm not sure I don't
know the I don't know the logistics of
that um they might have some never mind
okay uh so that's happening land use
strategy commission has been going well
we had our initial um we have our
initial public Workshop coming up on
November 1 for that um that is uh GNA be
here at City Hall and it's it's again
kind of an open sort of what would you
like to see uh bexley's Land patterning
look like in the future um so it's just
sort of open brainstorming uh with
residents we hope to do something
similar to that with all of our boards
and commissions it might be a little bit
further on after some of our our develop
of our thoughts are developed a little
bit more um at the same time as we're
working on land strateg strategy
commission we're working on wrapping up
our overarching city strategic plan
which does incorporate any future land
use strategy uh revisions will
incorporate um so we're gonna have a
workshop for that on November 15 we're
gonna have a lot of workshops coming up
and we're gonna be having Jeffrey master
plan Workshop probably look for one in
like the January time frame January
February with uh draft recommendations
initial draft recommendations for the
Jeffrey Park master plan so how would
that be different from the one that um
Ellen and I came to a month ago that was
a uh ini it's that was analogous to the
one we're about to have for land
strategy okay the warm kind SWAT sort of
analysis okay and then this would have
some draft recommendations okay actual
things okay um and we're also gonna have
a skate park public Workshop probably in
the December time frame we'll all be
there good we and Commonwealth oh my
gosh there's so much going on and
Commonwealth uh which I can't keep
straight where I've talked to about this
or who I have or have not talked to but
we are
exploring I think we did talk about this
last Mee uniting the two sides of common
so we're gonna come to the public with
some ideas I'm not sure we I think we
talked about a Community Foundation I
don't think we talked about it here okay
well there you go so there surprise hey
do you wanna do you w to just elaborate
context so as we've um you guys have
seen the concepts for Commonwealth Park
um as we've gotten deeper into like
finalizing the those plans and looking
at the you know some of the uh frankly
what really spurred this conversation
was some of the additional interventions
that need to happen from a signage and
design perspective to make it clear that
you know it's a crosswalk at the plaza
and there's pedestrians and people
mixing um it just felt like more and
more like we were uh trying
to we we have to throw so much at that
project that some of the design
Integrity gets lost
and it's expensive which we knew it was
going to be expensive so that's not
surprising but as we talked about it
more we were just sort of like let's do
a little gut check here now that we've
really done this exercise and we've
taken it to the point we've taken it is
this really what's best for the
community and for the park and Larry
Helman said it very well when he
said if Commonwealth were one Park you
know both sides together and Columbia
was closed at what today is Columbia on
Commonwealth nobody would be coming to
you saying you know what we should do
let's split that Park in two and put a
road right through the middle of it and
I was like that's a fair point um and
back when we did our master plan there
was a lot of objection to the idea about
connecting the park and that objection
was primarily fed by um residents in the
area who were concerned about changes in
traffic
patterns um and what we also believe to
be true is that we will have engineered
this to such a level that we will change
traffic patterns even if we keep the
park open it will be a very
expensive uh harassment technique to
keep motorists out of the park right and
so then everything people were worried
about in terms of reiding traffic to
Drex Park VI will occur because no one
is going to want to use Columbia as a
pass through street because when they
get to the park there will be such a
strenuous
intervention um and so we just thought
you know what let's uh study let's study
some more let's go back uh let's let's
try one more time to convince um the
public that this might be a good idea
and I think we have so much more
information today than we had back in
2018 so I think it's a a great time for
us to talk about it so we're looking at
probably uh December is to talk about it
um because we are gathering traffic data
so that we can kind of better explain
what happens both before and this is
convenient we're about to close Colombia
because we are doing the first steps of
this project which is a new water line
and underground utilities so in the
process of undergrounding those overhead
lines putting the water line in we'll
have Columbia closed for several months
during that time we'll be able to gather
all the data about before and after
conditions for traffic and we'll be able
to have those as context to talk to the
public about it so so from the
standpoint of the Landscaping plan that
we approved that would all CH change
that would change okay yeah and come
back okay yeah so would that still be
mksk or is that unknown at this point
it's mksk is on hold um I would imagine
it would be you know we have a deep a
deep uh sort of relationship already
built around this project um we've asked
Brian Kent Jones to help us with
exhibits for the meeting just because he
had already done them for the earlier
version and has already been working on
this as well so he's helping us with
those well he was the original right
yeah so he's kind of taken those we've
matured them a little bit but they'
they're essentially the exhibits that we
looked that back in 2018 just with
better
data so that's where that stands any
questions Jim yes well I'm just curious
when the ponds gonna be done yeah well
we have to test we're doing a our first
Cannonball test in the end of October is
what we're told polar bear Cannonball
polar bear Cannonball the Polar Bear
Plunge is December 26 Boxing Day Polar
Bear Plunge uh it's very close um
they're about to abandon one side of the
project in order to allow the plantings
to start moving forward um the stair the
stepping stones in the shallow area are
completed um the island tree island is
is about to get poured um so end of
October is what they're saying uh if I
were a vetting person I would not put a
whole lot of money on the end of October
but that is nonetheless what Tom says
and so just is it a small kind of update
also um what what the pond contractor is
trying to do is get as much of the
perimeter around the pond kind of
finished in terms of cutting out the
membrane that you see regrading up to
where the stones are so that the
landscape contractor can come in and
start placing all the plants in um
there's going to be a lot of basically
field adjustments that we're doing
because the pond shifted its location as
well as its size due to you know
actually being in the field and walking
it with Spencer and Grant and being like
we we want to avoid this and avoid this
and so the landscaper is hoping to get
in there as soon as possible to try to
just get those beds figured out and then
finish the pathways that are kind of
connecting the two so we you know
hopefully within I mean they're still
going to be going through but I would
say probably within the next two to
three weeks hopefully it'll be completed
knock on wood
I was just
curious um one one I was talking to the
contractor a couple days ago on site and
he did say that that pesky tree
protection plan of ours has really
slowed him down because he doesn't have
as much room to maneuver he wasn't
complaining he was just trying to
explain the delay and that was one of
the reasons he was like I'm sure the
tree commission we'll be glad to hear
that um so that's Commonwealth um yes
plan changes common
be able to
trees so that's one of the really
compelling
interesting components to what we're
looking at is it does seem like that
could be possible and I'm hedging all
that because there's some topographical
variation that occurs as you come down
and so it's like do you want to Forever
have this indentation where Columbia
used to be or does it want to start to
really unify more so I think that's
something that's being studied and
talked about um that idea that maybe
that Al of trees can sort of to frame
that space but
um that development of concept will
occur after the public meeting that we
would have because right now we're going
to show some pretty pictures that are
ideas just to kind of illustrate like
how cool could this be because sometimes
people do better with images than they
do with thoughts and so um and then if
if it seems like we have the political
will to to to go forward with the
closure permanent closure then we'll get
deep into the plan planning and we'll
have better feel for
that um question Ben yes if if you're
going to let's say close it up and then
just connect the two parts it will it be
just a lot less expensive to just
basically have you know I mean you won't
be parking there you won't need anything
else other than draft yeah it will be a
whole lot less
expensive except we were going to custom
um order a statue of Grant Archer for
the middle of a fountain which would
have really yeah we we've already
designed it right he's holding a tree in
one hand and a stump in another yeah and
he's got like a chainsaw sort of hanging
from his belt I I've heard that there
are residents on residents on Remington
that want to pay for that
statue I think there are so I mean long
story short yes it will it will uh the
overall project cost we would imagine
would go down quite a bit um because
Hardscape is more expensive especially
Hardscape that you can drive on and so
that would reduce it you know we would
imagine that we would probably then we
were starting to be pretty concerned
about not having budget for the pergolas
and some of those sort of features that
we really kind of going to highlight
that space so we'd imagine that would
really free up some of that budget as
well so this is not really finances are
important it wasn't Prim it's it's a
primary like what's the best thing for
the future Bexley question and less
about like any sort of expedience in
terms of finances but it's a nice it's a
nice little bonus it was more safety
driven I think than it was um Finance
driven in terms of the having a traffic
table what kind of actuated signage that
you might have to let people know that
they need to cross where would we need
to necessarily have train chains where
do you have to have tactile bumps for
people to know that they're in a
crosswalk and so there were just there
were a lot of more detailed you know
kind of almost like code requirements
that we were looking at that started to
muddle the design and almost made it
look really
ugly be very safe yeah and we wanted it
to be safe you know it's even safer not
Crossing Field field with with a
beautiful Plaza overlooking the rest of
the park um so yeah that will continue
to develop and we'll continue to touch
base on it um Drexel Avenue updates it's
been a fun week for Drexel um are you
saying that preciously no I think it's
been a great for Drex trees are underway
they're marching down the street we
started the the very positive effusive
praising emails have started to pour in
how many
predictable
Mike well there you go that's that's
three people that uh I got a personal
phone call there you go and I didn't
have a thing to do with it that's great
yeah but that's when you take credit no
yeah was all me um we also had a runy
truck run through two of them medians
but fortunately they didn't have the
trees yet in them
so it just created a rut it's fine we're
going to he was clearly distracted it
was not like don't even it was not
because of the medians it was like the
he blamed it on like a car that was
legally parked and had plenty of room so
it wasn't probably yep exactly that's
what I would imagine um and then one
more thing other I want to talk about
other here's my other
um we have
don't worry I'm not going to ask you
guys for any decisions right now I'm
just going to talk about something we
have I was spurred by talking to Rebecca
NES who came and spoke with you guys
about Native uh plantings and the
medians on Drexel and her passion for
native plants uh this
is uh this is not a Drexel median this
is a Bellwood median I'm not sure how
many of you guys know but there's a
medians there are two medians at
Bellwood and
cassingham um they're a couple years old
year one we planted boxwoods in them and
they died uh year two we planted star
Magnolias in them and there is this one
Lone Survivor just hanging out there
this is what the other one looks like um
I think
that's or what we have what's there
Grant just weed weeds native Native
grasses so local grasses this is some
native ground cover going on right there
that's nice so so
um it occurs to me that this would be a
great opportunity to test out some of
the recommended recommendations um and
so I asked Elena and Grant to take a
look at it and make some recommendations
which they're still working on um I
think the width of these is similar to
drael it looks like big bigger they're
wider wider so I think they could also
support some understory trees um in
addition to uh some uh some potentially
native Ground Covers I'd love to test
them out all the things we worry about
we wor about salt tolerance we worry
about you know how do they do in a
non-irrigated situation we also think
the soil here is uh is not the grade of
soil that's went into Drexel so we think
we need to replace the soil um so um we
hope to come back to you guys next month
with planting plan to review and talk
about forood so Ellena I would and Grant
I'd like you to include Mary in that
discussion if you would she's done a lot
of studying on the plants that have been
T tried and tested through Mount the
Mount Cuba
program and could be a resource for you
is that okay Miss
Mary I'd be honored
okay cool any anything else and Ellen I
don't know if you had some I know that
you also studied some of the Mount
Cuba yeah yeah well you have all that
money how can you not be
wonderful well in education in education
and experimentation so well all things
that we love
experimentation yeah yeah I think yeah I
think I mentioned that to you before
Ellen about the sges they did a study on
sges and it's very um extensive
so good information okay anything else
for the
mayor oh yeah sorry thanks that's a
really good reminder um so uh 2200 East
Maine they just had a design charet with
the ARB yesterday which is more of like
a workshop where they just had a deep
dive working group um the design has
changed quite radically since I would
say
radically I think it's radical since the
last meeting in terms of uh changing
into public spaces changing of the
facade lots of things have changed about
it so they're still in that ex mostly
they're working on exterior the
landscape design is not yet ready to
come back to you which is why they're
not here this month we I would expect
the deal will be back next month um one
thing I would
uh I will I will insert a staff comment
into this discussion just for some food
for thought because there's been a lot
of discussion around
preservation of
trees I am a huge believer in
preservation of trees so listen to me
listen to that please with that great
with that context and some Grace which
is we've always known that with this
site literally always known because this
is a site that's been discussed for
redevelopment for a long time and and
have admired of course the beautiful
London Plane trees at the front and
cringed actually frankly every time I
see them because I know that any
development on that site at a grade
where pedestrians can access it will
mean that the trees which are currently
elevated above that grade are going to
be compromised not only that they're not
consistent with our Main Street design
guidelines so love it or or hate it we
have design guidelines where we talk
about trees and the tree well and the
urban Fabric and we've learned over the
years how not to plant trees in those
tree Wells well they won't won't do well
and then how to do it and we've we've
gained a lot of expertise so I don't
mean to I'm not trying to preach about
it but I am trying to say that like
whenever
whenever I've seen that site and knowing
the topographical challenges with it and
what's going to happen with any
development it's the writing is on the
wall in terms of at least the street
trees from my perspective and of course
that's my non-expert opinion but I do
happen to know a little bit about
topography and about you know I have
been well schooled and how far out from
a root Zone you might have to go and
what happens when you pile mulch up
against a tree trunk or take it away so
um just something to think about um the
other thing is whenever we look at
development in Bexley like we know there
are such limited numbers of development
sites in the city um this is the largest
development site in the city of Exley
period um it's the largest site that we
probably will ever review in any recent
in any any immediate history I would
think um and in in that I think you know
obviously we always weigh with
everything all of our decisions we weigh
what is the public good what's the
public interest Bexley has the lowest
percentage of commercial real estate of
any City in central Ohio any City like
there is not a single City anywhere
close to us in terms of the lowness of
commercial real estate and why that
matters and why I'm I'm giving you guys
a little bit of a development director
lecture is that um our the main source
of income for a city is through income
tax revenue not property tax revenue
income tax revenue gets built up in the
city of Bexley by primarily actually
residents you guys know love that Rita
right so that that feeds income tax
revenue but a bigger driver would be
Commerce so anytime we can get Commerce
into development it's fantastic um all
of that to say we balance Economic
Development goals alongside all of our
Urban fabric goals and in
96% of our land use patterns which is
residential and institutional we have
really stringent I would say controls in
terms of any sort of new development
that is less true of commercial
development and I I think that's for a
reason I think we architected our
process and our standards to know that
new development will come we have a we
have a zero lot line development
standard for commercial property which
means property owners have a right they
have an affirmative right to build
property to the zero lot line on all
sides whether or not they should you
know but they have a right and then of
course that gets balanced against a lot
of other design
considerations um what that right means
is in theory someone can come through
and build a building that it has a 100%
lock coverage ratio thank God this is
not being proposed next door but there
are analogous situations where it has
happened on Main Street and I think
we're learning from that um so I guess I
would
just exhort tree commission you can take
it or leave it whatever I'm saying right
now which is to say in my opinion our
focus should
be understanding first off with this
project which is radically different
from our mixed use commercial zoning the
current the current use right now that
apartment cont complex that is a
Suburban apartment complex on Main
Street it will become mixed use
commercial at some point in time when we
do that the trees that are on there
can't stay and also accommodate new
development we just know that they can't
some of them maybe can but generally
they can't so I think our focus should
be on what is the quality of the
replacement and how well can we
accommodate that and you guys know that
and I really apologize if any of this is
like just like I don't know like I'm
talking down I'm not trying to do that
I'm just trying to remind and think
about the fact that like we have
precious few development sites for
commercial real estate in the city we we
really do need to have a strong Revenue
Source um we have very little
opportunity for it and so this is one of
those instances where I think the the in
my opinion the best interest of the city
including the Arboretum which is funded
through the same Revenue sources is to
ensure a very quality land High
landscape high quality of landscape but
also realize that like in order for that
new development to occur there will be a
change so that's my pep talk okay all
right ra so I would just say last month
we laid out what we need from them and
hopefully they'll bring it great so Ben
I mean not to I mean I think that when
you talk about what the city wants or
what the people in the city want I don't
know that it's considered impossible to
remain have those trees remain and find
another type of project that would be
you know cause that to happen when
you're talking about income too um and
you put commercial if you're talking
about retail like a place down in the
lower level that's not going to bring in
much money I mean we talked about years
ago we did some land use projects um you
want to bring in a a doctor's office or
you know some has a higher income as far
as the people that are you're you're
taking the money from um and then also
the parking problems are going to be
that if you put some retail there they
have to park somewhere as well as the
workers and you're just going to really
mess up the people in the next parking
lot which are going to lose their spaces
like Mushi and all the rest of them it's
just
not I guess there's you can it can be
done I just would not say that we as a
city couldn't have it happen and I don't
know that you know we lost the trees on
uh Park View and and uh Maine there with
that other development um I think we
just need to be more cautious and
caring thank you Linda any other
comments
no many from our property manager over
there
[Laughter]
okay yeah I would just no no one is
saying we shouldn't be for development
Dave no one's saying we shouldn't be for
development I think that you know the
idea is keep an open mind you know
understand where we are when where we
need to be and you know hope that
there's creative thinking and you know
what quality thinking right right and
let's let's be hopeful that we're going
to be you know astounded with this
beautiful landscape plan
so
so I have to admit I am not super
familiar with what they're going to come
back to you with I don't know in terms
of the site and Landscape plan my my
comments were really I wasn't trying to
I know it's hard not to get specific I
was trying to generically talk about
um add uh just understanding over like I
I could really go deep with you on the
economic return of a development like
the one proposed it's much more robust
than I think most people understand um
compared to a tax exempt site that's
there today as proposed much more robust
um but uh and I would be happy to talk
about that frankly that unfortunately or
fortunately I guess that actually
doesn't coin side with tree commission
discussions but honestly let's grab a
cup of coffee and let's go over some uh
cash flow analyses because I've got them
um but and I don't I'm not trying to say
sell the city I'm trying to say that our
Main Street design guidelines exist for
a reason and they were they're pretty
they're pretty uh transparent about what
they're asking for in development and
that is what we're trying to point this
developer too and some of those things
are in in conflict with straight up day
one treat tree preservation so other
comments if not Sheila were you just
have a quick question in regards to the
Giant Eagle in the restaurant is there
ever been any more further discussion
about that because we want to put trees
up there if there isn't yeah I agree
that' be great yeah have anant waiting
yeah I know and we do have an applicant
waiting yes why don't I get to that
question after we're done you through
thank you thank you Jim one more
question you know I'm excited about
those white lights on Main Street and
they're coming early will it be this
month
really yeah first or second
we okay
so doing
AAR now
okay I know that many of us are very
excited so thank
you okay Mr won have an applicant so
just a reminder to everyone as we move
in into our mode of examining an
application as opposed to considering
public policy um everyone is reminded
our meetings are videotaped so anything
you say will be on uh becky. org's
website uh commission members are
reminded that we do not comment or
discuss on the findings of other
commissions or on subjects under review
from by other City commissions uh we
will not as always be party to negative
or disparaging comments about City staff
elected officials appointed officials or
city Consultants or other commission
members comments uh presented today
should be Germaine to the subject
ahead um and I don't think it likely
today but if um any presentation is
trending towards becoming inflammatory
or confrontational where we'll recess
for 10 minutes catch our breath and
resume our work um so just a reminder
we'll start with the staff
presentation um and then uh our
applicant Mr Ryan you'll have 10 minutes
to present the plan um if I not think it
likely but if there are opponents
they'll have three minutes a piece to
present any objections any supporters
likewise would have three minutes a
piece um and then uh Mr Ryan you'd have
the opportunity for up to five minutes
to respond to any of those critiques
and the board will have the opportunity
to ask both Elena and you any questions
we have and we'll try to clearly
delineate between that and then moving
to our deliberations in which it will
just be the members of the commission
deliberating so um if you don't mind Mr
Ryan coming up while um our while Elena
presents her staff report that'd be
great thank you thank you excellent um
Pat thank you for being so patient oh I
was having time great trees in the city
next right can't be um so we're looking
at um the application tbg 23-9 for right
of way uh plantings um in front of a
fence um and the location is at 2524
Beckley Park this project was reviewed
by BAP on September 28th and um I'm G to
go through a little bit of the um the
comments that I had in the staff
comments I won't read it directly but
I'll just go through it for the record
um so this project came in as an
application for a variance for a special
permit to allow a front yard fence
excuse me I just ask the mayor
pull people can read it along well read
along or go to the there you go that
last paragraph yeah perfect thank you
very much um it was it was a front yard
fence to be approved with the following
conditions that the fence is to be set
at a 45 degree angle where the driveway
meets the sidewalk and that a landscape
plan should be reviewed by the Bexley
tree and public garden commission
subject to our approval um just as a
note the right of way along cassingham
so this is at the corner of cassingham
and um Beckley Park and so the fence
that we're looking at is actually
basically facing cassingham and the
right of way in that if we could pull up
is it a side yard fence it is it it was
a combination of both so they were they
were having a a front yard since it's a
corner lot I think of how it was plotted
that it was coming in I could double
check I think it goes past the setback
of the house since I walk past it three
times yeah so I can double check with
Kathy I just verba him and and reading
what they had in their
review um so along cassingham um so
here's the project in question along
cassingham the right of way is actually
three feet behind the sidewalk and um
this the fence is right along the
property line and so we have a 3-foot
bed in which that we're looking at to
actually plant the plan itself if we
could by do I
[Music]
Peters no actually you know what I think
it might have been that other one
because we open that big one those are
both
elevations yeah nope that's not
it
yep
yep it's that one this it's a six foot
fence that it's a solid wood fence the
lattice was on the previous project that
we're not reviewing today no I think the
lattice Sol is all the way out is there
lattice on this one it is is it okay six
feet at the top okay Le there's 18 or 12
inch I can't remember exactly of lattice
but okay I think it was 18 okay and in
the tree commission we don't necessarily
comment on the style and the design of
the fence
okay okay a little side
bar so um the plan um as is shown here
um we're gonna have provide in talking
with Pat we've explained that the tree
Commission in general has said that we
don't necessarily like to have the beds
come right up to the sidewalk right
because then Mulch and plant material
comes in when you are walking along
cassingham you will see a lot of beds
and you'll see situations that are very
similar to this where beds come right up
to the sidewalk and so we had a
discussion that they can either provide
a one foot lawn strip um and then a
two-foot bed with plant material for
that they also had an option to to
consider to come to us to discuss um as
having a metal Edge that is also another
condition if you go I think North along
cassingham that you'll see a bed that
has a metal Edge that actually prevents
the mulch from coming into that the
owners um had decided that they would
actually like to maintain a one foot
strip there I think as a small side
remark not as part of this application
but in something that Monette and I were
talking about um is whether or not in
terms of that one foot lawn a one foot
strip of lawn is difficult to maintain
it's difficult to mow sometimes irrigate
and so we might want to just kind of
discuss that in terms of different
options like if do we keep it one foot
all of that but that's a discussion for
a later date so they have um proposed to
keep the one foot strip um along the
sidewalk and then have um a twoot bed
along here and then this is actually I'm
going to go to actually this guy um and
so in this particular and the plan that
they're looking to have is a row of um
little Henry um Virginia sweet spers
which are the ITA virginica and then
about every nine feet or so they will
have a Climbing Hydrangea or hydrangea
pedis there are also a number of
climbing hydranges that are also on you
know the fences in this condition they
do very well they take off of a couple
couple of years and they basically cover
and screen that entire fence and so this
will have a nice variation of kind of
having a staccato of broken up of the
fences with the hydranges and then the
lower Virginia sweet Spire that have the
white flowers in the spring early summer
and then really beautiful red fall color
um the as you can see around here where
this is the 45 degree angle that Bap had
requested and I think some of that was
for lines of sight um in terms of coming
out of that driveway the plant material
just turns that corner and then I'm
assuming that this would then be lawn
out in
front um in looking at um sort of the
elevation of what it would look like in
terms of that particular fence with the
fence coming down with the shrubs in
between and then as a cross-section that
you can see how the fence looks with the
shrubs the sweet Spire um excuse me um
and the the hydranges with that small
strip of turf in that um the there were
um in terms of the comments that I had I
had requested a handful of information
um additional information just to kind
of be shown and um in terms of adding a
little bit more of shrubs in terms of
originally between the The Climbing
Hydrangea they only had two Virginia
sweet Spire I recommended having three
for spacing just so it looks a little
bit more full as it grows in and uh they
went ahead and accommodated that I would
also say that um the my one comment and
I don't think it's necess necessarily um
a bad thing there are not there's no
nothing is Evergreen so just so you're
aware there are no Evergreen materials
in this part of that is I think part of
the um Sun requirements that are in
there um we I can let Pat you know kind
of speak to that a little bit more but I
do think that with the variety of the
shrubs and the the climbing hydrange it
actually gets pretty dense even when the
leaves are gone so I think that it's not
going to look like it's a completely
naked shrub but I just did want to call
that out to um let everyone see that and
other than that I think think that the
plan is appropriate and my
recommendation would be to um approve it
as presented so with that I'm going to
kick it over to you Pat thanks thanks
happy birthday by the way this is is a
corner lot um right now there's nothing
nothing there we've been kicking around
ideas as to what to put there and here
we are um I think ellena's point of
having three versus two um is much
better I think it'll fill in quickly and
it'll be you know Lush and full the idea
we do not have any Evergreen boxwood are
going to be difficult I in my experience
boxwood on the side normally gets peed
on ends up dying at least one of them so
if you have a row of them I try to steer
clear that and we try to pick something
that has a nice structure in the winter
time so when the leaves do fall off it's
not like a Foria where it's mangy and
ugly it's nice and campt and it has a
decent structure to it uh in the 45
still even with the plants there you're
not going to um push on the sidelines we
actually went out there and measured
even with a twoof foot bed you're still
just Ste clear of having positive sight
lines as you're backing out of that
driveway
um that's really all I have right you
did a great job he took the words right
out of my
mouth thank you um I will ask the
question even though I think I know the
answer is there anyone that wants to
speak in opposition to The Proposal
anyone that wants to speak in support do
you want to respond to those
comments I appreciate it do we have
questions for either the applicant Mr
Ryan or
Ellena they fell off on this one so on
here you can see the street trees are
here here and here so it's a relatively
well-shaded site which do I hit this one
oh my God I did it woohoo so this was a
view this is an old view a street view
um prior to the fence kind of going in
but you can see that the size of some of
the trees this actually has a pretty
large canopy so a lot of the area is
actually very shaded and then we have
nope wrong God sorry
oops
sorry it's my birthday I'm allowed
to just remember this is recorded that's
what I was just that's what I was
thinking yeah it seems appropriate I
need to put a quarter in the jar
does that help Dave okay any other
questions Susan um is there a protection
plan for the trees when you do the
installation the for the city trees we
were GNA do this all by hand oh I can I
can put tree protection up there for
sure I mean we aren't bringing any
machines this is all just going to be
off the side of a truck but if you'd
like that season I'd be happy to I I
think it's always a good ide yeah always
a good idea sure and then I was going to
ask since Elena said there wasn't any um
Four Season material be within front of
the fence is there any behind I don't
see I don't see at least from the the
plan that you showed that there's in the
in the yard side Susan so what we
actually did is we rejuvenated those
Foria we moved them on the inside um her
daughter is her favorite plant she was
actually a gas when we when we cut them
back because she thought we had killed
them and we were digging them up she go
very frantic but we just moved them on
the inside of the fence so that they'
have those still to look at in the
springtime but I I don't there is no
Evergreen on the inside of the the yard
side of the fence no no there's there's
not okay is there so between the fence
in the house so most all the plantings
on the house side are kind of uh aligned
with the house not too much in the yard
correct they're all border border
plantings they do have some uous um that
in between the fence and the screened in
porch but that's on the inside I think
they have a couple road to dinner on the
outside already and I believe there's a
Japanese maple sitting out there as
well so I have just a a follow-up
question about tree protection so the
fence has already been in this fence is
installed is it is it a question in
terms of for the I imagine that this is
maybe half a day's work ofre install is
it necessary to do think if it's going
to be hand dug that we need to have tree
protection on City street trees for this
four hours that it's being installed
that's just it it's a question I I know
that I know that we have done that for
larger construction sites but I don't
know if we've necessarily asked it
specifically for this and I just wanted
to have clarification well why don't I
shoot that question to Grant because he
sees all sorts of sites for one hour or
four hours or four
days yeah I don't know that it's in the
permit paperwork to put in um pre
protection for
landscape I'm not sure but I don't I
didn't know the fence was already in um
so I think it's always a good idea to
have tree protection and there's going
to be digging especially for the fence
not so much for just planting shrubs and
stuff right if if you can do it I mean
it's four stakes and reusable water it
makes the tree so happy yeah any other
questions okay any
comments I would I would just say um you
know I'm I think it's nice that there's
variation in the height in the plan um
you know if there were less shade I'd
probably push for evergreens rather than
hydrangea but as someone that walks that
corner fairly often mostly grateful that
you've put the previous plannings on the
other side of the fence because they
were mostly in the sidewalk before um oh
yeah and so I think it's an it's an
improvement
so if you'd like me to make a motion yes
I call for motions I would move that we
approve the plan with the provision that
um that the contractor provide tree
protection during the period of the
planting um but otherwise no other
requirements is there a second
okay any discussion okay motions been
made and seconded that we approve the
plan as presented with the condition
that this uh City street trees be
protected during the installation period
all those in favor say I I all those
oppose same sign motion carries thank
you and I should have said it was Jim
making the motion well I think it's ACC
yeah yeah so accurate who made the
second who made you very much have a
great evening thank you who who who made
this who made the second of the motion
just oh Celeste okay Jordan it was
Celeste okay all right no other appli no
no other applications so now miss
Monette
Freelander this is your first report as
a staff consultant for the city of
Bexley and the Bexley Tre and public
gardens commission I understand you're
going to talk to us a little bit about
um upside down paperwork no let's see
the a little bit about um how are you
doing on inspecting some landscape
applications that approved and have been
installed you may I'll hand it out I am
and while I do that I'll pass these
along I've updated the oh thank you
updated the uh residential project list
so this is again this is Jordan This is
Monette Freelander Monette could you
bring your um yes that's perfect thank
you okay so as what part of what I've
been doing over the last month is
updating the construction statuses on
the residential project list so that I
understand which projects are able to be
reviewed so I've done that with the
exception of a couple that I had some
questions on which I clarified with
Elena
yesterday so be nice at each time I
report I'll be updating this and sending
a revised list I was also able to review
two projects and I was able to complete
one in Viewpoint Ellen and I had some
fun making sure that I had the proper
permissions on Viewpoint so that I'm
doing the right processes on all of that
so I was able to review and we were able
to enter the application for tpg 218 at
407 North View which I we uploaded to
Viewpoint I have my notes I did approve
it I did note some changes to the plan
that weren't of
any any bother to me um they had
installed a generator which wasn't on
the plan so it was in the way of some
plantings that they ended up
omitting and um I think they swapped out
a tree that they had on the plan it was
supposed to be a willow installed in the
backyard and they ended up putting in
awans and
Cherry that's change yeah right so I was
happy to see that it was a small it
wasn't like a giant it was it was a
small ornamental tree it yeah it didn't
say the plan did not
specify uh and I also was able to review
tpgc
22-2 which is
the project at 2730 East Broad I'm still
I'm still making my markups and then
then I will be adding that to Viewpoint
as well I can just say at first glance
it's not completely installed so and
which one was that Joey
J stre okay it's the one on Broad
Street Joy Shay yeah
okay and so not only the installation
but um perhaps you'll need to
investigate what the time limits are for
doing that so what currently with that
particular project is um I had reviewed
this in December of last year and we had
made a determination that there was a a
portion of the approved plan that we
said you needed to install we could have
two um there were some plant material
that was on the North elevation as well
as a portion of the South elevation
towards the back that we said you could
hold off on because there are plans to
do renovations to his existing garage
and we understood that we would be
blocking off access to those areas but
that the remaining plant material that
was in the front of the house had to be
installed before he could move forward
with anything currently right now um he
has been cited in violation of a
deteriorating fence that he needs to
remove so code enforcement has been
working with him Kathy Rose has been
working with him letting him know that
we will not be reviewing any requests
for building permits to do any
renovations to the GES until the
landscape that we have asked to be
installed is actually installed per plan
and so we've been working with Kathy and
Dave and Us in terms of understanding
the landscape trying to hold that off
and so right now he's not able to go
forward with any of his proposed
improvements to the garage which would
be great I mean it'll be the garage is
you know kind of falling apart um but he
needs to get the landscape installed and
so he's supposed to have boxwoods and
hydrangeas and a bunch of other stuff
and he right now only has maybe half of
what is proposed thank
you so any questions for Monette on her
her maiden debut here did I know that
did the landscape plan include a a
sidewalk coming from the front steps out
I I don't know if that was that was an
option at one time I think that was an
option I'd have to go back and check I
know it currently has not been installed
I know that the the sidewalk is not it
was not necessarily something that was
under our review the one thing that was
that we were looking at was he had
wanted to have shrubs in the right of
way along Broad Street he wanted to have
a row of shrubs um and we said you know
no or they we needed to look at them a
little bit more and he has taken that
off the plan so whether or not that
sidewalk is still coming I'd have to
double check it with the building
department on that the other condition I
remember is that um to build the house
they had to access it from Broad Street
right yes and so there the condition was
that they had to restore the right of
way and the sidewalk if it was damaged
in bringing up the construction
equipment so that might be something El
should look at when at the area between
the curb and the sidewalk because there
were some front I mean there's a lot of
stuff yeah lotu and and just as a um as
a followup then with Monette we've been
working with um K Cathy and Robin um so
Viewpoint is the um the computer program
that the city of Bally uses for all of
our building permits and applications
and all of that everything comes in it
get assigned numbers it gets you know
kind of spit out to the appropriate
people who are reviewing it and one of
the things that we're trying to do right
now is within Viewpoint from the staff
side you have a workflow so a project
comes in it's then it goes back out is
requested for a fee and then then and
then once that fee is paid it kicks it
to the next level and it kicks it to the
next level and for the tree commission
what we're trying to do is clean that up
and make it very clear that you know it
goes to the tree commission it goes It
goes to land ape review by a consultant
it goes to the tree commission and we've
now added a step that has landscape
installation review so that it will go
on there so that we can basically have
that so the project is not going to be
flagged as complete until that's
actually in there so we're adding that
now to all of our future applications
and as we're looking at projects adding
that button so that Monet can then go in
and like anything that she sees she can
type up some comments and it is kept
within that those comments are then
kicked to me to review as well as the
applicant to review and and and it's a
public comment so anyone could go online
and type that up and kind of see what
the comments were so behind the scenes
we're trying to get this workflow a
little bit more specific so we can move
forward um for the commercial reviews we
are still uh trying to work with Mark
sheber in terms of doing the commercial
reviews on that um and so what our hope
is I think Monette you had said maybe by
the end of the year you think that the
all of the residential up to a certain
point so the target is by the end of
this year the residential portion will
be completed and then we might have to
look at how we're going to best tackle
the commercial sounds great so it's it's
a it's almost a long it's a almost a
have accomplished our long held dream of
of of review prior to the installation
and review post installation so almost
full circle at 360 um so let's go under
old business Mr Wilson you have two
items tree plotter and report on walking
Broad and Parkview and uh the report on
the compiling tree commission related
ordinances um yeah so um some of you
joined Susan and I for the Walk of Broad
Street um couple Saturdays ago um and we
learned a lot about tree plotter um we
found um 46 trees that in our amateur
view um could be infilled there um and
then and Susan and I walked Parkview the
next day and found 47 spots where trees
um might be planted recognizing that we
took a generous view of what might be an
appropriate planning spot um we um we
then talked a little bit with Grant who
um helped us improve our process U for
instance we those of you that were there
re may remember where we saw tree that
we thought should come down and be
replaced we marked it new tree and so um
I don't know if Grant's done it yet but
we're going to update tree plotter so
there'll there'll be instead of new tree
there'll be another option for replace
tree or something like that um so I
think um I think it's going to be a
useful tool uh I'm sure that when Grant
and Spencer go and look at what we've
done they'll say how they come up with
all these ideas for trees being planted
here but um I think our motto is error
on the side of planting um um and we'll
get corrected on the other side U so I
think we're we're really ready to for
volunteers to start taking on other
streets and if anyone wants a tutorial
I'm happy to meet with you it's easiest
just to do it out on a street where
there's an empty spot rather than sort
of in the abstract so I think you know
from my perspective it's going to uh be
a useful tool and um hopefully Grant and
Spencer will find it a useful tool and
I'm sure that we'll we'll also learn a
lot about where trees actually can be
planted in the process of it the mayor
already mentioned one of the things we
sort of observed would be it'd be really
nice when we're using it to see where
the right of way is and where water
lines are and the mayor mentioned that
we're figuring out some sort of file
that can be exported from uh the the gis
system into tree plotter which would
actually let folks pull up where the
right of way is since it varies
virtually everywhere in the city and bl
to block just St right and Kathy and
Grant won't get questions from me about
is that in the right way um so hopefully
it'll make for Less work for the staff
and more resources for us so that any
questions about tree plotter I can only
say um I wanted to public announced that
Dei glimer is waiting to be called by
Dave Wakeman to walk
streets
as a kind of a throwback to walking the
streets 20 years
ago she she did walk with us so Dave she
can train
you yeah she
did
yeah so should I move on yes please um
so um uh some of you may remember last
month I reported that I in a meeting
with Susan and the mayor had agreed to
review the extraordinary variety of
places in which the tree commission is
mentioned within the Bexley ordinances
and I completed that project and shared
that with uh the mayor and Susan last
night who to my amazement within an hour
responded to me and uh the mayor gave
some comments Susan and I are going to
meet next week and then uh what's
that now I know how to get your
attention just put ordinance in the
heading
of uh but Susan and I will work through
the mayor's comments and make sure we
understand what's all in there and then
I think talk to the mayor about his
views on what's good and bad um all of
you who know me will be shocked to know
that after I did the summary of what's
in there I came up with 15 questions not
including subp Parts about how we could
improve our ordinances so that it's a
beginning of a process but hopefully um
the end product wherever that may be
will lead to a more systematic um set of
our um ordinances that affect us um
clear guidance for so that we know under
what Authority we're reviewing different
projects or
applications um and and then we'll just
see what else gets filled in in this in
the in the process so if any of you want
to see it um I'd be happy to share I
think you should Jim I'll share it can I
share your the one with your comments in
it mayor so again you wouldn't be
surprised to know
how
extraordinary this work is that Jim did
focused you know perfect typing no
misspellings organized clear yeah oh no
that's record actually only one
grammatical is a record for me usually
my secretary reads everything I couldn't
ask her to read a tree commission
project so I was trying to quantify the
amount of work that Jim put into this
and um so I came up with the idea that
he saved the city $10,000 and I thought
well gee maybe I'm really cutting his
rate so we'll go to $20,000 after after
we sit down but I I I do have a a a
little label on my suet gum so I've been
adequately
ped and you know so so we'll look at
what is and then we can look you know at
improving and then maybe we need to look
at what should be what should be so this
is just kind of the research part of of
this project but we're on our way so
thank you Jim thank you again thank you
um I was just going to mention that um
the bexy beautification fund had given
St Charles a grant um I think that barb
talked about that the last time for
$5,000 for uh trees between their
parking lot and the hiking path as you
get close to Broad Street you know that
area that doesn't have too much and um
we were going to go out and look and
check to see the area and it just by
Happ stance the mayor was there the day
before and talked to their Landscape
designer whom I think you remember is
Gary Houston and um the mayor in his
creative genius suggest suggested that
perhaps we could grow the Arboretum
there and and plan a variety species
instead of more whatever it is that line
that path and St Charles is very
interested in that idea and so was Mr
Houston and I was hoping that they'd
have something to show us today I don't
know if something got delayed no I know
they know you they were to call you but
in any case I think it could be you know
a really fun project uh there's there
was an article in the New York Times a
few months ago about small forests know
that you you maybe have a small Forest
here I I don't know what you could put
in but I'll be anxious to see you know
what they come up with so I just wanted
to update you on that we go on to
anything else for old business go on to
new business um Mary has has um has put
together a lecture series for this
coming um I guess the winter uh called
rooted in Bexley and it mirrors a little
bit about what uh she did last year when
we had Chris Alum speak and a speaker
from oh you just put this together okay
put together and so I'm gonna I asked
her if she would explain this to us and
I know that she is hoping that we'll
endorse it as a collaborative effort so
Miss Mary thank you you're welcome this
is Mary mcmun Jordan this all started uh
because um I'm a volunteer at the
Heritage Gardens of the road at the Ohio
Governor's residence and hope Taft is a
big part of that garden and she was
looking for ways to engage the
volunteers there throughout the winter
so we decided to come up with
educational programs for our volunteers
many of whom are um also Master garders
which enables them to get continuing ed
credit from this so um last this past
year we've we had several very popular
well attended programs so um I decided
that I needed to take this to the next
level and come up with a name for our
group and as I was sitting around with
friends um
talking we came up with rooted in Bexley
um because we want to focus on trees
primarily and we want to have the
support hopefully of not only the Bexley
Bloomers but the um Bexley Arboretum and
the Bexley tree and public garden
commission um and we're not seeking
financial support only you know support
in general so um in January our first
program is going to actually be with Dr
Andrea Brennan who's from Morton
Arboretum uh she's she's uh very aware
of Bexley and um very much appreciates
what we do um and is very impressed by
our Arboretum and she feels like we're
an excellent example
in presentations and resources that they
have about City arborita so she you know
Morton seemed like a natural fit for us
so I was really excited and mayor I'm
hoping you might be available to be
there and say a few words um it's
January 17th and I I'll obviously send
you more information on it um and then
uh in February we're bringing in a um
author and garden designer who focuses
on natives he's out of um Nebraska it's
going to be by Zoom and then that's
Benjamin vote I don't know if any of you
are familiar with him and then in March
we're bringing in Rick dark who has
collaborated extensively with Doug Talam
so we felt like he would be a big draw
and we were very fortunate to receive
funding for that particular speaker from
the paage and Mike crane uh fund through
the Community Foundation so everything
that I'm trying to do is um
is obviously focused on trees and plants
but I'm also trying to keep it in Bexley
so I'm trying to keep you know our
volunteer group engaged they come into
the city they have lunch they go to the
library all these programs are going to
take place at the library so it's you
know just trying to promote the city in
a in a positive way of course and so if
the tree commission is willing to
support me then I will say that rooted
in Bexley is a collaboration between
Heritage Garden and the Bexley Bloomers
with support from the Arboretum and the
uh tree and public garden Commission
so so any questions for Mary on on this
again she's asking for our collaborative
support no funding no and the um design
that you're that I passed around is what
we're going to use and that was designed
by uh Cindy how who's helping me and me
so we had fun doing that and um I'll
just give
you so any any and I think Mary Mary
underplayed her success last year year
that for the the speakers she had there
were 70 to 90 people at the first one
there were 120 at the second one and the
third one is blank I forgot I do too I
do too but in any case I mean to get a
100 people at something 120 in
January no that was April that was April
so something in March but we're blanking
out that terrible but it'll come to us
and we'll email everybody so if there
Jim I'm sorry I I move that we endorse
the rooted in Beckley lecture series is
there a second
second fourth yeah is there any
discussion okay a motion has been made
and seconded that we endorse the Ruden
Bexley lecture series uh which requires
only support relationships and Goodwill
and no funding all those in favor say I
I all those same sign okay um our and I
just had one more thing oh good good
good um I just wanted to thank everybody
for um listening to Karin last month
with his program um I don't know if any
of you have received it yet um on your
doorstep but he such he was so
enthusiastic about all of that and he
worked so hard and I criticized him so
much so I give him credit so he
persevered and came through and um he
was tucking this in the Bexley living
magazines so I know um last I heard from
him he had hit 3 homes so he was he was
pretty excited about that and he did a
GoFundMe page to underwrite the cost of
the brochure and he he raised it within
a short period of time right ,200 yeah
to pay for the printing so yeah
so Karen Ray Ray K A R A an yeah R yeah
nice kid and Mary thank you for your
help with that sure and Spencer I know
you also talked to him thank you such a
great learning experience and maybe
we've got a passionate tree Lover now
and an eagle scout like it yeah does
seem like it and the experience of test
testifying in front of a body I mean
that can't be any fun when you're a
senior in high school so um huh I don't
know about that I don't know about
that so lorianne isn't with us today so
is there anything else to come before
the uh October meeting of the Bexley
public gance commission I have a quick
city council update if it's helpful yes
of course always um the there have been
there was an ordinance going through
that
um sort of is incidental to to tree
commission it has to do with pesticide
application um specifically this one had
to do with mosquito pesticide mosquito
pesticide application but Council had
proposed an ordinance where if mosquito
treatment was occurring on private
property that residents or the
applicator would need to vertify
adjacent properties just that had
awareness of it because that pesticide
can travel like up to 150 ft um and
the Ohio pesticide Lobby showed up and
made it clear to us that it was not IL
legal it was not legal for cities to
regulate even notification we we thought
we weren't we were okay because we're
just uh regulated notification we did
some digging and um our City attorney
agreed with that analysis so that that
ordinance was withdrawn so to the extent
that any of you followed that
it uh it died it's very sad pathetic
death so mayor I know that they test for
West Nile and how how often does that
show up in a summer I mean two times
three times every time there's a
spraying is because there's been a
positive West now okay so that's the
only reason we spray and so how many
times was that this year I'm assuming
that we're past four or five we are P
we're pretty much past that now um four
or five times I believe um the Franklin
County Public Health divides the city
into North and South sections Fair
Avenue is the
delineator um
of this I think I just recently looked
at a report that approximately 60% of
the city gets actually gets that spray
on you know on property just because of
you know this it's an imperfect process
so about it's got about 60% effect
Effectiveness to actually spray and then
the spray itself is not terribly
effective at eradicating mosquito either
um your own personal private backyard
spray is far more effective because
they're going out there directly into
your backyard which I'm not advocating
I'm just saying it's a very different
system okay anything
else I think that's it okay so a
reminder to everyone that city council
elections are coming up um mayor
elections are coming up and Schoolboard
elections coming up I think the mayor
and the school board are running
unopposed but um I you know democracy is
a great thing so go vote Ellen Ellen one
last thing do you want to give an update
on the trees for Beckley
[Music]
campaign okay this is Ellen Bowen
okay yeah turn you
on almost two weeks
ago so so Grant I think if we plan 100
trees and we've already got only two
streets done and we have a 100 trees and
it was
$40,000 that we were going to raise that
we've already spent all the money that
we haven't even
raised yeah
good work so so we got 30,000 to go I
think we need one of those thermometers
right right so yeah it's it's a big job
this year and obviously if if if even
half of what we suggest in tree plotter
needs to be planted it's still a lot of
money so okay
yeah yeah they are big big streets
yeah long ones uh if there's nothing
else to come for the good of the order
then we will adjourn until November
reminding you that we'll finish at 6
o'clock in November and if we do have a
landscape plan and that it's extensive
Elena we'll have to look to you for how
long you think that might take in case
we have to you know move our meeting
back a little bit okay all right we are
adjourned thank
you
l
you
Celeste are you leaving before the
weekend are you leaving Friday
Friday
and I have the number of hours for the
other thing but I'm gonna write them
sentence
I the mall so you