foreign
[Music]
sending us an alternate but it is a time
to attempt so
let's start let's start with our newest
member Mary McMahon here let's start
with
a long time number Larry Hellman is
alternate Molly O'Donnell's alternate
year okay or ex-officio sorry Sheila
Straub here
Celeste Williams here Jim Wilson
here we have a quorum
Alan Andrews is here staff consultant
Jordan cavaliero as administrative
assistant and Ben Kessler as mayor does
anybody want to change their titles yes
yes
okay we are on we are on our way so I'm
looking for approval of the minutes of
February 15 2023.
I approved the minutes as read that's
right second okay is there any
discussion emotions made and seconded
that we approved the minutes of February
15 2023 as emailed all those favor say
aye aye all those proposed same sign
motion carries
do we have any additions to the agenda
I I would like to mention that Ellen
Bowden is on YouTube and uh
thumbs up from her so thank you guys for
doing that
okay so let's go into announcement small
victories and comments and Mary why
don't you start out with what's
happening in the community gardens
so we have 27 New gardeners this year
which is wonderful we've changed the
rules that we could permit a little
closer we only permit uh one plot per
family address that opened up a lot of
new beds and we also had a few people
who left us so that's exciting we're at
the North 23 at the South
um we're in the planning stages of
offering a kids Garden at the South and
um I've got someone a local resident who
wants to run that on Mondays in the
summer uh the North Garden the
construction of the new beds is
completed cities currently putting in a
nice concrete pad for us for mulch and
compost drop-offs and we just submitted
a grant to the community or to the
Community Foundation for new furniture
at the North because it is all rotted
and falling apart and we also are hoping
to get a new giving garden plot there as
well okay
and do you have anything you want to say
about the garden program that Chris
Allen put on at Jeffrey Mansion and or
the Bloomers
um the Bloomers are getting ready to
kick off in on April 29th with an
omelette pollution Palooza
uh we've got possibly 12 new folks who
may be joining us based on the city open
house and your excellent selling skills
and um we did get permission to start
working to remove invasive species in
Jeffrey Woods primarily starting along
Clifton and Parkview that corner
um we want to get a plan together first
before we get in there and start doing
our damage
so that it's not damaged and
um oh and on February 22nd Chris Allen
spoke to about a hundred folks about
tree pruning and trees that he likes
that are do well in Ohio and I wasn't
there to witness it but I heard it was
really well done yes well yeah Eleanor
was there what would be your assessment
Elena I I was shocked at how many people
showed up I mean it was literally we
were spilling into the back room
um and it was it was an excellent
presentation he had a great
um just kind of an overall things to do
and not do for trees and then there's
actually as a great little book that he
has 40 trees in Ohio that was uh
published in honor of his father and um
it's just an interesting his kind of
favorite 40 trees in Ohio a lot of which
we have actually represented in Bexley
and Eleanor was especially excited
because one of his favorite trees she
has in her backyard yes a seven son
flower a hepta codium my conioides which
is a super awesome it's a it's a large
shrub small tree it kind of cheaters on
that and um it has a beautiful
exfoliating bark it blooms in late
September or August with white flowers
and then the white flowers fall off and
the sepals turn maroon so it looks like
you have a second Bloom of maroon
flowers
bees love it I highly recommend it
although it is
somewhat junky it shoots up a lot of
suckers so you have to kind of maintain
it otherwise it just looks like a
massive shrub nice nice yeah but it was
it was a great attendance it was a good
day it was it was a good day an
appreciative audience so that was great
um Arbor Day week month celebrations I
will send you an updated list but I did
want to call your attention to the fact
that the mayor and city council
president Troy Mark are hosting the
webinar in-person interview with Joan
Malouf who is the organizer Creator
inventor of the old growth forest
Network and if you think you know about
old growth forest you don't I mean you
don't know how different they are from
say Jeffrey Mansion Force the soil's
different the habitations different the
insects are different and I mean the
work I think that she's doing is is
equivalent to Nature Conservancy in in
their preservation of special lands I
mean she's looking at uh
saving unique forests in the 19 let's
see in 2019 she had 130 forests that
were now in trust across 24 States so
so April 4th Tuesday the Bexley Public
Library seven o'clock or via zoom and
um that is also the day that her new
revised book on Nature's temples will be
released and hopefully the mayor has the
updated version of the book to read
okay that's good then your versioned
then your version okay so I okay so I
want to talk a little bit about the
Parkview Persian Ironwood project
um mayor do you want to say anything
about that or would you like me to
hahaha
or should it be a kind of a saga dance
okay all right so you start and then
I'll I'll
so the um the Parkview Persian wood
Ironwood project uh is underway uh the
removal of the trees has occurred
as you guys I'm sure know we uh
leveraged uh the free services of
aspland which is the contractor for AEP
to remove those trees
which was fantastic
um challenge was that they removed them
in a way that we probably would not have
in terms of the uh sort of the
presentation of that removal so it was
sort of a mass removal that occurred
um you know they did it in a very like a
a very like 40 in way and that they you
know removed all the trees chopped them
into limbs left the limbs in a pile so
the next screw could come through and
get the limbs but it resulted in a
fairly uh like post-apocalyptic uh
impression of North Park View so we
received a lot of questions about it we
posted a informational article on
bexley.org Susan thank you to you you
did a great job of filling in like gaps
above and beyond what we'd already
communicated to Residents
um and I think that there's general
knowledge that there are replacement
trees going in and as in and why those
trees were removed
um I have some learning takeaways from
it I think in general
um
just in terms of how we might do
notification better in the future so
it's I think notification was sort of
a combination notification slash uh you
know fundraising letter for the
beautification fund or trees for Bexley
I might be getting the facts wrong here
but I think it was a Happy Meal it was a
melt
um and I think uh you know we
whether or not we notified as many
people as we should have as a good
question that I don't
I'm not sure we did anything wrong but I
just would want to make sure that we
notify everyone fronting the properties
and then also if we're doing something
like that where it's like a mass removal
just maybe the more proactive Advanced
Communications to The Brighter Community
would be good
um honestly it's been talked about for
so long in this group that I I don't
want to tell you I was glazing over
while it was being discussed but that
may or may not have been occurring so I
didn't have all the facts at my
fingertips whenever some of those
questions started getting asked
nonetheless
you know the the major Community out cry
about it occurred after we had already
put information up on the website so it
was all out there and it reaffirmed what
we already know which is people don't
really care to go to mexico.org to find
out the truth they would rather just
kind of
you know go off on social media
sometimes although we did have a
resident eventually find the error to
see the article and and point it out
we'd also we also put information on our
Facebook page I think yes
um the city does not interact on the bus
so if we receive
if we find out about threads we know
about them we make sure that the
information is available on our official
Communications channels and the reason
we do that
is there are all sorts of forums
throughout social media we can't control
that and that's fine we don't know where
all the conversations are happening what
we do know is that we need to create an
official place that people can always
find information from us if they need to
and so that is our website uh we will
also put things on social media as we
think fit but anything we put on social
media will also be on our website so
um anyway the discourse occurred I think
you did a great job responding to some
residents with concerns and I think the
good news is people are passionate about
the trees you know we want them to be
and they are and they have feelings
about them and some like us are visceral
about them so that's the good news the
bad news is you know that you get
emotional before you get the facts and
that's isoliability
um and to the mayor's point I think if
the city had taken down one or two trees
a day
you know no one would have noticed but I
went over on Parkview after I was
alerted and you know eight orange trucks
Cherry Pickers 20 men you know I thought
wow what are we doing here so it just
you know
I don't want to say it was inspiring but
it did get your attention so impactful
okay so um the mayor did a great job at
the state of the city last night he and
Troy Markham
um were very proactive about what the
city is doing it was pretty exciting I
would have to say maybe the most
exciting part of the speech besides the
year of the parks was his uh
announcement that the city will be
working with the tree Commission on a
three-year plan to fill every hole in
the city with a tree so we're pretty
excited about that
Susan created to be from the United
States yeah
you know I mean it's sort of like the
contractor will be done with this house
in two years you know that's the hopeful
one what's the realistic one three and a
half for whatever it is
um I did have a note from uh former tree
uh commission city council liaison
Richard Sharp which is something I
wanted to read to you he said I was
driving on North Roosevelt and the
thought occurred to me that the tree
Islands there are larger than the
central Bexley tree
stands islands and since this is the
year of the parks and since the city
will have three pocket Parks soon on
Main Street those on North
Roosevelt could be Havenwood like equip
equivalence for Northeast Bexley and
should be considered for some tree
commission Bexley TLC
so I was able to write back and say
anyone that has it on her list for the
summer
don't you Elena
I I do but I can't promise it'll
definitely go in as a year of the park
project for 2023 but those medians are
definitely something that we've had I
think Susan you and I have been talking
about it for like the last three years
um so yes I mean that is definitely
something because I I agree I mean
they're beautiful they they do need some
TLC because you can't
the the roots of their it's pothold so I
mean you can't necessarily walk across
like with I've done that with my dog and
you might turn an ankle yeah well
between that and the stop signs it gets
your attention yes that's right so but I
was able to write back to him and so
that was good so I also want to
recognize today our mother to be Jordan
cavallaro her baby is due April 15th
this might be the last time we see her
for a bit right and so on behalf of the
tree commission Jordan we have something
for you that is tree related and it's
really adorable
[Laughter]
congratulations to you and after yeah
that's an Ellen Bowden bow I'm just
telling you
good
and um after you name your baby Arbor we
hope you'll come back
isn't it cool yeah yeah an oak so are
there any other announcements or small
victories
any requests from residents
then mayor I think we should go on to
your report because I know you're on a
tight time frame today
thank you
um did everybody see the agenda would
you like me to uh turn off the lights I
can see it okay yeah so main street
guide design guidelines update process
we do have budget for a design
guidelines update fifty thousand dollars
has been set aside for that
um in this year's budget
the way I had kind of envisioned this
happening
is that we would
um
potentially do a lot of work among a
committee within the city and then go
out for technical support to help
illustrate uh the work that we're doing
alternatively we could
um go out to bid and go to the you know
go to the planning community and ask for
them to help facilitate it uh the
process but I wanted to kind of
brainstorm that with the tree commission
a little bit um because this was on
another agenda like the meeting prior
and so I was going to bend Jason sudey's
here who was sitting next to us
about this but I thought we should talk
about it here first just in terms of
what you would Envision as being an
ideal process for the Main Street design
guidelines update well I can say that
Molly O'Donnell who's sitting on my
right was co-chair of the original Main
Street guidelines in 2002.
well about 20 20ish years and so uh and
with all your work with the city of
Columbus what do you think is the most
effective way to move forward I'm going
to say in a timely way not a three-year
way in a in a year to 18-month way
what's not
it's not going to go through to get rid
of the weeds
and then starter I don't think yeah
what's the lab doing I agree is to start
internally first
and who could you see that doing it
internally uh you know a committee of
pre-commission Elena
you know
um
a little contracted planner so like that
was Jason who's
um is with ohm is our contractor planner
could certainly help facilitate meetings
but I think a lot of it's just like
native wisdom of like you know
um what is what has worked so far what
hasn't worked and I think the review
board members are very logical people to
be involved in that and then opening it
up to okay what are we not thinking
about you know because the Main Street
design islands are aesthetically kind of
along the tooth in terms of just the
presentation of the report
but a lot of the standards that are
mentioned and discussed are still very
applicable
modern new urbanist kind of standards
that are being used still all over the
place it is
but the question is
the process is also
and the process and I would almost think
that's one thing in my wish list for
future mainstream design guidelines is
the process is peppered throughout the
document and so that when the process
changes which it has there's no longer
Main Street Commission
um the you know
just in general like our internal
processes are different
um documents that it refers to are no
longer relevant there should almost be
like a prosthesis piece of it that can
be updated with the you know design
guidelines themselves kind of being on
their own little Silo potentially
there are standards for height that are
in the mainstream design guidelines that
you know are codified in our zoning and
are inconsistent so they're they're
trumped by the zoning code so it's just
some standards that are in there should
be like
more ease more easily updated over time
as opposed to having to think you know
redo the entire document in order to
make it relevant again
so Molly who is your co-chair was that
Mark sheber
do you remember way back then yeah
I can pull it up
okay
do you have any interest in looking at
those or looking at say like 10 pages
and seeing how much work they are
yeah I
didn't know I didn't go back again I do
think you know the standards are
probably still valid
well I just I thought if someone just
started an initial dive like if you did
it and then just said you know this is
going to be 100 hours of work or you
know it's not all that hard to be 10
hours and did 10 15 pages because I
think there might be like 80 pages
yeah and there was you know a lot of
people
would do this before you do this yeah
there are a lot of Alternatives okay
how does that sound mayor that Molly
gave an initial look and just kind of
guesstimated how much time it's going to
take that sounds fun I mean at least
it's a start I would
yeah or what what are you thinking
I would I don't want to volunteer Mr
Hellman's time because you know I know
that he's actually trying to claw back
obligations but it seems also like a
something that maybe you guys could
tackle together if you're interested
Larry maybe not I don't know
in a show
It's Tricky
yeah but but wisdom is prevails over you
know geographical lines so Larry is that
something you're interested in you've
talked about it a lot but I know yeah
very busy guys participate at some level
I think
um
not to stir the pot but the there's an
old adage and planning called words
before pictures
uh and it might pay since these this
won't probably pass again in my lifetime
but the uh is to maybe back up a little
bit and in words put a vision together
for Main Street
what we think Main Street should be and
you use the words that you use and
um before we just simply go back and you
know
pick the same standard and Advance it
forward and so forth
um and so I think it would be it'd be
helpful to go through some process
even reserving parts of an agenda uh at
this group to go through that but you
know give people homework assignments to
think about that and then to put some
very big broad goals together uh that we
feel are appropriate for Maine uh and to
kind of go from there
um my cut at the current
design standards were also put created
in a time where maybe there was a
presumption there was going to be more
Redevelopment than there actually
happened and so we had these two-story
buildings or three-story buildings and
there was a certain uh we've had some of
that but it might also be worth focusing
more of this time uh on what happens
when a property sits there and it is not
reused you've got an existing building
uh are there new tools we can use to
help Reef us out of building or to to
rethink how it's used or add additions
to the front or in some way work more
with the existing build environment and
not hope for a Redevelopment that may or
may not happen on some of those
properties we've got a lot of owners
um they just I mean their their best
Avenue is to sit on the property and
cash the rent checks right you know and
restart the clock and get big money and
put it together becomes a bit of an
issue so that's just some loose thinking
but I I would
make good sense of this opportunity to
revisit it I think another thing to
think about is that it's interesting I
was literally just diving into the
document last week because I've been
working on
a development memo relative to the
Trinity apartment site so I was
referring developers back to the main
street design guidance and
contextualizing them relative to our
code and what what their role is
the the verbiage is
uh is one that almost maybe a good
starting point is to read what's written
and say does it still ring true and what
doesn't ring true and also
what has happened because there has been
development what has happened and how is
how have they failed us or how have we
felt that they were adequate and I can
think of some development when I think
well this developer
stepped up and tried to meet the intent
of the design guidelines to relatively
negative effects
cabbage change so that you know we
perhaps word things a little bit
differently I become for example very
cautious about the way we use the term
zero lot line or built to the
right-of-way you know because I think
that that can couldn't couldn't agree
more I think right the city of Columbus
one of these days is going to wake up uh
Upper Arlington it's never never going
to get there I mean building these
five-story buildings to the sidewalk no
room for any Landscaping no room for
animating the street no room for outdoor
dining no room for anything and
eventually what they'll have to do is to
fill for parking which will cut down uh
the travel capacity uh when when a
simple uh certain amount of lineal
Frontage of site requires X percentage
of that being recessed and creating
pedestrian areas and things that uh
create spots for for people where are
the places for people so I mean some of
those kinds of things uh are going to be
important and then the other issue which
we remember when we we went back and
forth a million times Don
um the standards suggests
a a way of treating the tree lawn that
is Hardscape it wants bricks and then
bricks against the sidewalk yet for the
two-thirds of our street we have green
tree lawns
and they don't look out of place right
now would we pay those ones z2z3z4z so
that we'd have these pieces of it that
would adhere to the standards but kind
of tree lawn SRI Lan SRI Lan parkscape
trilon Sri Lanka uh or you know so so
how do we how do we advance that do we
advance that and say no it really needs
to be uh pieced at a time uh so there's
some there's some issues to be dealt
with for this
okay so if we want to
um come to some sort of collegial
conclusion on this it seems that we all
need to be more familiar with what
you're absolutely I'm speaking and with
what we're speaking which we're speaking
you know let's look at those things so
um and it would be appropriate to have
um participation obviously from like ARB
members repeat that members who want to
be involved so I don't I think like an
initial
look at it and kind of thinking through
like what is the scope of this you know
update look like
could happen in this space very well
um I I think those are is it in a PDF
form
it's on our website okay
I think that'd be great
okay
you know so when we're awake between one
and three at night we can just look on
the Main Street guidelines website
that's pretty exciting
I would have to say Larry I agree with
you I think when these are done we
anticipated that all of Main Street be
rebuilt and that just that didn't hit
parts for original but not the extent
that everybody was thinking when
the Main Street guidelines
commissionless forms so uh mayor do you
want to go on to I've got old Trinity
Apartments I suppose it could be
middle-aged Trinity apartments or
youngish Trinity Apartments but yeah so
um
the Trinity apartment site right next
door here is uh available for sale by
capital
they have publicized that RFP process
they're asking for proposals by April
11th
we've had lots of conversations with
developers who are interested in it
um
what we've shared with them is I'm again
trying to put this all down so that it's
consistent
um is that it's a mixed-use commercial
zoning with the Main Street overlay
which means it is governed by the
principles of the Main Street design
guidelines
um we see a lot of opportunity
with this site and having access to the
light is that there might be some
Synergy as that development progresses
we're discouraging any sort of primary
access from occurring off of Brighton
Road
um we're making it clear that the
height restrictions are
you know
would require variants to go above and
that that would
would be probably an unlikely variance
um just depending on how it was was
handled and treated just not to go into
that assuming you can get that variance
by the way developers like to go into it
assuming they can get the variance in
case you didn't know that and I think
one of the challenges with the RFP
process and the way that it's been
structured is that it's you know it's
it's capital's reviewing both the
proposed use as well as the the price
tag and so
obviously developer is incentivized to
pay more in the way they pay more is by
getting more height you know so
variances are essentially incentivized
the way that they're doing this process
um
so we're trying to delicately explain to
Capital and I think they've been really
receptive to this like what
that as they look at this like you know
they just
Eyes Wide Open you know understand
Arizona code and and what is and is not
possible and
or likely that the sensitivities exist
with adjacent properties specifically
the single family residential to the um
North and to the west and the
condominium residential just to the West
you know are all considerations to take
into account
so
we're you know we're just providing kind
of technical assistance in terms of like
knowing knowledge the code and I think
we're we need we need to still do this
but we're going to try to schedule a
sort of Staff
um round table at the end of March so
the developers can come in and they have
like you know we'll have a day where
they can schedule a slot and get staff
expertise and feedback on any questions
they might have from a variety of our
staff members Mike yeah might we asked
that an inventory of the trees be done
be presented to the developers at that
time
um
you might ask that yeah I don't I don't
but first let's see why that would be an
issue
well because the city would have to do
it right I'm thinking what does that
mean and what so what is the signal it
sends so the signal sense is that trees
are important
the reality is that the zoning code
on Main Street does not share that
opinion
that's just to be brutally honest
there's no there's no preservation on
Main Street for for trees during
development so but there is the best
they bought us there's the bus
um
yeah I gotta think about that a little
bit okay all right that'd be great yep I
mean in all honesty I think we have
sycamores that are behind the sidewalk
there isn't that right yes yeah
sorry one implants just look look out
and I think there's some
great uh Evergreens behind some great
Spruce anyway
big great change I just look we need to
be prepared to understand that if
Redevelopment is part of that proposal
which is very likely that we're gonna
have to be well girded to figure out
like what we're what we want to ask for
through that process well because
preservation of existing Street trees
and Redevelopment
I'm not saying it's impossible I just
can't quite figure out how that would
happen so but we have a baseline of
caliber we do you know and there's a lot
of yes there's a lot of our attorney
here Mr well there's plenty of Leverage
when it comes to that yeah Mr Wilson
well it doesn't seem inappropriate for
staff to communicate at this day in
which developers come in that any
Landscaping plan which would be required
is going to consider canopy protection
yep or replacement
so when you read Joan molliff's book it
was interesting to me that a 60 inch
tree
does a whole lot more for the
environment than 23 inch trees I hadn't
known that so everybody else probably
knows that
you know my understanding was the
Adolescent in the middle ears were the
most productive
but there's something to be said about
mature trees they get better and better
as they get older just saying
huh as do we all as do we all okay all
right mayor all right on to the
inspector consultant
inspector consultant it sounds like is
this the landscape inspector consultant
it sounds like what inspector gadgets
and yeah the landscape uh we have uh
asked Mark schieber to be our landscape
inspector when it comes to construction
um
post-construction inspection and then
like you're on inspection so we have a
contract has he accepted uh he has oh so
I think I'm I think that's on a pile of
things for me to sign right now but it's
it's just not impressive so we'll be
moving forward with that we're going to
have a
at the next tree commission meeting I'll
be able to provide you with like a
standard of just a more specific
standard of how we're inspecting it
um just to govern that that process
okay that's great
and then Mark schieber who by the way
was a co-chair of the okay of the Main
Street design guidelines
never remembered that correctly okay the
mulch volcano ordinance
yeah so we I presented that to council
during a legislative Retreat that we had
um
recently and
I did not receive any objections to
moving forward with the concept so uh
they have a pretty robust legislative
agenda
um
and it's on there it's also also it's
kind of in the form of
um uh basically licensure concept a
registration concept for contractors
that
um are working around or on City trees
essentially not on but around City trees
so
um when I went to the
um conversation that Mary had set up and
Chris Allen did his his talk one of his
points was mulch volcanoes and uh he
said that the city of New Albany hires
them to blow out all the mulch around
all the city trees every year every
spring
which I thought was okay I thought was a
great idea now let's see and if we got
12 people here 12 blowers that do it
how much yeah we're Allen Ann Arbor for
that yeah well yes I mean obviously
there's a cost to that but instead of
worrying about you know the mulch
building up and the residents doing what
they should be doing they just come in
and they just do it take care take care
of it well I just thought it was an
interesting tactic or solution all right
damage land use strategy commission so I
um
am hoping to introduce a slate of land
use strategy members at our
upcoming council meeting after Spring
Break
um we had some really great applicants
to The Landing strategy commission
um
and uh I have yet to actually craft the
draft list yet and confirm some of the
people that I believe should be on it
that may or may not have volunteered and
I may or may not have tapped yet so
still work on it
um
it will it will follow a framework
um similar to what I kind of just talked
about from Main Street design guidelines
which is it's going to be a proactive
resident based commission that works on
the principles and the words first
and around our land use strategy and
then uh we'll work with a consultant to
memorialize those in imagery to the to
the degree necessary so for example you
know we might be looking at
I am sure that we will be looking at uh
as Ferndale Mayfield gets redeveloped
what are some development concepts for
that we probably turn out turn to the
design professional to assist us with
creating some exhibits based upon some
of the concepts raised by the commission
that timeline is probably going to be
about a year long timeline so expect it
to kick off I think
late spring early summer
and extend into uh 2024.
okay the last two North Cassidy updates
and Jeffrey Mansion planning process
you were going to meet with the new city
of Columbus project man yes and so they
are in the acquisition phase of the
project they expect that to take through
uh 20
uh summer of 2024
before they get started on the actual
project itself
um so they they're saying that they
might start breaking ground on the
project somewhere I think it's summer of
2024. and then it will take several
years is what they said several years
several years so
so Larry was this 2014 I think that
oh my gosh longevity well so you use
this just be prepared because this is
the same exact plot of funding and that
we're using for the living room so the
type of timeline we've seen in the
process is fairly similar we have some
right-of-way acquisition it's going to
be a long it's going to be a long haul
well what did I see for for a Livingston
2029
if what you saw for the Livingston
actually slightly different funding
source for driving park I think probably
that's what you're referring to so we
haven't gotten we haven't
technically received the award yet the
one driving Park we received is less
advantageous from a um funding
perspective which Columbus chose to move
forward with which is great
um because we're a partner in this I'm
very happy that you know we are going to
be a financial partner in this that
we're uh we're using a more robust
source of funding through the triple
finding process we scored number one in
the region for this project among
competitive properties projects uh with
morpsy so
that's outstanding we're looking good
and then the last the Jeffrey Mansion
planning process
Jeffrey Park Jeffrey Park master plan
just said Park and Mansion I'm calling
it The Jeffrey Park master plan no one
else wants to call it that but I do so
we'll see from the mayor so we'll see
um yeah Mike price is
uh going to be asking again for people
who are interested in it but just
because it's been a couple years since
you solicited that I think it's wise
that we make sure that people know that
that opportunity exists
um and he is
I can't I honestly I can't remember if
he and I had settled exactly how we were
going to facilitate the process itself
in terms of just providing a facilitator
for it uh we definitely want somebody
who has some expertise in Forest
management
um involved and also somebody who has an
urban planning background so I think
um I don't think we had settled fine on
a final outcome as to how we were gonna
have professional facilitation but there
will be some professional facilitation
of that and you think that'll be this
year I do I still think it'll be this
year I also think that like
we are cranking on year of the parks
projects so uh we just actually very
sadly one of my pet projects uh is a I'm
hoping to get a mural Festival in Bexley
like a really cool International artist
mural Festival of Bexley
um but we uh when we had a grand
application to the Community Foundation
and we said we're going to defer until
next year for that so there are a couple
things that we're having to say you know
all in Duke course it's so hard yeah all
right okay questions for the mayor on
the projects listed for projects you
want to talk about or stop signs or
trees or whatever
yeah one just quick because you know
I've never show up for another couple of
months yeah yeah
um
um my dear wife is putting in requests
with the city of Columbus to start to
clean up the North Cassidy from Seventh
northward where the junkyard is the lot
that's full of garbage and the potholes
and the trash and carry out uh because
obviously there's a failure in Code
Enforcement there
um and so uh it would be great if we had
other voices asking the same thing
there's the three one
3-1-1 line uh that you can you can email
or call with those requests uh and if
anyone is interested in doing that email
me we will email you the addresses of
these places because they're for very
first response back is we'll give you
the exact address as who owns the
property okay we'll look that up and so
uh the more voices that are heard then
maybe the more of course we have a
couple years before we have to worry
about it but we'll otherwise we'll have
this start new Improvement and then
immediately on the other side of seventh
it's just garbage so just to remind
everyone the cast
all the way to 62. so to Larry's Point
yeah we've got the yeah there'll be a
future phase that'll take it northward
but maybe not about no actually there's
an update on that okay
um future phase they were unsuccessful
in getting funding for a similar project
to the north
so they came back twice I think to get
that and they ended up settling this is
what I was told by Columbus they ended
up settling on a um
a multi-use path
uh source of funding which I asked them
does that include curb and I don't know
yet
um but it's not going to be the same as
what's happening in terms of curb Tree
Lawn it'll probably be path maybe curb
um
so at least there'll be a sidewalk but I
don't I don't think that right now we're
going to have the same treatment north
of this north of Southern Avenue
when I say right now again this is
federal funding so I'm not sure exactly
it's a slightly different pot I don't
know exactly how it works
uh we are advancing Concepts around our
bike plans so we have a bike Boulevard
Network that um I'd be happy to present
at some point in further detail that was
part of our bike friendly plan that's
been honed a little bit as we've worked
on it with um our bike enthusiasts what
a bike Boulevard is is it's basically a
designated Street that's generally calm
already it's a relatively safe place to
bike that you add you know there's
wayfinding signage so
uh you get a feel for like if you take a
right here you get over to you know
Maryland Elementary School and it will
take you four minutes to get there
whatever so we've been building out the
wayfinding signage
in the meantime we've also identified uh
maybe some opportunities for
uh dedicated bike Lanes in certain areas
of the city
um that would make sense and be
strategically appropriate so one of
those streets that we're looking at is
College Avenue College does not have
parking on it right now it potentially
can support dedicated bike lanes and
it's a a difficult Street to bike on in
general and it connects obviously Bexley
to The JCC in some other areas I know
the idea of biking through that
intersection is is scary but you know we
got to start making some improvements
and people do take that bike route uh
casting him between fair and Maine has
been identified as a potential location
for dedicated bike Lanes it has a ton of
student bike traffic in the mornings and
afternoons as a driver it's kind of
scary sometimes just because students
are you know taking over that Corridor
and there's generally not a ton of
on-street parking happening there
with the exception of as you get up
north next to Fair
um I think students and faculty use that
for daytime parking
and then the other area we're looking at
is North Cassidy Cass City Cassidy North
Cassidy
um
were I'm I'm working on a concept just
to understand what would happen if we
did some bump outs on Cassidy and had
sheltered on street parking and if
there's room for that
so that we move prior can only to one
side of the street have it sheltered
with bombouts but then I'll still have
bike Lanes so
um that's that's just like a studying
phase and if we did that we would be
bringing that back to you guys to look
at because it would involve probably
reshuffling of some some Treeline spaces
in certain areas it would also
potentially solve
um in a really great way some of the
issues that happen with especially like
the Natural Market property and the and
the veterinarian like you could look at
some alternate parking situations which
would move the sidewalk closer to the
building and create some green space in
front of the building and get the
parking to be on street parking so we're
looking in reduced curb Cuts so we've
actually asked pod who's doing the work
for the 420 property to just help us
with some space planning since they have
everything kind of put out on a system
already
and uh we'll bring those brainstorms
back to you just to think about
Jones
so I'm just always thoughtful about
signage because you know it's one of the
soap boxes that I I bring out so with
the signage for the bike friendly areas
is that
um black or Greenback is it on a pole
with finial is it
put in so it's seven feet is it all all
those kind of things so it just great
questions oh good thank you so much
what pedestrian light yeah it's just
throat Heights so those are we've really
been focused on kind of what the sign
itself looks like and not so much how
the mounting of the sun looks but that's
a great point we need to get there this
is I don't know if you can see this I
could mount it on existing poles those
are all great questions we're not there
yet but uh this is just roughly like an
example of a one of the rats they will
be color coded so it's not all going to
be black so different around the
background of course the back's gonna
happen well I think it's green actually
in the residential distance yes yes
if you don't say it you'll regret it
great I will not allow yeah don't worry
regrets loud okay no you're allowed to
have regrets okay but I'm not gonna
allow the uh the backing that's that's
well ingrained in our DNA anything else
for the mayor just again one addition
appoint the as we
recompose Drexel and then maybe
recompose
North Cassidy
um we will be we'll we will have some
traffic issues obviously associated with
that in terms of the number of cars that
are going north south through Bexley
um and so I don't know what the
repercussions of that might be whether
people might start to turn down Del Mar
and drop down uh North Baxley streets to
if obviously if there's enough
interference on North Cassidy enough for
interference on Drexel uh it may cause
some redistribution of north-south
traffic
great Point yeah yeah I think North
Cassidy you know anything that we're
talking about is not going to change
it's already 25 it's not I mean if to
the extent that people are speeding
today
right I think it will not feel like it
should be slower than that it's not
going to be like the extreme calming
effect of what's going to happen at
Columbia at Commonwealth for example
um
Drexel
yeah I mean that'll be interesting to
see if there's a volume change
good point Larry I always take Drexel
already so I don't know if that's bad
but I always do the Del Mar jog all
right so
um thank you mayor
um and now we're going to go on to a
review of landscape applications Mr
Wilson will you it's my it's your turn
to read the rules I'm trying to read the
rules sometimes we have a discussion to
remind everyone you know our meetings
are videotaped and available on
bexley.org within a few days so don't
say anything you don't want recorded on
videotape they can be accessed by anyone
as commission members we do not come in
or discuss the finance of other
commissions nor do we comment on
subjects under review by other City
commissions I'm not sure that pertains
to either of our applications today
um as a commission we will not be party
to negative or disparent Gene comments
about City staff elected officials
appointed officials or city Consultants
or other commission members comments
presented today should be Jermaine to
the subject at hand so please stay on
topic and if the chair in the chair's
view any presentation is trending to be
inflammatory or confrontational we will
recess for 10 minutes
um also you recall that we revised our
procedure so just to remind everyone
we'll start with Elena's presentation on
each of these then the applicants
initial presentation uh if there are any
opponents present doesn't look likely
but if there are any they will be given
up to three minutes to speak I should
have said that the applicant's initial
presentations can be up to 10 minutes
if there are any supporters present then
they would also likewise have three
minutes and then the applicant can have
up to five minutes to conclude their
presentation then we'll move on to board
deliberation and that could include
questions
um and and another opportunity for
everyone to speak so with that
um Ellen I think our first presentation
is the new Bill yes so our first
application is tpgc
23-3 which is a new build at 2425
Sherwood Road and
um the everything has been provided
within the application everything is
complete in terms of
existing photographs and the site plan
and proposed trees I did want to make a
note that the footprint of the new house
has graciously taken into account the
maturities on the site and the design
has made an effort to protect as many of
them as possible The Troop protection
tree protection of the city and private
trees will be provided the design intent
of the plant material is to create an
organic and unbalanced form that support
the strong architectural element of the
stone piers and wood columns which are
the quote built versions of nature the
plant material is appropriate to the
site conditions and the beds will be
irrigated
we have Andrew Calhoun with us in the
audience to present the project today so
let me just switch over to
the plan
and
um I will go through this relatively
quickly and then I will let Andrew talk
a little bit more in detail
um and so just to go over what was
presented um that we could look at here
this is actually the existing building
itself with all of the existing trees
um that are going to be protected and
preserved on the site there are a
handful of small trees that are going to
be removed and they do have an existing
tree inventory on the side in terms of
what is the type of tree in the caliper
pre that is there there's going to be a
small little tree here and a couple of
shrubs that are gone but in general I
think it's commendable that um the new
design really takes into account trying
to keep the beautiful trees on the site
um this is the landscape plan
um it is a I'm gonna I'm gonna jump
ahead a little bit to
um the architectural images it's a
little bit more it's a craftsman style
house um not quite a bungalow but it has
much more kind of you know craftsmany
type elements and so that was one of the
ideas with the landscape it's not it
does not have kind of some of the more
formal Bexley landscape plans that you
see in terms of you know the rows of
boxwoods and the tight Hedges and so I
think to just pull attention to the fact
that the landscape actually is trying to
react a little bit more towards the
natural elements of the house versus you
know having something that's a little
bit more formal in general they have
um a good variety of plant material that
will work well with the site conditions
and have as low maintenance as well as
has a seasonal variety
and then this is just to sort of situate
where everyone is
um we have Sherwood in Maryland coming
down I think those otherwise right sure
sorry Cassidy completely off um too many
different too many things going on in my
head but this is um this is the existing
building right so all of that is going
to be coming down they're maintaining
some of the existing shrubs there um to
maintain the screening against the
commercial properties and just to kind
of situate where everything is
again where the house sits currently
and then where the new one is that you
can see both you know that it maintains
the majority of the trees into that so
with that I would invite Andrew you to
come up to the podium if you could
introduce yourself
um
and then let me know and make sure that
you hit the little button here
yep to make sure it's green so we can
make sure that we're you're recorded and
then um add any information that you
would like to on the project
great thank you Elena
um so hello everyone my name is Andrew
Calhoun and just a little background on
this project uh this project started if
you scroll down to the photos you'll see
there's a
wheelchair lift there off that porch so
this project started last year as a way
to
um remove that and we've ended up
removing the entire house so just to
show you sometimes my architecture works
it started with oh yeah and uh here we
are
um many months later uh so uh so that's
that's part of the the Genesis of this
project but in in that process the owner
was very very interested it's been
incredibly proactive about
um fitting into the neighborhood and uh
preserving what's there so from the from
the get-go as soon as the decision was
made to explore what would happen if
instead of building big ramps that took
up the whole yard up to the house uh
accessibility is part of what's driving
this project what if we basically
lowered the house a little bit and just
had it come up degrade so it can be
wheelchair accessible uh the new house
uh
preserving what was there was a huge
part of that so as I want to point it
out we're basically taking over the same
footprint with the exception of the
existing garage which is detached is
being taken down and then we're
attaching the new garage to the South
South house which does take out that one
little
um eastern redbud tree
so that led us into the you know down
the architectural path of how to how to
keep everything and then we worked
through ARB and uh my first pass at
developing the landscape plan
um
I shared with Alan HG it was just
wonderfully helped me really fill out
the site with a lot more
um of what will fit in the neighborhood
in terms of density of additional uh
Landscaping items
good seasonal variety moving some things
that were in the shade
um to be in the sign and then I just
wanted to point out to integrating some
evergreen
shrubs and trees that would be will be
green all year round
so that's that's where we are today and
I'm looking forward to hearing your
thoughts and continuing and questions
about all the project that you have
thank you
um
I don't see anyone but is there anyone
that wants to speak in opposition the
project
not seeing anyone is there anyone that
wants to speak and support
um so do you want to add anything or are
you ready for the questions from the
commission I'm ready for the question
okay
uh anyone from each commission I I have
a some a couple of questions for you
please
um first of all we do have
um uh we we don't necessarily let people
plant on right on the property line and
um and so therefore uh when you have an
opportunity like this to start a project
that we could correct that
however your Arborvitae on the south
side I think are in a very good location
and we'll we'll be helpful in the future
and maintain by maintaining that that
break especially since they're already
growing I mean they're they're more
developed and you won't see the the
different the differentiation won't be
so visible to you about this uh or your
own the homeowners to the highest the
tall building next to you and you can
still feel residential in that so I
appreciate that and um don't see any
reason to ask you to change something
like that
um the other thing I I was just thinking
because you have such a wide selection I
love what you've chosen I think
everything looks fabulous uh that you
might even uh select a different kind of
pasta just because a variegated has to
would be might be more interesting but
maybe you are choosing that in the where
areas where their hosta it gives more of
a darker shadowed feeling and so
therefore you would um like to have that
depends where what you're trying to
achieve there
but hosta there's such a plethora of
others choices there's a lot of options
and I I'm very open to suggestions in
that um as I work through this I this is
my first time through but actually in
this capacity so I'm learning a lot
along the way so don't feel like I'm
gonna have a feeling sir if you say
that's okay silly Choice okay well thank
you for listening and great job
Mary did you know
um I I too enjoyed seeing your plans and
um the only comment that I had was with
regard to the grass that you chose
um I'm I'm always pushing natives so I
was hoping perhaps you might consider um
like a little blue stem in lieu of the
fountain grass fountain grass sometimes
has the tendency to sort of become like
a clump in the middle and then the Grass
Grows around and it has to be divided
um periodically which is obviously
maintenance
um but that was my only comment I guess
if you will
thank you
all right Linda no I I think it's
wonderful to create a I mean just the
architecture of the house itself is
impressive
um and the selection of plant material
looks well done
I think it'll be a fun project on that
corner
um the the sweet little ranch that's
been there uh all these years we all
know and love but uh this will be a very
nice architectural Improvement and I
think the plant selection endorses the
home very well
yeah
Molly
correct
that's really I'm understood
yeah there's some very large gloves of
trees out there
staying with them
Dave I'm sorry Larry anything
Susan
um yes I I just want to talk about tree
protection again I think that you've uh
been um kind of uh probably
indoctrinated on our tree protection and
um that's a very visible corner and so
I'd like to hear from you again that the
truth protection will stay up we don't
have any curves there that you need to
to be worry about but are you thinking
that the construction access will be
from the alley
yeah so the contractor for this project
is Sullivan Builders who's done a lot of
work in Bexley I don't know exactly
where they're gonna set up shop
um I think one of the questions that was
still a little bit open for
interpretation in terms of the
protection was how to handle sidewalks
so I was showing them you know pretty
far off the trunks Where the Sidewalk
wasn't an issue but for the trees that
are close to the sidewalk I'm assuming
that the sidewalks would want to stay
open
uh and clear so that's how I drew those
right
um
I'm not sure if I'm going to answer your
question or what the specific question
is well the the question was that you
know sometimes we have found that the
trees are protected but then the access
uh becomes a liability of the trees
because all of a sudden it's coming off
of say Cassidy and it's between two City
trees and the fencing goes down and the
curb is destroyed so it's a little bit
if if we can be aware of it and help
guide you to a safe situation I would
guess it would be the alley and the
driveway but that would only be my guess
if I was solving Builders looking at how
to build this house I would set up shops
in the existing large driveway back
there and I think that provides all the
access it it seems like it's pretty
would be pretty easy to protect
everything with the north from the East
and do all the work from the cell uh
they've been on board from the beginning
of this project I know they've done a
lot of work in Bexley successfully so in
in the capacity that I have to reinforce
this
to them I will
uh aren't the Arborvitae remaining along
the alley the existing yes okay yeah so
that'll block unless you're taking the
garage you're taking the garage down the
garage is coming down but those are
those are along the uh that driveway
right yeah so your access will be just
Cassidy into the driveway for
construction right yes okay Mr McDonald
go ahead Mr Calhoun
excuse me no this project is a little
outside of
um are you going to be repaving the
driveway there is that right or not uh
uh I I don't know the reason why I ask
is because I am curious how that would
be how the Arborvitae is going to would
manage
to be protected which would be very
difficult because the tar the asphalt is
right up to the underneath like the
canopy so I'd really be interested about
their success if you want to bother
coming back to us
staff review staff review yes I mean
come here just just drop Elena a note
because that's that'll be a challenge
and I'm curious
I know that you will want to do
everything he can to keep those whether
or not it's a guideline or not just
provide a different sensible use of that
backyard they're they're great there
okay thank you any other questions or
discussion
um I have one quick question so because
we not actually something happened there
where it these trees were surveyed we
know exactly the position in the house
because we ran into things where the
houses started to be built and the trees
in the wrong spot based on the survey
okay
yeah
one about the Arborvitae I mean if
there's some uh if damage does happen to
them is there are they going to be
replaced or what is their
I mean protected but they don't tend to
do well if they're Disturbed yeah well I
think what I'm uh part of what I'm maybe
Gathering From is feedback is that I
should revisit this plan and show
protection around those because I'm
showing them mostly on the North and
East but I hadn't shown any protection
around those there's enough room on the
south side of that yard for them to do
construction trailer or you know to
Port-A-Potty or whatever they need back
there I think what I'll do is add a
fencing around that because they'll have
enough room to instill in the village in
around those
I I also wonder if um because I know
it's it's it'll be it might be difficult
to put fencing on an asphalt base and
have it I mean unless you sandbag it
um
if if there's something that if the
intent is to have that Arborvitae screen
there the understanding that if one is
damaged sure that one of a somewhat
comparable size would be replaced yeah
um just because knowing that that's
going to be the the most
so much access is going to be coming in
and out of there
um and even if they do remove the if
they do remove that driveway and replace
it the good thing is that it already is
planted immediately next to a gravel
base and so they're used to growing in
crappy conditions and so it just might
be something where um just kind of a
assurance that the intent is to maintain
that green screen there and if something
happens that it will be replaced I would
add a note to that effect and that
driveway is actually quite a bit wider
than it even needs to be so if if they
decide if he decided to remove it and
replace it I would move the whole South
edge of the driveway
off of those just give it a proper bag
yeah
all right
um any other questions for the applicant
I I would ask Elena if the driveway
width is changed is that
um something that Mr Calhoun should
alert you to that I think I think so um
and and then that's something that I can
just also then coordinate with Kathy
um
and because one of the things I mean it
it is a wide driveway and you're
maintaining it I think the one thing to
note is that
just so you're aware if that driveway is
then changing in some way
it might kick in different requirements
in terms of what the maximum width is
allowable so it's probably that it's in
existing condition and if you're not
touching it yes it is what it is
right and that if you are in some way
modifying that and it more than even
just doing kind of an asphalt kind of
resurfacing like a simple skim coat it
might kick in all of a sudden that is
wider than it needs to be in this area
that you're looking at here it might be
like you know are we able to to screen
that a little bit better although what
is nice about this is that showing where
this car is stopping not having high
shrubs there it helps with your
visibility right right I know that when
I come out of my alley it's you know I'm
right by the school and I'm like inching
forward hit kids that are lower than the
Box ones and that always does kind of
sneak up with on you because you see the
light and you can't start focused on
there so just so you're aware and the
owner is aware that if that if that
happens sure it's gonna need to be
reviewed by by Cafe in me I think
only if the Arborvitae need to be
replaced do you need to come back with
that particular issue to Elena we don't
do driveways per se
um so what I'm hearing is um is that
there might be room for a motion to
approve subject to any change in the
plannings OR removal of the Arborvitae
being subject to staff review is that
the sense of the body yes someone want
to remake that motion
they're looking at me again
um well I move that we approve this
based on the
knowledge or the event that if the um
our provides or damaged they'd be
replaced or this the driveway needs to
be moved that there will be an exception
for the for re for replacement
I say that right about that um the plans
approved subject to staff review of any
change in plant species and or the need
to replace the artery there we go
perfect seconds
is there any further discussion of that
if not all in favor
no all in the favor say aye
aye
thank you for your plan thank you very
much thank you Andrew
um
okay bear with me
um
May I just say that uh uh commission
member Sheila strab is going to recuse
herself from this and Mr Hellman we are
going to appoint you as a voting member
for this uh application and then you
will be voted out
Larry yeah
and you did hear my admonitions Larry
no no we didn't
you want to go ahead you're still I'm
juggling I'm still thinking
already so the next project that we are
reviewing is
tpgr-23-1 The Rite of way plantings at
2540 Maryland Avenue
um
the application is um is complete uh
there was just a small question on scale
just to make sure that if we print
things out um to scale that we can uh be
it at either an architectural or an
engineering scale
just a couple of notes that the shrubs
in the white right-of-way along
Stanberry are existing uh and the
proposed plantings begin at the corner
and continue North along Maryland the
proposed plantings are out of the line
of site traffic triangle for traffic and
so we have a diagram that over that
shows that the owners requested a
perennial garden but it is recommended
that some Evergreens be I recommend
um be strategically interwoven uh into
the perennial garden to provide winter
interest and to screen The Stonewall the
remaining planting material seems to be
appropriate for the site conditions and
there is a three approximately about a
three foot wide lawn strip between the
sidewalk and the planting bed I know
that many of the projects that we have
been looking at over the last year or
two we have been asking for at least a
foot if not more of lawn adjacent to the
sidewalk just because to try to prevent
Mulch and plant material growing into
that
the couple of images that I wanted to
bring up
um
so this one is just to show we are not
reviewing this but this is part of a
larger landscape plan and the plants
that are shown along here it's a variety
of boxwoods and whatnot um those are
actually currently existing within the
right-of-way and it is from this green
line of shrubs coming down across here
to the existing driveway that we are
reviewing today so I just wanted to
focus our attention on that when we look
at this plan you can see that the site
triangle is if you extend the outside
edge of the curb up and it meets into a
corner you go back 30 feet and each way
and you draw a diagonal line and
anything under anything planted there
has to be below 24 inches so you can see
that Where the Sidewalk is and then
where these shrubs are planted I had
some initial concerns these are a
kyoga viburnum which will get to be you
know about three feet tall or so I was a
little bit concerned that those might be
too tall it's outside of the the site
and they wanted to be able to have a
little bit of screening all that Pat
kind of describe it a little bit more
um but just be able to enclose their
lawn a little bit more so it is well
within you know that as a shrub is
appropriate within there you can see
this is the right-of-way line the wall
is actually not something that we're
reviewing that is not in the
right-of-way and so that has already
been approved by
um Kathy and so basically they are
looking to have just some plant material
along the front here primarily a variety
of different types of perennials
and then just to pull this up and then a
rendering that was provided these are
the existing shrubs this is the new and
then this is the wall showing then the
rest of the shrubs kind of going back
along in that area
so with that we have Pat Ryan with us in
the audience we have seen Pat before
he's he's been here and so
um I will let you tell me what you would
like me to bring up if you want to
describe a little bit more of your plant
selection maybe that would be helpful
and
um oh wait I just want to make sure
everyone on the commission understands
that our opinions about everything
that's not in the right of way don't
really matter it's we're all our
jurisdiction here is over the planning's
in the right way correct yes thank you
thank you Elena thank you
um this couple moved in I think about a
year and a half ago and has been quickly
rehabbing the inside and about um in
August we realized that they needed to
start turning attention to the outside
the existing side conditions are pretty
ugly
um they have a bunch of old honeysuckle
that's been grown up on a basically a
hillside uh where you see that wall so
we started exploring the options of how
to reclaim the wall beautify the area
and then they took a trip and I can't
remember but it was either England or
Scotland and they have a took a bunch of
inspiration photos and that's basically
based what we did versus the wall on the
playing things on the outside they're
very into native plantings there's a ton
of aronia in there native day lilies
blue stem grasses Mary you mentioned
those are in there
um
and basically they wanted a free-flowing
and it's going to be full they wanted to
be billing out with stuff popping up all
four or three seasons
um we did have a comment about the
Evergreens and they said why would we
cover it up because that was gonna be so
beautiful that you're gonna build so
that is one
that was one you know I guess comment
that that they made about why have
Evergreens we want to see that one we
don't necessarily want to cover it up I
again I understand the need for
strategically placed Evergreens I think
that's the basis of basically most
designs so I bet I can talk them into
that if that is necessary but that was
the comment as to why we had nothing
about perennials they
they wanted to be so full that I'm
worried about planting the boxwood you
know in the in the spring summer and
fall that by the end of when the winter
comes at least three sides of that box
we're gonna be bearing because they're
not gonna get any photosynthesis because
that that planting embedded me so over
full and flowing with perennials uh no
we do have some you know herbaceous
plants in there that has a a nice stem
I'm one that appreciates the structure
of a plant in the wintertime but I can't
understand the argument for having sure
teacher can place evergreens
um the wall is going to be uh it's not
gonna it's gonna be a kind of a regular
Stone big pieces little pieces like an
Old English wall Stone I believe I have
that in there if not
um yeah there we go
so that's the detail of the wall that
we're going to base our wall off of
I don't know if you can if you can get
on
um Viewpoint Atlanta but I just uploaded
the inspiration photos
that they email me
um and if not no big deal but that was
the the idea is like an Old English uh
stone wall out front I'm afraid too
I know I am too don't worry
yeah you have it up there right now
that's perfectly fine
um so that's the basis of this is really
to kind of reclaim that corner because
it is not attractive at the moment
um and I think this plan it gives them
what they want and also I think it'll be
a
it'd be nice for that corner for a long
time coming
the beds are going to be irrigated and
we're going to be doing the maintenance
on it to make sure that it's properly
taken care of
and with that any questions
uh I'll ask the question even though the
crowd looks the same as before or is
there anyone that wants to speak in
opposition of the application
anyone that wants to speak in favor
Could you um do you want to add anything
before we open it up with questions
I think that'd be it
members of the commission you have
questions
I speak in favor of it I think it's a
really great idea I think it's um I love
the the brick wall or the stone wall and
um I look forward to seeing something
like this happen on that like on the
corner and thank you for recognizing
that it needed more help other than the
telephone call that you got to help to
work on it we take care of one uh caddy
Corner I've watched it kind of decline
over the years and it's yeah I'm excited
to be able to reclaim that and any
Turner from Stanberry or coming from
Maryland it's going to be nice to look
at
I appreciate your mentioning that they
will maintain it so I'm concerned if the
hydrangeas might get too big and I'm
hoping that they will remember their
mindfulness in this presentation yes
thank you sure
I was excited to see all the natives so
okay yeah me too
I guess and my favorite comment would be
and I I love learning a bit but I know
they expect a lot of work and I say some
Landscapes
of weeds
um and that that's my only issue with
new plan beds I have the same wow
there's one on um
so everyone's in jail or if Marco and
that that was just huge beds we improved
we relocated that landscape and it was
solid weeds within two years so I just
hope that you know there's the owners
recognize the
it's a great plan and I guess
they do and that is I mean they if you
were to drive by tonight or whenever
it's they are embarrassed of what they
have out front and they are really
working to get something that's like a
showstopper
um and they're both Dockers they don't
have the time and they where they're
going to be on our maintenance program
we're going to set a standard as far as
you know the viburnum get pruned at two
and three quarters or three feet you
know based on your guidelines than their
wants you'll keep it that way
um the box with Elena was talking about
on the east side they've been butchered
for 20 years they weren't allowed to
fill out and then prune them we're gonna
pluck prune them you know we're not
going to share them they want this to be
a very natural naturalized landscape and
that's we're going to go after
um weeds I don't you know we get the
argument of natives a lot of people
Goldenrod used to be weed we would pull
that but again setting the standard on a
naturalized environment is easy to do in
our in our company and then maintaining
it it should be relatively easy
especially on a new landscape sometimes
when you get guys that aren't
experienced and they go through an
existing one what to pull and what not
to pull but if you have the same crew
like hey this is how we're going to do
it and everything's kind of there and
then it's very easily even if you had a
rookie in there to see what's a plan
what's not a plan so this one will be
maintained Linda did you want to say
something so I wondered does this
include the Evergreens or not this
particular plan does not want to know
um yeah a couple of comments on
um a very minor point but the Clear
Sight triangle if you could put that
drawing up
um I don't think it changes it but by
that to me is not an equal sided
triangle so one of those 30s is wrong
I just pointed pointing that out my
little my geometry so
um and then uh I I don't think it
changes anything so for example if the
first if the right 30 is then the effect
then the triangle moves more to the left
uh or if it's the top one is right and
this one on the right is wrong then it's
even better so so but I'm presuming it
doesn't change the i i visually thought
the same thing and I brought this
drawing into AutoCAD and and scaled it
accordingly and um oh thank you and it's
that's 30 feet and 30 feet at a diagonal
it's it's it's an odd from here to here
is 30 feet and from here to here is 30
feet and then the diagonal points
connected yeah I thought the same thing
it it just doesn't it did not can't be
actually but that's okay
but that's I don't think it matters
um then my my second comment is the uh
there's the elevator on this from the
sidewalk level up to the yard and uh the
is the stone wall to be on the city
property or is that off city property no
it's off the Stonewall is offsetting
property and then that wall will be uh
dry laid will that be keyed into this
it's on your property but we have a lot
of stone walls that are that fail yes uh
and so the construction of that will
matter obviously to these plants on the
other side uh so can can you even though
that's not part of your application it
impacts what you're planning absolutely
so can you talk to the Stonewall for oh
sure I'll be happy to
um I we see that all the time and I mean
it's it's unfortunate because there are
certain ways that you can obviously with
construction that you can relieve those
right the footings failed there's no
proper drainage in the back of it we are
going to dig back about two feet and
we're gonna dry lay that and then we're
gonna put 57s in the back of it and
we're gonna go we're gonna bury three
courses of that stone down in the ground
knowing that the hydrostatic pressure in
the back of it is going to be pushing
off forever it'll be canted back quarter
inch each Stone yeah I mean it will be
dry land yes yeah and how high it'll be
at the highest will be about two feet
okay you're probably okay keying uh uh
obviously the more that that's keyed
into the soil
uh the more vertical it is the more
chance of failure correct the more
that's keyed into the soil yes then the
the weight then the pressure on the soil
actually pushes down on the stone and
maintains the level so that is not shown
but that is just kind of our standard
procedure anything that we are above 18
inches does get keep back it into the
slope right and then it gets it depends
on how far back you depending on how
high up you go okay so we're planning on
going at least two feet back and those
two on those two foot sections I'll
probably have them taken back three feet
just because I I don't want that to fail
I mean you guys have all we're all here
right now you know who's going to be
building that wall and I don't want to
crumble in two years and be like yeah as
long as there you go right three people
you're in trouble yeah I think that
right
Susan I yes a couple things Mr Ryan um
you know the right of way is three feet
there and so the city has the right to
plant trees there correct okay and we
are embarking on a three-year plan to
fill as you've just heard all the holes
so there's a chance that we could be
planting trees at some time in that area
so I think a couple things you know we
need to be aware of one that could
happen and the other is we probably need
to have you sign a hold harmless with
the city for planning in the
right-of-way sure and
um
you know I I would say that I would also
suggest that if there's any change in
the plant material that you have a staff
review with Elena and I'm a little
unclear because I've driven that a
couple times are you thinking that any
of the plant material especially on the
east side on the standberry side is
going to have to be removed no the East
Side pretty much stays we're going to
set a different standard on how that's
maintained so you think it's salvageable
some of it is the bar area we're going
to try to rejuvenate
um coming up soon at pretty much after
this meeting we're going to start
getting after it
um the some of it the boxwood they look
ugly we treated them with Merit
um and medical open last year you try to
get rid of leaf Miners and then this
year we're gonna let them flush we're
not going to prune them probably until
fall okay and then at that point
um and they actually so like this part
of it has to be pretty much set in stone
but the rest of it they kind of wanted
to be a collaboration and an evolution
as to what's there you know they're
going to keep some we're going to
replace the others they have immediate
needs versus you know their players one
of the things not shown on there is on
the east side they have a vast existing
perennial bed that they kind of want to
just mess around with which I appreciate
um it's going to be kind of hidden from
the street but it'll be their kind of
player yeah
um so that is one thing that they that
they are concerned about and I we've
mentioned to them before that the box
but don't make it they don't make it and
we can put play you know we'll have to
approach you guys obviously but we'll
put something else in well then to you
know that's a very what should I say um
you know kind of in your face Corner yes
because of the way that the house is set
back so to Molly's point about
perennials and weeds and and kind of for
reinforcing the free-flowing idea with
perennials and so it is of concern that
there's a difference between
free-flowing and messy chaos right I
shouldn't want to be that dramatic but
that's
yeah I would again
um you know differ to Elena on making
sure that it looks tended whatever it is
I mean we've all seen those Cottage
Gardens in England that looked
phenomenal and make us want to go to the
Cotswolds but you know they have
full-time gardeners yes so yeah yeah
yeah yeah
right yeah so they'll have two guys that
are designated and I have I have one
more thing to add since we were a little
bit off topic so I'm going to insert
this um
part of a conversation we had with
another at another meeting
um I noticed and you had said that you
have on your plan uh daylilies and they
are very very messy they have one bloom
and then they go away and then they have
a little bulb at the barbarous at the
top and they dry back and I think that
they're very quite messy and and
until the rest of it eventually dies off
and like you said the little um sticks
pull those out as they fall off again
that might be perfect honestly I'm very
let a green uh Mountain Greenery Laden
if it were if it were my house
um I don't have a lot of time so
perennials to me mean a lot of
Maintenance but our bi-monthly
maintenance program is the same two guys
there every two weeks they get to know
the house very very intimately and then
they're very astute as far as how how
everything needs to be pruned we train
constantly on perennial maintenance
um and the the most if not all of our uh
day lilies the customers I have dailys
they're maintained every two weeks which
is about as good as you're going to get
unless if you have full time that's
smart and that's what they signed up for
they they really they wanted to show the
house what they've done on the inside is
beautiful and they want to match that on
the outside it is then thank you sure
um anyone else I just um
my concerns are not at all concerns
while your maintaining it but the
homeowners aren't any under any
obligation to continue to to use you and
so I do think we need to put some
conditions that the homeowners are under
that they need to continue to maintain
it
probably not adverse to your interests
uh I I like that idea and that's just on
this one I mean on a lot of them too I
think that well not just for me but I
mean honestly like you see perennial
gardens gonna go to waste pretty quickly
right and this is unique in that it's in
the city's space and so I I guess my
suggestion would be that um I'm not
hearing anyone that that is advocating
for adding The Evergreens to the plan
but we could do that if if there's the
will but it would seem to me that the
motion should
um you know make it clear to the
homeowners that maintenance of the space
um Weed Free is is a condition of the
approval Weed Free beating understood
it's not every day but generally so
um and I also think that you know
because who knows how long I mean
they are going to own it or future
owners are going to own it that changes
to the perennial beds should come to the
staff for for approval um they made they
may not look quite as much like Scotland
in August after their year yeah um and
they may decide they want some different
plannings and I just think that that
should come back to LNS since you've got
a detailed plan here so those are sort
of my comments
very fair
um do you want to make a motion sure
I'll make a motion I'd like to make a
motion that the tree commission approved
the plan as presented with these
conditions that the homeowners agreed to
keep this maintained and Weed Free and
return to the tree commission with any
change in The Perennial plans that the
homeowners sign a hold harmless
agreement with the city of Bexley
and that the homeowners understand that
trees may be planted in
the right-of-way at some future time
determination as to whether it's being
volunteering being well maintain
um
of our staff Consultants
good addition
is there a second promotion second any
further discussion
do you have to address the fact that the
viburnum might may or may not be along
the wall
hmm
I don't I don't quite understand the
viburnum yeah that you had suggested be
inserted along the wall to break it up
oh no I I my my my comment wasn't so
much about
um the viburnum here was whether or not
we wanted to strategically place
Evergreens it was a question and if the
homeowners from a design standpoint say
we don't want it it's up to it's up to
them that's up to you all and it didn't
sound the emotion to add that but that's
not the current motion okay
okay
so any further discussion
if not all those in favor of the motion
say aye aye
opposed
thank you very much with conditions
appreciate it thank you thank you so Pat
I will send you a copy of the whole
harmless okay I was gonna say yeah yeah
one question off the off topic
those blocks are not doing well do as
long as they replace them sane for same
that's acceptable okay I don't need to
do a tbgc any no okay no something like
that if you could though just let me
know and then I can put it attached in
the notes perfect associated with the
Viewpoint project so we can just keep a
track of it okay thank you thank you
okay thank you all right Sheila you are
welcome back into the fold and Larry you
are just you know go back to sleep well
wait let's turn on the lights then okay
um so uh Ellen I don't think there's any
kind of update on projects uh so yes sir
so I think so my update on projects um
let me just
I feel like I'm like a baby toddler
on this so I think just to let everyone
know where things are with the year of
the parks projects just so you're aware
of some of the things that I've been
busy with
um so Schneider park splash pad is going
to be going in at some point this spring
um we are we have a meeting set up with
the contractor with Andy bashore with
Grant Archer and everything to sort of
like understand where that's going who's
doing what with all the utilities what
are we protecting and all of that so
that's in the works and what we see a
diagram and a placement of that we
already have haven't we
no I didn't think so I don't think so I
think we've seen I think we've seen or
we've heard about it
yeah no okay because we talked about
would it be 20 by 20 and then it was
thought maybe it'd be bigger than that
but it's huge takes over half the garden
yeah I knew it married
I was going to talk to you about a
barbed wire fence to put around
right yeah okay so I am glad that I'm
glad that I said this I will bring a
drawing next next month okay we will
review it next match yeah okay so that's
the Schneider park splash pad also along
Schneider Park we have had we have
engaged an engineering firm to help us
design the pedestrian bridge they were
out yesterday
um surveying the uh the land around
there so we're gonna start they're gonna
be hoping within the next month we'll
start to get some detail options in
terms of what this bridge can actually
look like and so that's the bridge
that's going to connect Schneider Park
to the Columbus bike trail the
engineering company will help us with um
all of the Wetland things that we need
to deal with and all the permits with
the city of Columbus they've done a lot
of these um throughout the system agency
uh no this is um
welcome back I'll come back to that I'll
let you know David
um and so we're working on that
um I will be starting on a landscape
plan in Schneider Park that basically
just kind of builds up the asphalt Trail
so you know that we created a better
asphalt Trail throughout the parks we
removed a lot of the benches and a lot
of the chess boards we have gotten a lot
of feedback from community members what
happened to our benches what happened to
our trust tables so we will be
strategically putting in benches along
there and cleaning up some of the
landscape it's not going to be huge but
as you walk down the One path if you're
going south there's that little
roundabout that has a tree in the center
and then the stone wall that's just
falling down it looks like crap we're
going to try to refresh that and make
that a little bit better we're looking
to do a Refresh on the pergola and try
to paint that and try to make it look a
little bit better and trying to Spruce
that up a little bit
um then with the 1876 Plaza which is the
one that is out by Drexel
the easement language has been finalized
and we waiting to then go to the board
with capital to sort of make sure that
all of that is okay and then I have been
busy trying to find a
splash pad that will work there that's
more of a water fountain so it's not
going to be a splash pad that you'll see
at the Bexley pool or even the Schneider
park that has more of a playground feel
with like you know fids and bright
colors we want to have this feel more
elegant so we're looking at having brass
nozzles and it's just a simple jet that
comes up so it doesn't if it's not
active you don't all of a sudden see
like primary Reds and blues and greens
it actually can exist as a nice space so
that has taken me 45 years to try to
find a company that could do this so
we're finally talking with some people
and we're moving forward with that
um with the outdoor reading room we have
engaged with Brian marzich to help us do
the architectural kind of structural
details for some of that and so we're
moving forward with that and trying to
get a little bit more detailed in terms
of some of the lighting designing and
all of that so we can keep you posted on
that and who is he Ryan margitch I can
never sorry my speech impediment comes
up
um he is actually he's a local Bexley
architect that does a lot of work with
Brian Kent Jones and he has helped out
with a lot of projects actually that
we've seen here in Bexley so for
instance he's the one who has done the
construction drawings for the Follies at
Columbia Avenue okay and so he has done
he he knows Bexley he knows the
standards
um and then also we are meeting with the
MEP architect and Ryan Demay at the
Follies this Friday to just finalize
we're trying to get the drawings to go
out to bid for that
and those are the Follies are for the
pump house for the pool equil not the
pool equipment but the irrigation
equipment and then the restroom and then
we are also then coordinating that we're
working with mksk and Brian Kent Jones
on the Columbia Plaza which is the next
version of trying to create that road
along Columbia in between Commonwealth
East and West into a brick street with a
median and parking spaces and two kind
of nice Folly type Plaza things and so
we're working on that so there are a lot
of things that are going on right now
that we're kind of moving along and
they're all at kind of various different
stages of design but we're trying to you
know
keep them all going forward so that's
mine
I would only ask if it would be
appropriate for us to look at your
design for Schneider park it I haven't
started yet oh I see yes
well one of them yes when it happens
okay well one of the things that Mary
and I have talked about a lot the last
two weeks is the invasive species along
Elm Creek and the need to remove the
Honeysuckle and if you do that to have a
planting plan that you come back in and
it would be interesting if we could
focus on that
you know community-wide north to south
and I know I gave you that plan from EMH
and T that they did so I I would suggest
that also be part of your plan okay I'm
sure some of that bank is going to be
um you know disrupted during
the process during for the bridge yes
not necessarily some of the things I'm
focused on but I think for the bridge
definitely to kind of have that in our
back pocket yeah
and um before we go on to Grant Archer
are invisible assistant service director
who had two words for uh Jordan dog park
that was his report dog park you go he's
going to the dogs
um we could still talk about a canopy
walk parallel to the to the pedestrian
bridge over Alum Creek
so the canopy walk I think that might be
incorporated with the Birch Walk
potentially that what Ben has been
talking about so there is a poem
by Robert Frost Birches that um is one
of
um Ben's favorite poems and he has a
strong Vision to have it engraved in
stone large Stone steppers that can be
placed along and then have birch trees
kind of overlooking it so
busy something like that yeah yeah okay
the dog park I did have one question do
we need to worry about erosion on the
dog park you know it's on such a grade
um I don't think so I mean one of the
things that they've done a lot with the
dog park is um they have dug out
trenches and then put perforated tile
underneath it within wrapping over it to
try to capture some of that so um
it we we might but luckily most likely
how we would handle it is just put more
wood chips on top of it okay so um I
know that the the large part of the dog
park is has actually stayed relatively
dry I mean I don't know if anyone has
ever you know walked out there and
looked but that's actually good the
small dog park is what we've been
working on to try to get additional
drainage in there
it may very well be that the um that is
always going to be somewhat moist and
damp yeah exactly okay
um and uh and so we're working on that
they're working on doing some different
kind of regrading to bring this the kind
of the levels up because there are some
gaps underneath
um some of the uh the fences
it will have to be understood that you
know if you come here with your dog you
have to watch your dog and your dog
might get muddy so there is a committee
that is set up um as part of the dog
prior committee that they're working on
rules and regulations and trying to
understand and that we've actually been
talking with local animal enforcement
here with the city of Bexley as well as
veterinarians at um Bexley Animal
Hospital to understand
at what age you know should dogs be
neutered or not and the those of you who
might be I didn't know this but
apparently there's been a debate over
the last five years or so what age is it
appropriate to spay or neuter your dog
and that age has been moved back to
sometimes a year or to two years
um it very well might be that the the
decision I think is heading towards all
dogs must be spayed and neutered and if
your dog is not spayed and neutered it
cannot be in this park because it is a
potentially you know dangerous to other
dogs
um just because I I guess
I think most dogs get paid after they
chew up a rug right yeah
so Elena who had ever thought that
landscape design would be due to the
veterinarian hospital
I'll say I have a question though when
you say that the the splash pad would be
they'd start working on it in the spring
that's after Arbor Day celebrations
yes yes yeah I don't I don't think yeah
I don't think that there's any way that
they would mobilize with that but okay I
will I will let them know that thank you
April is not a good month for them to
get in there and dig things up okay
um thank you grant for that report on
the dog park welcome old business a tree
plotter we've been plotting Along on
this for a year now Jim no it didn't
take quite as long as the name of policy
but um just to remind everyone we've
been
um in conversations with Planet Geo
about a product called tree plotter
which at a very basic level is similar
to our GIS system that tracks trees but
has a lot more functionality allows us
um to access it more easily and to
um most importantly sort of identify
where
um we are missing trees and plant those
and then longer term to sort of
inventory our trees by age and species
and perhaps do some planning as to when
we'll need to be replacing trees so um
we have a proposal
the Grant I think is satisfied at least
that it works with what he's doing with
GIS and that we can export the data so
total price is is six thousand dollars
for a year subscription support and
onboarding and the migration of some of
the data which was the issue that was
sort of hanging us up the mayor when we
met with him perhaps in a uh unguarded
moment said that we have budget for tree
commission and so I would move that we
approve
getting this subscription to tree
plotter and then we'll find out from the
mayor who is authorized to sign the
contract to do that
is there a second oh second okay now
would anybody like to have any
discussion for your job
have you used Street Potter days
does it require someone to run it I mean
I guess I don't quite understand how it
all works I mean presented to us as much
more user friendly than GIS and having
much more ability to allow access
outside sort of the city staff which is
one of the big advantages GIS really can
only
be utilized here at City Hall by City
staff so this is more of a subscription
product and I think we haven't sort of
figured out because there'll be a big
fight as to who gets access so let's say
this is Roosevelt and Mary lives right
here so you can pull this up on tree
plotter and you'll see all these
different color codes this might be blue
and it would mean a tree is 12 to 24
inches and this might be green or orange
and it'll be something else and this
would be black and mean it's a vacant
spot that you could plant a tree so the
the possibilities are are endless with
the with the color coding or The Guiding
and it would be available to all of us
in fact I think Larry you sent me
um a link to one in Brooklyn or New York
where the people in New York love going
on this thing and seeing you know what
trees are missing and what trees they
have and it also says when they will be
planted or replanted or taken down or
you know trimmed pruned I mean would
that be wonderful I think I think I
should break it to everyone that it
might not mean it might mean that
commission members don't get to walk
Bexley every few years
that's what I think subscription
I thought we could take donations or put
up a lemonade stand yeah okay so let's
see we have a motion before emotions are
made by Mr Wilson and seconded by was it
Stila and I was married oh it was well I
was starting gosh
hna contract with uh Planet Geo for six
thousand dollars for a first-year
subscription a tree plot or all those in
favor say aye aye all those opposed to
say sign motion carries okay so as we
talk about that um I think and we work
towards
initiating one part of this um infilling
the community with trees that we talk
about what would be the most logical
geographical area you know we're already
late if we're thinking about you know
planning in October November
so I had hoped Grant would be here and
we could talk about the most
you know underserved area or the area
that'd be easiest to figure out to plant
with trees
um so I think we'll have to just kind of
wait for him to return
um
unless someone has a particular
you know suggestion starting in the
South going Central going north doing
central doing North I mean I I think all
areas are in need I was sitting next to
someone at the state of the community
last night you said why don't we have
any trees on Remington anymore when I
grew up the trees used to cross in the
middle of the street now there are no
trees on Remington I said well we're on
it but it'll take three years so
how how big a
first area
is would be would we be looking at well
I'm thinking of one third of the city
one third okay
and hopefully we can get tree plotter up
and running you know before the summer
gets too warm and have a pretty good
idea of exactly you know because it's
probably not exactly proportionate that
one-third of actually has one third of
the need for freeze right I think that's
one of the advantages of having that and
I don't think it'll take long to get it
up and running no
um and so I and I I would suggest and
then we have to figure out what the
city's budget is you know Grant had said
that the city is committed to paying for
the replacement trees so tree comes down
in front of your house Mary then the
city will take it down and replant it
the following year but that's not really
what we're talking about here we're
talking about all those trees that were
taken down and never refilled and never
infilled and and you know we don't know
why and we don't need to know why we
just have to know how many spaces we
have and what kind of trees there are
and then sort of potential cost
do you have any indication at this point
based on your tree walks no I mean I
I've given them you know I mean I
actually we should all come back next
time put our guesses in a hat the person
who wins gets a free dinner at Giuseppes
I know I know we're cocktails right
you know I would
suggestion go ahead well I mean and
maybe that's being prematurely biased
but
um there see you know if if we look at
here the parks to look at all that's
going on yeah there's some happening
down in South Bexley uh but you know my
thing would be like let's do South
Bexley first I just think it's
um
there's so much happening otherwise uh
there's always more interest shown in
north or interest shown in central
that's kind of the feeling down there
anyway so it'd be nice to make that the
first start that'd be a bias on my
partner well I I like I guess Direction
so if you start South go Central go
north I mean it feels feels like an
actual progression so we'll have to get
that approved by Grant and then and as I
said find out what the budget is I'm I'm
thoughtful that the money will be easier
to raise and or to
um to ask for then it will be to have
the help needed to really maybe
interpret the data into a planting plan
[Music]
I mean I Molly had been on the city of
Columbus's website and they'll take like
Marion Village and they have shown the
existing trees what trees are going to
go in and when they're going to go in
and it's there's not there's nothing
about it that's haphazard and it's you
know I'm assuming for resonance very
encouraging and very comforting so
do they do the suggested areas need
field check because Doug does this
system take into account where the storm
lines are or all of the or what the
nearby big trees are that I mean they're
selling these contingent
things that indep that impact where
trees go that's how it's been advertised
okay
so personally that's part of the the
first price was three thousand and but
to import this data from the gis which
is the utilities and the water and cable
and Santa Claus I mean it just yeah and
to recode
um the way that the tree species are in
GIS needs some work to convert it into
three people are how long do you think
that we will be subscribing to this I I
hope for as long as all of us are on the
tree commission I mean I think I are
alive I think it's an incredible tool
yeah um you know my my senses it is a
planning process it really almost
removes the need for a strategic plan
because you have it in front of you and
if you're committed to replacing canopy
or growing canopy it will be able to
give you probably the limits of where
you can do that yeah
very cool and if you know I mean it
hopefully help us plan once you've
identified all the species and their
ages you have some sense of when they're
going to start to need to be replaced
Grandview did this Jim and I attended a
webinar almost a year ago now where they
did it and tree uh Planet Geo did it and
again you can go to the Grandview
website and see it it's as I say it's
it's impressive I mean obviously we were
converts we've been so slow to show our
conversion rate here but we've done it
and that kind of leads me to the Urban
Tree canopy goals something
um you know we're at 39 40 is sort of
like a a standard
um I think that we should be at 40
percent I worry that we have retreated
from the 39 percent and I would say
we're
37 percent
um you know I mean again you look across
the street and you think of all those
London plain sycamores leaving the those
leaving all the swimming pools that went
in
I'm planting 12 Trees in my yard next
month
keep going keep going my neighbors I'm
helping on a beautiful Maple this
morning because too close to the house
the Big Branch fell during the storms so
okay so anyway I would suggest that you
know that we that we um come as a
commission together on a goal I don't
know if it has to be based on Research
that's probably always important but it
could be just a goal that we strive
towards and as I said 40 seems to be the
the gold standard so I would even make
the motion now that our goal be with
after these three years that we have
reached a canopy Urban Tree canopy goal
forty percent you have a second
yeah any discussion no okay emotionally
amazing that our three-year goal to
improve our tree canopy goes from
existing conditions to 40 in three years
is that sort of the same time the
Cassidy project will be starting we can
outdo them yeah all
um Jim do you want to talk a little bit
about the commission conversations we
had with ARB and vsap today
talk briefly about it yeah surpassed our
time okay
um we did have a second round of
conversations with the other commission
chairs and vice chairs I think it was
productive but a bit free-ranging
um
the mayor's interested in improving the
sort of parliamentary process for
hearings and all the commission so that
took up a lot of the discussion today I
do think we're making incremental
Improvement in across the board in
actually
ensuring that what gets approved gets
done all of the commissions I think
share that concern it's not just our
concern
um it's still lots of space I think to
improve on that
um I think
you know there's I think there's a great
openness on the part of the other
committed commission chairs to have
these kind of meetings
um I think there's concern that we do
everything we can before whatever comes
in at the Trinity Apartments to ensure
that it's what we want and Bexley
um and not what we said or in Bexley so
I think we'll probably meet again in two
months and if you have any ideas for
what we should include on the agenda we
can do that yeah I'd say you know
everybody's frustrated with the same
things they're frustrated with approving
something and it's installed different
or something's installed and not been
approved and then what happens
um and how do we do that without adding
layers a staff
and expense to that
and it's been going on I mean it goes
back to CBS when we did CBS right right
you know of course right now look at it
right right
yeah look at those Trails well you know
I mean it's the it's not only of
frustration but I would say that it's
probably you know you wonder if the time
you spend is value is valued and I I
think in commission with volunteer
commissions it's always something that
you have to be thoughtful about I mean
you guys spend a lot of time and and you
know when you put yourself on the line
with the vote you want to make sure that
you know what you have said and what
you've um
but you've decided that you can say is
is worthy of being enforced by the city
so I think I mean I think the
conversation did move just towards the
recognition that you're not being
unfriendly to developers or contractors
uh by simply insisting they do what
they've promised to do they think
there's a desire on the city's part to
not create hurdles to them in terms of
getting things approved but that doesn't
mean that once they've gotten it
approved they're not held to what they
promised to do and I think we've moved
forward in getting to that distinction
yeah we're still struggling though I
would have to say with something's
installed unapproved and then what
I think most of the commissions would
say were under resourced in terms of
actually checking to see what gets
approved isn't it really just a problem
a lack of Code Enforcement I mean how do
we
what we want you to harp on the need for
code enforcement and I think we have a
common voice with the other commissions
but we also are
wrestling for resources with other
things the city wants to do right
um I would say that I think these
commission conversations have been very
helpful to everybody and I I think that
it's it's been interesting to sense uh
what the others are doing and really to
complement them and how they they're
always looking to improve as well not
only in their decisions but in their
decision making
and for commissions that have been
around 20 or 30 years to continue to
to try and improve I think is is truly
amazing and I think even it's starting
to help identify holes so for instance
just a quick example
um sight lighting so ARB thought that we
reviewed site lighting and we're like we
have nothing to do with site lighting uh
we thought you guys did it and basically
there's a standard for site lighting and
it has to have cut-offs but it's not on
arb's radar when they're reviewing a
plan to sort of be intentional about
where are you putting this and then
we've always been told that's not in our
scope so we don't ever talk about it and
so at least now we know that someone
needs to talk about it we didn't decide
who's going to talk about it and who's
going to review it but I think that
there's a lot of um
I don't think that ARB and vzap really
understands what it is that we do and
what we're looking at and I think by
having all of us at the same table and
us saying things like oh okay well
that's that's good we didn't we that
that's helpful so it's you know just
that sharing of knowledge I think has
been very very good yeah and just like
today I S you know we're talking and
um I said to Kathy why do things have to
go on the property line
I mean why don't you back him up so that
we they can plant and not plant in the
right-of-way
I mean we had an instance of that today
would have made any difference if the
wall was too feedback off the property
line with the Garden in front not in the
right-of-way and they don't have to
assign a whole harmless they don't have
to worry about a tree going in so again
those kind of conversations only only
will improve what we do and how we look
and with that let us adjourn the meeting
for the day oh really quick so we do
have language that that I wrote and that
um you do I do I do I'm like oh we can
take this off so and I apologize for not
sending it out but it says installation
and this would go on the findings of
fact right so when we have the findings
of fact and I type everything up and we
send it to the people and put it online
this would be part of that form
installation of the landscape must occur
within one calendar year from the date
of approval by the commission unless
otherwise stated in the findings of fact
and record of decision for landscape
associated with new construction
projects installation must occur within
one calendar a year from the issuance of
a temporary occupancy permit
so why don't we
prove that today was a 30-day
um kind of uh race period and then go
back and reapprove it in 30 days okay so
so I guess my question is should I put
this on our findings in fact for
instance of our two projects today are
people comfortable me putting this in or
do we want to just think about it for 30
days and then ask my lawyer Jim I mean I
certainly would put it in the new bill
I don't think there'll be an issue but I
think it's appropriate to put it in
there they can always come back and ask
for a variation or an extension well
then I think we need to go ahead and
approve that then I move it okay
okay emotionally made and seconded that
we approve the language that Elena has
read off her phone
and that she will send to us in the next
few days to put in our files all those
in favor say aye um
emotion carries and we will revisit it
in 30 days yes okay all right meeting
adjourned happy birthday to Jordan yes