e e
or the bottle brush bu guy
okay okay is everybody
ready okay I think we're ready the
Bear's ready grant our y now our
assistant service director our Urban
Forester and our av director you're
ready okay here we go like to call the
Wednesday June 26th monthly meeting of
the Bexley tree and public gardens
commission to order and call the role
Mary mcmun here s pend here Sheila STW
here Dave Wakeman here the final meeting
of more than two decades of service to
the city of Bexley Celeste Williams I
think is out of town Jim Wilson here
Linda znick here uh then we have Ellen
Bowen ex officio all right May
Kesler is here okay Elena Andrew staff
consultant here Grant Archer here Barb
is coming in and Barb is coming in as we
speak so we will speak for her Barb
Giller alterate is here and Troy Markham
had a conflict with his new date so he
is unable to join us um however we do
have another guest joining us and mayor
Kesler I'd like to ask you to introduce
Mark please yes those who have not met
Mark bishell Mark is our City attorney
he's been our City attorney
for nine years really nine I just saw
that oh nine years GH um has it been a
fruitful relationship with all the Uggs
I very much enjoy working with Mark he's
okay he's insightful he's witty
sometimes um and uh and always
entertaining um I think so we when we
had we have been talking among the tree
commission planning team about having
our zoning Council present whenever we
have actual hearings on
applications this would have been the
first meeting kathern Cunningham who AR
only council is not available for this
meeting so Mark is here in herstead okay
so um so by the way so please excuse him
as he bows out after the applications
he's not indentured to the entire
meeting
indentured that's a
pretty okay all right so um mayor and
Mark have you worked out how you will be
participating if at all or if all the
time with uh the decision making or the
discussion H we haven't worked it out I
thought I would do kind of what I do
with city council which is chime in when
I think I need to or if you folks have
questions ask them when you have them um
but you know I I would rather just uh
sit here and observe unless or until
something requires my inv
okay so it's a little bit more casual
than having regular Spiel in yeah all
right well then forward we go so we have
a quorum and Barb you've been appointed
as an alternate Miss Les is not here and
now I'm looking for approval of the
minutes of May 15
2024 as sent yesterday bya email so
moved second okay any discussion motions
made and seconded that we approve the
minutes of May 15 202 4 as sent all
those in favor say I I all those opposed
same sign motion passes additions to the
agenda are there any additions to the
agenda if there are none our agenda is
set for the
meeting um we've welcomed Mark we could
welcome you again I just had it on my
notes Mark so um in order to facilitate
um time a great resource or a lack of
resource for everyone we're going to
move the landscape applications to the
very beginning of the meeting and which
allows our applicants then to leave in
good time and also Mark to get back to
his his other day jobs so with that I'm
going to turn it over to Jim Wilson to
call the first applicant okay our first
application is for um
394 South Columbia this is an
application we heard before and I think
we decided table since it was coming to
beap and I think it's back before us
um just a reminder of our procedure um
first of all reminder to everyone that
we're we're live on YouTube so your
comments will ReSound around the world
uh yeah we treat everyone with respect
and particular we don't make negative
comments about City staff city employees
other members of this commission or
other commissions um our process um is
um we'll we'll hear from our staff
consultant regarding the project then
we'll hear from the applicant the
applicant has up to 10 minutes you don't
have to take 10 minutes if you don't
want to um we will then if there are any
uh any residents of in interested in the
project that want to speak in opposition
each of them would have up to three
minutes um we'll hear then from any
residents that want to support it um if
there are any such comments then our
applicant would again have an
opportunity of up to five minutes to
respond respond then commission members
we will first ask questions of the
applicant and staff we will try to
finish all of our questions and then we
will discuss the application as a
commission everyone good on that good
you know in you
know reminders along the way our always
help I'm fairly good at those yes you
are
excellent okay so um again so this is
tpg 24-3 the RightWay plantings um we
have Karen McCoy here with mksk um to
present and this came before us a few
months ago and there were the columns in
the right of way and there was the row
of boxwood and then a row of lopi and
then a bed that came right up to the
sidewalk and we had discussed moving the
ls moving
water moving whatever we can
do keep going we keep going moving the
laiia back so we could have a foot of
lawn adjacent to the sidewalk so none of
the mulch would kind of come into the um
into the sidewalk and obstruct any of
the um pedestrian traffic there we
tabled the application because it was
going to be going before Bap because of
the columns The Columns then were built
in the right of way on March 28th of
this year Bap um reviewed the project
and they granted a variance for the
three 36in High columns with a 4-in uh
Limestone cap to be located within the
city RightWay with the condition with
three conditions one that the column
should be located two feet off of the
driveway and sidewalk that the that the
subject the project is subject to city
council approval and of a hold harmless
agreement and that it is subject to the
landscape plan approved by the tree and
public garden commission so it is back
for us now so it is given the variance
by BAP and so now they are looking for
our approval of their landscape plan the
plan um to my knowledge has not changed
um we had had the recommendation to
again move that laiia back Grant if we
could pull up the two photographs that
are in the it's a it's a PDF document
that says
images the very last
one so you can see this is the house um
and so it is you know and so basic what
actually what I'll do is Karen I'm going
to kick it over to you and allow you to
kind of describe the um where things are
you were going to speak with the owner
as well in terms of what they
potentially wanted to do and all of that
so with that I'll I'll give it over to
you is your microphone on Karen just
green it is now okay thank you so what
difference in this um planting
installation from the actual plan is
that that boxwood hedge is set further
back into the yard and there is two feet
of bed area in front of them and the
line of lopy so um there's obviously
space there and I talked to the
homeowner and they would you know
obviously like to keep the Hedge they
would like to see a formal hedge they've
agreed that you know they will keep it
in good condition if there is an issue
with blight then you know they would
deal with replacement at that time
they'd be happy to do that I you know
they do have this maintained and I
assure you they will not have dead
hedges in their front yard uh and they
would be willing to move the Loria back
and establish a sid line if that's what
is desired um in front of that adjacent
to the sidewalk or they would add
additional lopy plantings or even
possibly a line of carxs in front of
that if that's
you know whatever is amable to the tree
and public garden
commission excellent okay thank you
Karen we have your recommendations in
your written report so my recommendation
um I guess you know what I didn't on
this one so my my recommendation would
be in order to be consistent with what
our past rulings have been been is to
establish that one foot line of sod
adjacent to the sidewalk and move the
Loria back that would be my
recommendation from
staff um any any public comments opposed
or in favor I'm hearing none I assume
you have no further comments and you're
ready for questions yes members
commission questions for the applicant
or
staff Susan Karen is there um an
elevation of where the columns are in
relation to the
plantings yeah the columns would be
installed two foot behind so they would
basically um there is there's a plan but
there's not an elevation along there's
an elevation of the column that we
submitted but there's not one in
relation to the planting but basically
the face of the Hedge would also be the
face of the
column of the of the boxwood front the
street facing edge of the boxwood would
be also the edge of the
column so so the ly would be out of
the would
be yeah actually there's if you look at
the on the landscape plan the lopy stops
and they were going to add annuals and
planting around the
columns it is the column 2 by two or is
it 3 by three it's uh actually 2 and a
half by two and a half two and a half by
two and a
half can't they just plant the Box w l
in the center that go down and give us a
tube width of one and fronts that just
equi with well the the boxw
installed well they can be trans and be
moved
right
possible yeah the desire would be to
have the box would be a continuation of
the
column other
questions Karen is the is the Box will
going to be um pruned into a hedge like
a formal hedge not the individual ball
okay so it will look like it will be a
hedge yes okay it was installed a little
smaller than specified but yeah it will
be a trim to a formal hedge I would just
say maintain maintaining a foot of grass
is not really we're moving into
discussion we're still on comments
questions questions I mean sorry yeah
okay so as we're looking at this design
Karen could you again review with us
what
um uh options the homeowner would be
willing to consider You' mentioned
taking out the L riai putting in the
foot of grass strip correct well it
seems to me that there's there's concern
on the part of the city and the
commission
about the width of mulch spilling
potential mulch spilling over on the
sidewalk so we do you know we're going
to have a bit of a mulch strip there so
we could add more
planting or if the city really wants the
side strip we can move the laiia back
and add what would be 12 in 8 to 12
inches of sod that then would have to be
maintained which is probably not the
most sustainable answer and I you know I
I agree with Dave
it's it's not U with Mr Wakeman is
not and so if if there was the foot of
of sad would you then just remove the L
Al together the lopi would move closer
to to the boxwood
yeah so just as a a just as a small note
for the committee to consider um in the
application that we reviewed I think it
was last month um
on Sherwood corner of Sherwood and
Cassidy corner of Sherwood and Cassidy
we did allow mulch up to the sidewalk
provided that there was ground cover
adjacent that would actually keep the
mulch in um and it was you know kind of
a low ground cover so if that's also
then something that is potentially
amenable I mean another row of lopy in
theory what happens is that that plant
material then keeps the mulch at Bay and
you don't need as much of it and so the
thought is that it doesn't move into it
um or is it another smaller ground cover
um but just something for the committee
members to consider have you also talked
with the homeowner about um I always
call it Ryerson which is the the metal
Edge that you use a lot of times so that
yeah keeps it in place uh we haven't
discussed that that could be
possibility if there's concern I think
that they would keep it
maintained other
questions if not they're ready for
discussion they
comments including um
see so the columns were are installed
and but it was on their agenda and it's
been approved
and so we have to make a recommendation
with so Bap has approved the columns
subject to us approving a landscape plan
okay and so our responsibility here is
to um approve a landscape plan um we
have no role in with respect to the
columns because those are already
approved how however I mean I think the
you know one of
the unusual circumstances is that the
landscape has already been installed
we're not looking at a potential
landscape we already have an installed
landscape so the landscape is correct
right right um it's installed and it is
but it is in the right of way correct um
um well I mean if there aren't other
comments I mean I think we've been
pretty consistent in requiring some
barrier between um the sidewalk and
plantings and I was the one that last
month or last meeting suggested that the
low Sedum was an appropriate substitute
for grass um and I I would not have a
problem with that here but I do think
there needs to be some barrier I mean if
this picture depicts the things
accurately it looks like there's at
least a slight slope downward there and
we've been I I can't remember any
instance where we haven't required a
barrier
between um the plantings to main make
sure that the mulch is
contained I would agree with that I
think for you know one of the great
things about tree commission members is
that we have consistent attendance at
most meetings so I think we do um have
used that as a uh as a consideration
when something is in the right of way
and close to the
sidewalk I think that if we can use um
some sort of a you know metal barrier or
something underneath that to me that
would be better
than um having a foot wide strip of
grass which no matter how hard you try
to you know keep it green and mode and
everything else but especially green and
that perhaps that would be a better
option so my suggestion would we we we
would approve this and give the property
owner the choice of three a foot wide
strip a similar strip of um low Sedum or
similar plants that would contain the
mulch or a metal strip and let the
property owner decide what they want to
do
are there are there other considerations
that tree commission members would like
to
suggest I agree with Jim I think it's
nice to give free choices and those
threee choices would fall under our
acceptable precedence that we've given
so I don't know how the homeowner would
feel that she could choose he could
choose okay that involve moving the laia
at all or
not to me that's sort I mean I I can't
exactly tell the distance I think the L
probably would have to be moved in at
least the grass scenario I don't know if
you could plant something low without
having to move the
L the metal strip I think obviously you
wouldn't have to move
the I but I think that could be a staff
consultant you know well if we have
one normally send it back to the staff
consultant but they might it's not it's
not the end of June it's not the end of
June you got four days left you know
four days for me to review it and
approve it yeah can be done can be done
you didn't want to sleep right are there
any other questions or comments options
discussion okay would would you like a
motion I'd like a motion Mr won I move
that we approve the plan um as presented
with the modification that the property
owner uh either um install a metal strip
along the sidewalk to contain the mulch
or plant a foot wide strip of grass to
contain the mulch or um plant some low
growing um uh planting such as Sedum to
contain the
mulch is there a second second is there
any
discussion no discussion okay motion for
made second that we approv the plan as
presented with three options for the
area in front of the box would one would
be a um as I said I call it Ryerson
which would be a metal strip that's next
to the sidewalk to contain the mulch one
be a low growing ground cover the third
would be maybe an additional R
Ry all those in favor say I I all those
po same sign okay motion carries okay
thank you Karen thank you okay thank you
Karen I think our next
application is 2691 East Main Street
correct so this is um tpgc
23-4 it is the new co- hatch that you
will see that is under construction
right now on Main Street um this is an
existing mid-century split level office
building that is having an addition
added to the north elevation along Main
Street that will house the company
cohatch the project was approved by BAP
under application number B zap 23-8 on
April 27th with the condition that the
landscape plan is subject to further
review and approval by the trean public
garden commission this project was given
a certificate of appropriateness by ARB
on 6823 so Bap and ARB have approved it
and now it is before the tree commission
for us to review the
landscape due to the site constraints
and the parking lot the opportunity for
landscape exists only at the foundation
of the building on the east west and
south elevations a larger bed is
provided by the main entry at the North
End of the west elevation that contains
the France Fontaine hornbean a flowering
hydrangea and Evergreen Juniper ground
cover the East and West elevations have
a simple rhythm of Evergreen Holly um
broken up by perennials in the in front
of the windows the South elevation has a
larger bed for the rear entrance where
there are two more France Fontaine
hornbeams that are symmetrically placed
at the rear elevation with two rows of
lilacs and cment that will give seasonal
interest I suggested that the last four
Holly south of the gutters
could we pull up the
plan
um south of the gutters be replaced with
upright Evergreens such as a blue arrow
Juniper and um I know that uh cohatch
and the landscape designers are amenable
to that suggestion I said overall the
plant selection is appropriate to the
site and will provide seasonal interest
just of note the contractor who was
building the building notified the city
arborous that the trees were in the
right of were in the way of construction
they were told that they needed to hire
Prof professional arborist to trim the
trees that the city could not get there
in a timely fashion the contractor
hacked off the limbs improperly and the
applicant was notified and um they were
they said that they had contacted axe
Tree Service who is a certified tree
arborist to come out the week of 10 610
to properly trim the trees and the city
was able to get there um before them and
properly trim the trees per their
standards so um you know it is to cooh
hatch's credit that they you know
quickly they were notified that there
was an issue with the city trees the
contractor improperly pruned them and
they immediately then were able to
contact an arborus to come out and the
city was able to get there prior to the
arborus but it was helpful that they
were able to do that um it's my
recommendation to approve the plan as
presented um with the condition
potentially that they um consider
changing the junipers and so with that
we have um we have Eliza ho who's in the
audience so she's with the um architects
who are working on the building and we
have Gary Murphy and Brian Tanner here
with clms who are the um Landscape
Architects as well as the installers and
maintenance and Gary it might be also
helpful for you to describe what your
relationship is with um cohatch as well
as um address uh
irrigation um I'll address the
irrigation first uh the current plan I
do not believe has an Irrigation Design
in it
um as far as our relationship with
cohatch uh we partner with cohatch on a
lot of their um design build projects
that they have um we have
completed uh
Westerville um
Dublin currently we are working with
them on Powell
Beckley that's all of them yeah
currently so basically uh we will
install their their landscapes
and then uh we take on the contract to
maintain them afterwards so we we
partner with them from beginning to
end so is there a watering plan that is
associated if the if the project is not
irrigated how do you ensure the survival
of the plant material uh we do a per
currence watering plan with cohatch so
uh if we get into a situation where um
it hasn't rained or it's dry uh we
arrive to the site with our with our
watering truck and watered plants by
hand and do you do how how do you do
bonly weekly maintenance or is it once a
month weekly maintenance um if there's
Turf involved uh there's it's a weekly
maintenance program uh 28 occurrences
your typical mulching spring cleanup
fall cleanup seasonal color changes uh
if it's if there is no Turf then it's a
detail program where it's usually a
bi-weekly
uh visit for for weeding and in
detail so it might be helpful um I know
that the plan was uh a little bit uh
difficult to understand it might be
helpful if you could just kind of go
from the top of the page down and kind
of call out what the plant material is
in case just so people have a better
just to make sure we're following our
procedure or I think we just need to
turn over the applicant and have them
present um so you have 10 up to 10
minutes okay well we'll we'll go right
down we'll start in the upper leftand
corner yeah you're oriented the right
way basically in that corner uh the the
blue symbol uh is is a peeee Oakleaf
hydrangea um four four foot tall three
foot wide at at maximum um you're going
to get a white flower in the summer uh
it's it's it's a rounded
form the the next symbol next to that uh
is
is repeated uh that that one and the two
in the front is the European hornbeam
it's columnar in shape you're looking at
something that's about 30 feet 35 feet
tall at at its maturity it'll stay uh
about 20 feet wide it's it's a slow
growing tree uh yellow fall
color um as we work that ground cover
and in this particular case we've got
what's referred to as a shore juniper
it's about a foot tall maybe six foot
wide uh should fill in that whole area
as a ground cover uh working down the
building uh down the
sides we've started to get away from
boxwoods a little bit because everybody
knows what's what's happening with the
boxwoods Soh this is a a isix kenada
it's it's a small Leaf Holly kind of
resembles out of a boxwood it's going to
be about 3 foot by three foot um easy to
maintain um as you're working down the
the blue symbols along the back is a uh
Carl Forester Reed feather Reed grass
which is going to get you about three
foot tall uh and act as a backdrop and
then the the two types of perennials
that alternate in there the first ones
that are the pink is a a sage purple
flower in the summer and then the next
group is a white a white cone flower so
it would alternate purple white purple
white
purple uh finishes out with the Alex
konata down the side uh which the last
four we will substitute into an upright
uh blue type of
juniper as you come around the front of
the building the back row is a missim
lilac will'll will'll max out or mature
out at about five foot five foot tall
very fragrant uh spring spring
flower then you've got a couple rows of
uh NEPA or cat
which is going to be flowering pretty
much this time of year throughout the
summer it's a low grow it'll it'll stay
uh as a ground cover and then as you
swing around the building up the other
side it basically repeats repeats the
the opposite
side any
further I just making sure I I I can
answer questions I got nothing else all
right well first we'll see if there's
and I think the answer is obvious but is
there anyone uh from the public that
wants to uh offer comments and
opposition to the proposed
application anyone that wants to offer
support for the application see anyone
so um I think we are ready for for
questions actually I could ask a couple
questions first and I think these sort
of go to Mark so that Mark can earn his
keep here today um so is this within the
Main Street guidelines
area so our review is occurring within
the Main Street design guidelines is
that
right yeah I believe so right um and so
I guess um I wanted I mean when you
reviewed the application did it do you
comply with the Main Street design
guidelines given the given the footprint
in terms of of the beds that we
had yes I mean it was in terms of The
Limited plant material that we were able
to get adjacent to the building yes but
like things like I mean my understanding
and I'm working from memory here but we
have talked about the Main Street
guidelines a lot over the last year um
like there's either brick or Granite
curbing around the street trees is that
part of the
plan so as part of this is since they
are not touching anything with in the
existing Street trees um that is not
something that I'm aware of that we were
going to ask them to modify that I know
that those trees right now are just
sitting within I think a lawn
strip
okay I mean I didn't read the guidelines
as having an exception for that but I
would defer to to others on what they
require um I don't know mayor if if you
have any views or REM Mark um
which my question is is just since this
is within the Main Street guidelines and
last we spent lots of time with them in
the fall my recollection was that the
street trees um if we supposed to have a
granite curb around them um and and it
may be that I'm just BR remembering the
guidelines but that's what I called from
the yeah I think it's Limestone curb
okay um because the the but that's I
think that's in the case of when the
tree well is being
created are they I'm sorry do the scope
include doing anything in the in the
tree zone of the
rideway okay I don't know that in the in
the past we have asked for a change to
the Treon on a remodel project um unless
I'm mistaken I don't know if you have a
recollection I think that's true yeah I
think that's true doesn't mean it's
something we shouldn't address right I
actually think the Main Street design
guidelin is called for whether or not
they called for Limestone curbs they
called for um what are those called the
little tree thingy do fening guards
guards which we've sort of walked away
from a little bit as well um our code
said Granite it was an error it was
actually recently changed in ordinance
424 where uh in in the review of the
overall code we realized that somebody
put granite in there and we changed it
back to Limestone okay yep other
question no my concern was the um
irrigation because I know that there's a
lot of asphalt over there so um um I
just wanted to clarify though those beds
that you're putting on the east and west
sides how deep will they
be the beds on
the as far as the So the plan what we
would call um bring bring soil in from
not sight soil the root Zone there
you're probably only looking
about that's the width oh depthwise
depthwise we're probably looking at 12
inches or under oh that's it yeah oh wow
that's an nrow yeah it's not it's the
the root ball is not going to be very
deep on on that size of shrub or
perennial most of the perennials that go
in there will be a one gallon perennial
which is going to be about a 6 inch root
zone so uh the isix Granada would
probably be uh either like a five gallon
or what I would call like a 24 to 36
root ball which you're still only
looking at about 12 inch depth so um
have you had experience doing this at
your other co- hatches and had success
or as far as not having an irrigation
system well not having the irrigation or
not having any really bed in which to
plant I mean you're only talking a foot
no I'm talking about what we call
imported soil
right no I understand yeah but it works
is what I'm basically
asking actually sometimes right but with
the heat from the asphalt and the heat
from the building you know it seems like
it's got to be a difficult place to
plant everywhere in Ohio is a different
place to plant there's a lot of clay um
but you you want to use some imported
soils but you don't want to make the
whole thing in imported soil because
then you got imported soils drain very
well and then hit impervious soil and
that thing's going to it'll fill up um
so we we we want the plant material to
be able to survive in in in the native
soil that's there so we'll help it a
little bit but you don't want to totally
replace it well again I was just really
more concerned about all the heat yeah
especially with Summers like we have
yeah no other questions Susan um
is there tree protection around the city
trees
now um honestly I don't know because
we're we haven't been involved until the
the site's ready to be landscaped okay
so I'm assuming Grant there should be
tree prot trees yeah it should be part
of the uh the building
permit so if the building permit has
been let correct mayor it has okay
they've been building so if there is not
tree protection we should AB tree
protection so I would I know it kind of
sounds like a snotty question but are
you maintaining the property now as far
as the tree lawn no okay so do you know
who is maintaining
it um no I don't okay well I would just
you know I would just I can find out
okay well can you find out and do
something about it yes I can okay all
right that's good I wanted to ask if
there are tree if there are wheel stops
in the parking lot with only a 12-in bed
um so I want to clarify I think from the
wall to the edge of the sidewalk that
looks more like it's a three foot deep
bed right
and the East and the West sides it looks
like from edge of pavement to building
is three feet
Yes 2 six
okay okay so it's not so when they were
talking about one foot that was digging
down 1T for soil and putting in amended
soil to kind of help establish the
plants that is then on top of the native
soil which is a pretty common practice
in um both residential and Commercial
install so I just want to clarify that
it's not these these aren't plants that
are being squeezed into a very narrow
bed it's a three foot and a two and a
half foot bed okay thank you but you
have wheel stops everywhere okay okay um
my other I guess my other comment would
you you be agreeable to um Ellena
suggestion of junipers for a little
relief in the height of the building we
we we've already discussed that yes okay
and how many would you be willing to put
in um four on each side because if you
look at the the bottom right hand
corner um we'd go four four back and
then four back so
on on each
side I you don't you don't have that
that plan that would we have one with a
red red square around it I don't I don't
know if you guys had seen that one or
not but yeah those four would be
replaced with an upright Juniper and the
first four on the other side
arrows that will stay diam
and and
so right I mean I think it's a I think
it's a great idea you know personally I
would like to see the building you know
kind of broken up with more of those
stands as you get closer to the alley
instead of all just sort of I think most
of the plant material on the sides is
like three feet high or four yeah and
then uh there's The Perennial Pockets
where some plant material get up about
four
foot other questions yeah when you
talked about how you're going to water
it's going to be just weather dependent
or is it on a actual plan cycle that
you're there every week or something
after its first installed it's it's it's
more of on a on a plan two three times a
week okay um after the plants become
established uh then it becomes weather
dependent and how long are you going to
be irriated just the season just next
year I mean is it whose responsibility
Beyond well that would be coh hatch's
responsibility is to say yes let's
continue it or or we're established so
is there any way that if any of the
plants are died for replacement at some
point everything everything is covered
under a minimum one-year warranty okay
and most of the time when we take on a
maintenance contract from an install we
will warranty the plants for as long as
we are contracted to maintain
it do you know approximately when you're
going to do your
install they have not given us a start
date for the install as of today
uh so just for information when we were
reviewing the um landscape for
catalinas uh and they had some trees
they're going to put in the right of way
we suggested that a fall planting might
be better because they also don't have
an irrigation system so uh while we love
to see everything perfect for the ribbon
cutting there's also the sense that you
know timing is everything with plant
material in this kind of weather
any other questions I think we're ready
for discussion other comments by members
of the
commission if there aren't any I would
just support Susan's suggestion that we
that we perhaps condition us on a fall
planting absent conditions being
impossible to do so I will I was a
little Disturbed that this plan was
approved by BAP in April of 2023 and the
application to us is only coming more
than a year later when an application to
us was a condition of eaps approval um
so I think it would be beneficial to
everyone to if if the plants can be
sustained by be planted this fall that
we do that so that we're not waiting
till next spring for the
plannings any other comments or
reactions to my comment if not I'll be
happy to make a motion okay well I just
was curious how does that happen that we
wouldn't we weren't notified until this
point in time well i' I'd be speculating
on how how that happened I think it's a
conversation that we can have within the
city about whether there are ways to
create a schedule for applicants to know
that they have to come before us more
promptly if if that's what bees have
desires for them to do we should
probably have that conversation I see
okay and I think it's a conversation
that after the applicants leave today we
can have with Mark right here um because
I also think this you know there our our
first applicant also um that approval
process left some residue that we have
to deal with after something's already
approved so I think it's a good
conversation to have you know so Jim you
go ahead and make your I would move um
to approve the application with the
modification of
replacing um the I'm forgetting what
species we're replacing with the
junipers but hopefully our excellent
staff consultant will fill in the blanks
um but with the replacement of the
existing plan with the eight junipers
and um if uh feasible for the plants to
be viable that the planning occur this
fall is there a second I second is there
any
discussion a motion is made to approve
the plan as presented with the
substitution of eight junipers for the
other plant material with the
possibility of having the install this
fall to keep the plants viable uh all
those in favor say I I all those post
same sign okay motion carries okay
thanks Gary for coming Eliza thanks for
coming thank
you so Mark can we just switched you for
a couple of these things and okay so on
the first application um uh Bap approved
the pillars in the RightWay which is
their right to
approve however then um we're sort of
left with the impossible situation of
having plants planted in the right way
without a landscape plan that we then
have to deal with and then the pillars
get installed and they're approved and
so we have a install landscape plan not
approved we have RightWay pillars that
have been approved and then here we
are well I'm going to probably defer to
the mayor in terms of timing but it's a
legitimate concern I mean absolutely um
when when because a if you know again as
as we have you as has been mentioned
more than once the columns are within
the purview of Bap but if Bap wants this
commission to weigh in as a condition of
those columns being being put in then
the there needs to be more coordination
in order to allow you folks to approve
the landscape Plan before those columns
are put in if at all possible Now
understand and again this is not a this
is not something anyone wants to do but
understand if if if for some reason that
the the landscape for whatever reason it
was delayed to get to you if those
pillars if if the landscape plan is not
approved those pillars come out now
again I'm not advocating that nobody
wants to go there but but the youb zap
the city has the authority to say Hey
you kind of jumped the gun here you
should not have put those those pillars
in until they until the commission
conducted its review this commission
conducted its review because that's what
Bap said was one of the conditions of
approving the pillar um again I don't
know why it took as long as it did to
get here I do know that in the middle of
this there was also the hold harmless
agreement that was before city council
that shouldn't be a reason for it to
delay to come to you folks but that's
was part of the 394 um um plan as well
or issue as well I know that's my
impression of the 394 is that we we it's
a was a fairly new thing and folks were
figuring out how the process should work
and I think we can learn from this and
improving the process for me I'm more
concerned about applicants and I'm not
I'm not painting this applicant in a bad
no but I do think we could have a
conversation with the leadership of VAP
to perhaps tweak some of their language
when they do refer things for us so the
applicant knows it's not oh we'll finish
this project and then we'll come with a
landscape plan right and and again the
way I I agree with you completely Jim um
because you know again bap has the
authority and frankly I think the
responsibility when appropriate to defer
to your expertise and your input and if
that's if if in whatever that was April
of 2023 we should not be sitting here
talking about this in June of 2024 again
I don't know the specifics in this
situation why that happened but you're
right I think it's a learning experience
um and an opportunity to try to make it
a little tighter so you know we're all
about trying to find solutions to
products and so um what would you think
of the idea of like two members of tree
commission and two members of Bap
getting together and talking about
language and timing please so if I can
interject real quickly especially
because you got me another sparkling
water add flavor to this conversation
okay um every application is different
every fact pattern is a little bit
different right 140 and in and in fact
you are correct that there was a staff
there was a interpretation of our code
um that left out this the council we
just talked about this today left out
the council um approval of the consent
and hold harmless was kind of added
after the fact to both of these
applications which added to some
confusion but um we have two different
circumstances 141 South Drexel The
Columns went in place prior to your your
ability to look at the plan and the
final approval of the
plan that contractor was summoned to
mayor mayor's court so we took we took
uh action against that contractor
because of the way that that all fell
out this my understanding is this is
different and I could be wrong about the
fact pattern my understanding is that
the Landscaping was installed here
before the beap hearing for the the
boxwoods in the
ly question's been there for several
years is maybe well I don't know how
long it's been but at 394 yeah no so the
the the original plan did not have any
landscape along the sidewalk when it
came as a new build and then they hired
um mksk to then kind of revamp the front
and jij it up a little bit and then
that's when they added that boxwood
hedge along the sidewalk as well as the
columns and then they realized okay
they're in the right of way and they
needed there was a hold then on the
project and then it came before in terms
of Bap entry commission so there's
nothing to stop the property owner from
playing in the boxwoods in l i at their
own time the only they they did that
before the Bap hearing then BAC comes in
and they say hey we want you guys to
review the landscape plan I'm not sure
whether not beap realized the landscape
plan had already been installed but they
then wanted you to review it so now
you're you're put in a difficult
position because you have pre-existing
Landscaping prior to the Bap decision
and you have to decide whether or not
you're okay with that and you do have
the authority I believe under that bef
decision to say tear it out or move it
or whatever they could have moved the
boxwood you know in the right time time
of year um but in because of this
particular instance they weren't wrong
in having installed boxwood because they
didn't know that Bap was going to
condition the the column on a landscape
plan you were allowed to put boxwood in
that area of your lawn is are they I
thought that was RightWay it's RightWay
but it we don't have any law that says
you can't plant in the RightWay between
the sidewalk in the house it's I mean
you look at could walk up and down any
street it's everywhere so obviously not
telling people to tear that out all the
time well I I need to research that a
little bit more yeah the city has
purview over it we can at any time come
in and say we're putting a speed sign
here we're putting a we're changing
Where the Sidewalk is we're spanning our
street we're we want to put a street
tree in here you know we can do that but
we don't have a law that says you as a
resident can't plant in this
area which is of course I mean it's it's
I'm sorry I don't mean to say OB it's
just notoriously happening left and
right and if it were illegal we would
have to stop it left and night but who's
when when if I'm the homeowner and I
hire somebody to do a land a landscape
plant who whose responsibility is it to
Define where the where the RightWay
is if you're I probably don't even know
what RightWay means you're it's your
it's us ultimately use the homeowner are
responsible for what happens on your
property but you hire somebody under the
understanding that they will seek the
the permits and approvals necessary for
the project of course like we have a lot
of contractors that come in and they
might not be Savvy enough to understand
that the right of way extends behind the
sidewalk towards the property and so
there's an educational piece and we have
to determine if that contractor acted in
good faith or not the instance of Drexel
we had a contractor that was well
experienced with the with our properties
in the city and should have known better
and we knew that and that's why we took
legal action against that contractor
this is a totally different fact pattern
on South Columbia and there will be
future fact patterns that are different
um I just think that so ultimately to
answer your question the property owner
is
responsible as their agent the applicant
the contractor is responsible um and
then it's our role I think to try
to vary those applications through the
correct processes and and and things can
get a little confusing between private
property
slice of City rideway between the
sidewalk and that private property which
also is actually private property just
rideway is like an easement over it and
then the treeon itself I I guess I still
Yeah question
how the
owner is made aware of something that he
doesn't might not even know exists I
guess that's what I'm say all you have
to do is go to the Auditor's website and
you can see no but I mean okay but if
you don't even
know about an about a wrer way why would
you even go someplace to look for it
well in this instance the one you just
heard yes that column is covered by our
zoning code I mean how do you know the
zoning code you you know you call staff
or you read it it's fun read um I think
like that is part of the process of
Education of finding out what what's
what's lowed and what's not but but I
think I I think you know your question
kind of implies an answer that I think
is a legitimate answer a lot of people
don't know and a lot of people that that
is one of the reasons maybe not the only
reason but one of the reasons why there
are plantings all over the city in that
area of the RightWay and ultimately
because the city can do this again as
the mayor said the city if there's a
legitimate reason for the city to go in
and H remove something that's in the
right way they can right it doesn't
happen often though so um but yeah but
you're right if if if the if the city
had a rule or regulation that's says you
can't plan it in the right away unless
you do X Y and Z then a lot of people
probably would still be planning in the
right away and not knowing they
are well that's go ahead Jim can I just
going back to the original question can
I just suggest that maybe a conversation
with a couple folks from um Bap and
maybe our new building director when he
gets his feet wet um to see if we can
improve our processes would be good for
everyone and we can talk about improving
the language we can also talk about
improving communication around how
people know what they can and can't do
in the so one thing that I just jump in
that I think sometimes what might happen
and this is it it is a communication
both in terms of with the applicant as
well as internal staff is I think that
what happens is that Bap might say okay
this has to go to tree commission and
Bap and staff is assuming that that
person is in saying okay me as the
applicant I then need to go to tree
commission right right the applicant is
thinking okay well you City are going to
go to tree commission and no one is then
coming to tree commission the applicant
isn't reaching out to us and saying hey
this happened and now I need to go to
you because they might not be all type A
and want to follow rules right and
they're like okay well you know this
just happens and then the city then I
mean and we have been trying then to
meet and say hey these are the projects
that are coming along but I think that
occasionally this one fell through the
cracks right and it
wasn't right yeah so cohatch fell
through the cracks right it wasn't until
it was under construction and Grant was
notified that hey these trees are going
up and we're like well you know you're
doing a landscape plan we haven't seen
it and it's a commercial building we
need to see it right so I think that was
something that what there needs to be a
process where it is either on the onus
of the applicant you need to then do
this application and it needs to be made
crystal clear that is your
responsibility or it needs to be that
somehow it gets flagged and that there's
some magical button that we push and it
happens and it goes then to tree
commission and and to add to that as
I've shared with you guys we're well
aware that there's breaking down
happening on on a regular basis um and
we're frustrated about it as well um we
have had internal meetings to try to to
cure that hasn't worked so far some of
it um one of the changes to the
the the replacement for Kathy's position
Kathy's position attends Bap and ARB
current currently but not tree
commission so that because you guys love
having staff here our uh future zoning
and planning director will attend just
like we are having legal the
applications portion of the meeting
which we move moved to the front portion
of the tree public Arts commission
meeting so you will also then get like a
routine update and and at least that
continuity of of touch between a
decision been rendered now it has to go
to the tree commission I believe that we
will be able to fix this process with
more
intentionality and we're aware of it so
I mean I think let's to your point let's
let it let's get get our feet wet let's
get together let's see how it's working
um that'll be starting in August okay
good good okay so um any other questions
from yeah yes say Ben did you say that
um as far as right away I know we we've
had people who have had put stuff in the
tree lawn we had them take it out
because it's you know planting your
garden in there is just not allowed um
but the right away if it extends behind
the sidewalk people can put that on
their property yes vers so treeon is is
governed well to to further confuse
matters there are two sections of our
code where we Define
Treon one of them is in chapter 1200 at
some point one's in chapter 10 1,000 at
some point right um in one of our
definitions Treon includes everything
from the entire right away the street
and that section doesn't talk about the
limitation in terms of only planting
flowers around around Street trees and
all that that's in the second section
that talks about tree line which defines
it between the sidewalk and the curb and
in that section we say you can only you
have to maintain it as grass and you can
plant um you can place a ring of mulch
three feet out of a tree base and you
can plant flowers no long higher than 18
inches in height 3et out of the tree
base that governs very distinctly what
happens within that that tree Laine
sidewalk to curb the other section says
that the city has complete purview over
the tree laon the street which includes
that area between the sidewalk in the
house it says the tree commission should
can should has should I think I'm going
to butcher this and Jim will correct me
but has has purview over the removal of
trees in that area but the city has
purview over
the the plantings and we have not ever
the city administration of the city has
never set standards to say you can or
cannot plant in that space we have
allowed openly and notoriously for as
long as I'm aware of in the history of
the city plantings to occur in that area
behind the sidewalk and I believe that
if you pulled our residents the vast
majority would believe that that is
their property now whether or not it is
or isn't our our code is silent on
whether or not people can plant in that
area and so therefore it is
allowed so um you know as my vice chair
points out we've got a lot to do we can
talk about this all day long yeah I'm
happy to talk about it all day long but
we do have different opinions probably
have an action that we want to take
given what's happening next door as soon
as possible yeah yeah okay so U let us
go on to C which is revisions to motion
of November 15 2023 Mr Wilson back to
you if I may give a word of explanation
pleas so everyone remembers that we
spent a fair amount of time on 2200 East
M last year you remember that we took
two different actions remember we had at
our regular meeting in November we were
dealing with the curb cut over there and
then at a subsequent I think special
meeting a couple weeks later we made
recommendations to
beep if you remember clearly that far
back um at the time what we were the
what was presented to us was that um
Continental was going to be responsible
for this pocket park here even though it
was going to be on city cic property
well as the city's conversation the
mayor can correct me if I'm wrong but as
the city's conversation with the
developer has preceded the city's
decided that actually wants to manage
the plan for the pocket park and our
previous action was based on the
assumption that the contractor l the
developer was doing it so in order to
set the record straight to clear the way
for um them to do all the work that they
want to do with the understanding that
the the city and the cic are working on
a plan and it will come to us July
because we're not meeting then but
sometime in the future I would make the
following motion um in light it's right
up there in light of the fact that the
scope of the agreement between the cic
for the city of Beckley and the
applicant for 2200 East Main has changed
since our action of November 15
2023 and that under the current
anticipated agreement the city and the
cic will retain control over the design
of the pocket park adjacent to the
development which will include review of
the design by the tree and public garden
commission the tree and public garden
commission hereby removes the conditions
contained in its November 15th action
upon the curve cut through the right of
way for a for the access road on the
west side side of the
development okay is there a second to
the motion then there'll be
discussion you second okay all right so
Mr Wilson if you go back um because uh
we'd like to know when the tree
commission first um conjured up this
this uh the the motion it was for some
some valid reasons and so do you want to
talk about what those reasons were that
we were focused concerned about that the
pocket park well I think we were
concerned about the pocket park for many
reasons obviously consistent with our
vision of beauty throughout Bexley we
wanted to make sure it was beautiful
pocket park but we also at least the way
I envisioned it was a trade right that
we were trading that little area which
is currently has a curb cut through
which people can exit the parking lot
that was going to be removed and the
trade was that a new curb cut would be
created for the road on the west side of
the development and so we wanted because
of conceiving of it as a trade we wanted
to um I guess maybe oversimplify it
condition the trade so that we with the
developer would assure ourselves that we
were happy with the pocket park design
since now the city is take taken a
different approach and is actually going
to control the design of the pocket part
that concern at least in my mind is been
mitigated and we'll still review it the
way we would normally the way we
reviewed this par parking lot design
however many years ago that was but that
sort of trade aspect has disappeared so
so other questions for Jim mayor Mark
anybody question so in getting rid of
the the exit out of the Guard does that
then eliminate parking spaces here in
does how does that does that change
we'll consider that in the course of the
plan my what what I've heard
consistently but we don't have a final
plan is that they're going to maintain
the same number of parking spaces but
that's sort of a premature question once
we have the plan we'll figure it out I
can answer that question in gener gener
generally I think um so the loss of that
right-hand turn lane was actually
triggered by us for two reasons
one that's fundamentally just an unsafe
turn because of how narrow the
visibility is in that area and when we
have more pressure on this light we need
better stacking leading up to the light
and so the loss of there will be loss of
parking spaces because we're putting a
pocket park there right next to where
there are some parking spaces um but
those are necessary in order to allow
the deeper stacking on the light because
otherwise you would have people trying
to come in and out of parking spaces
where they need to to stack up at the
lake so the loss of spaces is due to
that the addition of that additional
Green Space loss of the rightand turn
and additional stacking and then also
the two access points to the garage an
exchange for which we're going to have
cross parking with the 300 car parking
facility right next door um so we're
we're very comfortable that for the loss
of how many spaces is it 16 spaces um
we'll have access to the 300 um it is
notably the first project I'm aware of
on Main Street in a very long time that
has actually met our
parking requirements didn't have a
parking variance almost every project
has a parking variance this one included
in Giant Eagle had parking variances it
is a well parked facility so this cross
parking is going to be incredibly
advantageous to this property we're and
to them I mean we're excited about what
that's going to do in terms of the times
when we have our Peak parking AKA when
Orange Theory is in
session yeah it is always Orange um so
do we have a timeline for that for which
which part Park um I'd say in the coming
three to four months I think we're
internally working on design um the
parking slash access easement needs to
be completed before we then move into
the design phase so we make sure that
the correct Agreements are in place and
that's in the next month or two so does
that mean that 20200 comes back to us
again with any changes or so those
aren't changes to 20 200 they're change
they're it's a new application to change
this parking lot okay yeah now I believe
they're going to continue to tweak their
landscape design based upon the end use
so I think you that will come back to
you so and and what they had told us at
the last time that they were here that
if if there is significant changes to um
the planting plan that they need to come
back I have requested of Jason Hawk stck
um formal letters that actually describe
whether or not perable papers are
allowed or not I said that was part of
one of our conditions of approval and so
he has spoken with them and he has he
said that he's going to get those to me
they have talked not only with the city
of Columbus but also with David kooch
who is the city engineers and so he's in
the process of getting that additional
information there were there were a
number of things that were kind of
listed together and so we're in the
process of following up to to formally
request
those okay so we have a motion on the
floor motions made and seconded that we
approved um the new wording for a
revision to our Motion in November 15
2023 all those in favor say I I all
those supposed same sign motion carries
okay thank you Jim for
drafting um so I'm not going to say that
concludes our legal business for today
mark because you know we always try to
color in with inside the margins but you
never know you never know like for
instance Mark could maybe think about a
release for the golf cart T so that the
city doesn't face liability for that
well that's easy we'll just cut and pay
some
release Madam chair I do need to leave
10 minutes I know I know so are are you
comfortable going ahead with your report
or do you need a little more rehearsal
I'm super comfortable I've had plent of
time to make some notes okay well let's
go to number um 4 C then staff report I
know do you are you considered staff or
you're the mayor I'm Chief staff um
design process for unification of
Columbia we are um we are putting
together an internal team to discuss
what that Center portion of Commonwealth
Park will look like when Columbia is
removed between Commonwealth North and
South um I've asked if if there might be
tree commission member involved you had
suggested Dave Wakeman yesman yes
because now he's un not letting go of
you uh since you can provide insight and
you don't have any conflict in the vote
when it gets taken for approval I'm not
sure if anyone's talked to you about
that yet maybe I was supposed to so
that's my bad no no I've already talked
to Dave okay you look like a deer in the
headlights I don't think he knew where
going so that's where I was going with
it um we're gonna bring Brian Ken Jones
in to talk about it haven't determined
exactly who's part of our internal team
um but we're gonna you know work through
different concepts we've we have a
treasure Trove of historical Concepts
from you know our last plan and effort
and then 2018 so that'll we'll have some
starting points um but hoping to come up
with some Concepts to bring back for
some informal review prior to maybe
worksh shopping you know with the public
um although we haven't finalized what
that looks like um we did do a survey
for design priorization Grant if you go
to the agenda folder you'll see a a
folder
called mayor's update if you click on
that
right up there there you go and then the
tree commission survey um the results
are in your agenda packet um the the
takeaway if you if you look through this
is that the North Roosevelt medians
landscape refresh received the highest I
think number of medium and high priority
votes although college and Livingston
had
a highest priority second only to the
dgb kindness Park chess tables good news
we have fabricator to chest table out
there so it's getting ready although we
need to plan to do we need to plan or
just we're putting a chest table out we
need a plan we need a plan
okay we have
AER um four days
left
uh so and then some um Nelson and
Clifton Gateway refresh higher on the
medium prior you know within two years
um delmare landscape looks like more of
a a medium and
then uh so those were the top five yeah
so I had gone through this Ellen has
really thought through it more than I
have so I I went through this I looked
at I looked at the top five it it was
really all across the board
interestingly I mean everyone had
different priorities not good narrative
not surprising you've been to one of our
meetings right I know shocking um so it
really kindness Park had the most um and
then really the Gateway refresh were
kind of like neck and neck in terms of
doing something at college and
Livingston as well as Nelson and Clifton
then the delmare landscape had um a lot
of mediums and a couple highs as well as
the Roosevelt mediums so it was
interesting that some some of the other
ones were just kind of sprinkled through
but those in terms of when you look at
high and medium as well as the most
numbers um those were kind of the top
five out of the eight or 10 or so
projects that we were looking at so um
would you be able to send us those
results yeah okay that'd be great yeah
so um I what what I'll do is within
those results is I I'll print that out
Dave was able to email me his results
and so I kind of added it to a chart it
was okay oh so this is the fake one this
is the this is the without Dave this is
where Dave's like going off the we had
said we had six individual we had six
responses um online and then seven
through email so it's very good yeah
there you go say that's 100%
um Cassidy project the ride of way
acquisition is complete through the city
of Columbus they are hoping to have this
bid by the end of August notice to
commence they're hoping by November and
they think construction will start on
that in early 2025 2025 so that's where
things stand with their
project
um alen Creek Bridge we had an internal
meeting today about that pedestrian bike
bridge at Schneider Park which um
continues to go through the most
maddening bureaucratic process I've ever
witnessed but um good news is it seems
to be moving along we do we we will need
to remove some trees in the area of the
bridge in order to accommodate the
cranes come in and there's like a swivel
motion that happens to drop the bridge
in place um so we will be talking to you
guys about a removal and replanting plan
and a erosion additional control plan
for the creek Bank we will also get the
pleasure of presenting a simar plan to
the city of Columbus for their side um
and uh it will it should be interesting
which ties into the next topic uh Grant
knows I have been sort of internally
griping and uh fomenting about the egg
for a while so the egg which is do
anyone know what I'm talking about with
the egg exit it's the I70 exit it's
called the egg because from the sky
looks like an egg I guess it's also
known by my children as the home of Bob
and Sheila which is what they've named
the groundhogs sorry Sheila that's
nothing to do with you just their
groundhog names Sheila those yes the
groundhogs
like whatever um so I I feel like I know
we've had a past plan I know that it has
not lived up to its you know its
aspirations for the plan I would love to
see a new plan for the egg and I'm
hoping that when Columbus requires the
pl of additional trees as part of the
removal on their side of the creek we
can we can sort of create a plan for the
egg and ask that that be considered as
the additive plantings
perhaps um or not whatever that's just
that's my way of saying it's on my radar
so if I had a list of priorities it
would be medium priority for that are we
allowed to sneak in there and cut down
those alanthus that are growing yeah you
can always cut down invasives with Bob
and Sheila yeah well Bob and Sheila's
brother is in the South
Garden
H so popular oh uh that's funny um I
didn't know we had that new members uh
were appointed last night um so starting
on July 1st our new members and I'm I'm
sure
that um Susan has these memorized but
I'm pulling them up because I don't um
Jim Wilson was reappointed so
congratulations Jim uh Luke Luke mlen
will be joining us Audra young and
Charlie flowerer is alternates um I
should say Dr Charlie flower is Al
alternates um so those were all
confirmed by Council last night um I
provided Susan and Jim with the draft of
a very sad landscape review consultant
um RFP um Ellena as as happy to share
that with anybody as Elena has said in
the past she would love to focus her
efforts entirely on design and who
blames her it's the artistic wing of
your professional practice and so wish
you great luck and we're going to
continue working with you on that but um
we also have a lot of Elena projects
coming designs coming down the pipeline
pretty quickly so it'll be good to have
somebody reviewing them who's not her so
that she's not conflicted as she tells
you how wonderful her plans are we want
somebody with a really crit in fact in
the RFP it's like you and you need to be
very critical of Ellena Andrew's
designs um so that's
happening uh I want to acknowledge that
it is not fun uh I'm not saying this
right it was very it was very sad to see
the trees being removed next door at the
2200 East site and we uh had to sit here
in an office all day and look at it
through the windows so um radical
equipment being used was kind of amazing
but um really sad to see that happen we
we I I hate to see trees removed I hate
to see mature trees removed I know that
site very well and I know that it could
not be developed without the removal of
trees to the economic uh benefit of the
city and I know that there are lots of
new trees going in place and I know that
in time they will grow and they will be
mature and sequestering carbon and
providing shade and doing all the great
things that trees do um and I have great
faith in this board to continue
commission to continue to encourage and
Foster additional trees throughout the
city um and so I want to acknowledge the
sadness with which I feel on seeing
those trees go the one shade spot I had
was if I was charging my car at that
spot right over there underneath that
was it a Au El Elm sorry um so I wanted
to acknowledge that and I also want to
express my deep condolence to Susan and
loss of your son we've all been thinking
about you and tough caring for you I
can't even imagine um and I know that a
tree will be planted in his honor on
behalf of the city of Bexley and so we
will we'll talk with you about how we
can how we can accommodate that he love
beauty yeah
that was very clear it was a beautiful
obituary oh thank you so that is my
report
um all right and I I hate to leave but I
must so okay all right well we
appreciate you being here and enjoyed
having Mark here lots of good
conversations to continue I wasn't as
you know able to attend the um gathering
at Capital on Friday but I I have heard
that um
and there's Miss Adra welcome welcome as
an alternate to the Bey tree and public
gardens
commission yeah yeah
yeah so mayor I did I did have some
feedback that um perhaps it would be
good for the city to consider an
annual um you know kind of learning
session for new commission members on
what they are what's expected of them
what they can do but they can say where
they can go and then and then how the
city would like to help with that
because I did hear back that um attorney
official had said you can't go visit a
site unless you all go together so if
that's going to be the case then I'd
like the city to arrange us the time
before tree commission member that we
all go together he gon
provide
okay
okay okay
I I think you know who wouldn't want to
come thank
you also like to
I
agree right it's kind of like a
Personnel
review okay okay so let all right thank
you okay so we're gonna go back to
announcements of small victories Mary
mcmun hosted International visitors so I
think there huh I think there should be
a photo
there was really fun it was really fun
she was all pumped up about this I had
to take a picture of my notes here so I
get it right so um this Symposium
brought together a national and
international audience of academic
nonprofit government and research
oriented professionals to share and gain
knowledge on how we can build coalitions
to adapt to the changing world and how
Urban Food Systems contribute to these
Solutions so this event was hosted by
Ohio State tours included several Urban
Gardens including our beautiful South
community garden um and it was such a
great opportunity to share that garden
with these folks and um Natalie said it
was posted uh yesterday or you sent them
I didn't see it when I checked before I
came so I sent it I think I sent it okay
Sunday but anyway regardless um they we
I was part of the tour and I got to go
um and well of course you know the
minute we pulled into Bexley I said oh
bye by the way we're in Arbor redum and
um it was fun but we were on a uh Ohio
State bus you know one of those L luxury
coaches that they've got that they haul
people around and it was fun um but it
was a very inquisitive group um they
truly were blown away by the garden and
they love the design and they just were
so amazed at how beautiful the gardens
looked and how um it was that sense of
community Spirit down there and it was
fun because there were two um enologists
there so they started looking plants and
they were like oh did you know you have
thrips on your garlic I'm like what so
but um it was really fun so and it was
like I said great exposure for the city
so very impress national International
what work could you ask for exactly
inspiring them to go back to their own
communities good and then do you want to
go on and just talk about what's new for
the Bloomers oh okay so um the Bloomers
are alive and well and um very busy we
put in um over 300 hours so far since
May 2nd kickoff which is wonderful we've
had some great celebrity Bloomers again
we've had our realators group thanks to
Sheila and Roger Carol and an Brennan
came last week and helped and the parks
and recx staff kicked in and spent a
morning with us which was fun and then
the Bexley girls soccer team has joined
us as well um we had hoped to have this
evening our first Wednesday weed and
garden party um but unfortunately
because of the rain we have to postpone
it but we had I had a late a last minute
um sign up this morning morning too so
there I think there was about 15 or 16
of us that were ready to come out this
evening and you know weed and work and
then we were going to provide some light
Refreshments after so we're going to try
it again on uh July the 10th at five
o'clock so save the date you're out and
about and want to
help good good and we could say that
tomorrow Jim Wilson will be the
celebrity oh I didn't realize yeah is
using the term celebrity very I agree I
agree notorious do you like that better
that's what maybe we should go with that
that's more exciting notorious yeah I
wanted to mention that Ellena sent an
email to some of us that the city would
underwrite the cost of uh attending or
being part of a Franklin County ring
water Master Class program at $75 she
told me that there was one spot left if
anybody wanted to apply and do it I know
Mary was at the organizational meeting
oh frequ no that was for the pollinator
pathway is this something different yes
yeah it's it's it starts in August I
think it's a five or six week program um
that is on I think either Tuesdays or
Wednesdays even evenings from 6:00 to 8
where they're talking about you know the
installation of um rag Gardens and the
plant selections and and all of that
yeah they they put rain Gardens in over
on James Road I don't know if you're
familiar with that so um if you want to
see what they look like they're kind of
interesting but I I think it was didn't
weren't they trying to do something that
like that here but there was problems
because of the RightWay or am I confused
not in Beckley okay not in Bexley I
don't think that we've had an
opportunity yet to talk about the
installation of rainwater Gardens along
our roadways or anything but I mean I
think that I mean I know I've had a lot
of clients who are interested in having
it just for for their own rear yards you
know what what can you do what can't you
do um there are some you know kind of
tips that are helpful or not so so more
to come on that but if anybody wants to
do it let me know because then the city
pay for it um a golf cart tour hopefully
now with a release right so so yes
legally we I believe we will be doing
the golf cart uh Tour on October 11th
and um we're going to meet in the
parking lot at 12:45 with the launch at
1 pm and I am not paying dick but I did
bribe him he's going to help again
dional yes and uh I think you know the
last time we filled up our spots very
quickly so if any of you do wish to be
on this great
tour um let me know and we do have it
set up so that um the city will have
registration and I think it'll be a lot
of fun and fall is my favorite time of
the year yeah right how many golf carts
are you going to employ well we're gonna
try for 15 15 golf carts 15 golf carts
and um you know with the police escort I
might be going out and buying
one yeah okay pretty much fun if you
could just have that visual picture of
15 golf carts going down the street only
about 2% of the number of golf carts in
beex Ley yeah that's probably
true so if you have a golf cart and you
want to participate yeah do let me know
okay that might be a good present for d
for Christmas Day
oh and Troy is not here so Grant let's
go on to your report all right
um the Arbor Day tree giveaway um we
gave away 30 uh Northern Calas uh we
only planted five of them they all got
returned so we uh found other locations
in the city for do you have any
understanding of why uh well they see a
free tree and then we show up to say hey
we here here's your free treat and
they're like oh I don't want it it gets
too
big so well so there you know there's
always lessons to learn so should we be
looking at a smaller variety of trees
well the whole goal is canopy coverage I
know I know so I mean if we want to
provide Red Buds and Japanese maples I'm
sure people would love that no but
that's not really the goal behind the
program um I don't know how successful
this program is because we end up
planting more on city property than we
do on resal I mean I think I think you
know we learn something every day so if
it's uh one of those things that I the
idea and the reality don't mesh then we
need to figure out something else
yeah
um the multi volcano um program I I
don't know that we have any differences
um I I know the guys have them in their
trucks I'm not counting how many they
pass out or anything so and they haven't
said anything about it so I I guess one
of the questions would be since I know
that the most most of the contractors
within the city I think received the
letter and some information whether you
feel that the their employees have been
more diligent or do you see the same
same old thing I see the same same old
thing so yeah I know
um it's hard to go back from already
having a MZ volcano that requires a lot
of work and and money to do that um so
um I do see it's not
as I don't see it as often in the new
plantings that we are planting currently
most people just are choosing not to put
mulch at all at all and then then the
weed eaters are killing them so it's
kind of a fine line of of you know which
your finger at them for one thing and
then you know you find out that they're
doing something else so it's yeah so
well it's we have to constant battle
yeah you have to educate them I think I
I don't know but I I went on the um
forestry website tonight to find out who
to contact about my street tree and um I
I saw it was you and I I tried to send
you an email but I noticed um that
you've got I don't know who did it but
your website looks great with all that
information about why you shouldn't
volcano mulch so anybody that goes onto
the site is going to see the information
and like I said I thought it was very
well done um the link to you though
doesn't work oh that's on purpose
right I'm not in control of that I
wasn't going to say
that and then the link to the ordinance
also doesn't work so I don't know who
takes care of that but like I said I I
thought that anybody that goes on the
forestry site and sees about the volcano
mulching is going to come away with you
know good information so kudos to
whoever did
that which ones the ones in your tree
not in the tree lber right the Edon
where you P the mature treats
beautifully done oh thank
you thank
you um the and also I'm sorry one more
thing I just want to say um that I've
I've told I'm in this tree study group
there's 60 of us in this group and I
told them about Bexley you know now
having this ordinance and they they were
all extremely interested and I have
several who've ask me for more
information so that they can share it
with their communities so I was thinking
you know know do do we talk to other um
suburbs of Columbus or Columbus about
you know these types of ordinance that
that we've done that could possibly be
something that other cities emulate and
then which has that trickle down effect
especially for the Landscaping
contractors I mean is there some talk
about the mulch volcano yeah that's the
mayor he you know he doesn't ask it's
just the mayor and whoever's on city
council they do that okay so that would
be a question for him okay thank
you uh the state of the urban Forest you
know right now we're going to get into
the heat and humidity so Anthrax you're
gonna start not anthra or
anthros of the meeting right uh so a lot
of foler diseases and stuff I mean
nothing that's going to kill a tree but
you're gonna start seeing leaves yellow
out and fall uh get spotty uh the Buckey
and the horse chest nuts are going to
start um getting Scorch yeah on them um
I think the tulip trees are being
impacted on Roosevelt I noticed today
looks like fall yeah I mean the London
ples on Main Street will also
start so that's something you'll start
seeing currently uh throughout the
city and I know Spencer's still working
on the tree Potter shape
file I don't have let that's be his
report for next next time he
here any questions for Grant so do you
see any diseases uh Grant on the trees
any insects any unusual anything I mean
there's always insects I mean you got a
lot you'll start getting the the sticky
mildew on your cars and stuff and that's
from the insects feeding on the trees um
but major insects currently no I mean we
still you know ash trees we're still
fighting those EAB um but uh
uh the major ones the agent longhorn
beetle the oak will and sudden Oak death
I don't I don't see anything of that in
the city and have you seen any other
species besides the maples be threatened
with the drought conditions we've had
the last few years uh Colorado blue
spruces they're going to they're dying
all over the place I mean they need to
colder Winters um so they need colder
Winters yeah the winters just aren't
cold enough for them to go full dormy
which is causing the issue with but uh
as of right now no I don't have you seen
the spotted Lantern fly I have not and
no yeah I was U I thought it was
supposed to be a heck of a year but you
know be careful what you wish
for the
unb
yeah any other questions for
Grant okay Grant you're home free
charge computer and you're done so so
Ellen it's with gratitude that we say
goodbye to you you know so I was I and
and maybe tree commission members could
add their own list I was looking at just
words to describe your involvement with
the tree commission I could say it's
been transend
cending your work is organized it's
professional you're personable you're
friendly you reach out you follow
through um you're creative
your designs are appropriate for a first
ring suburb anybody else want to add
some good things you're
nice good sense of
humor up with us this long that's right
I think Elena is an UNF flappable
individual and she has carried this with
all of us with kindness with efficiency
and we are going to make issue oh thank
you yes you know so you know every year
uh you know sometimes it's around
Christmas time sometimes it's someplace
else I ever I always say to Ellena the
same phrase don't you wonder what we
ever did before you came and you know
she's never answered that
question yeah I yeah yeah so we have
just a tiny be tiny as possible little
gift for you but something that I figure
you'll figure out
the the symbolism and the seg from from
idea to so thank you yes and Dave it
seems like a good time to talk about you
oh so Dave was an original founding
member of the Tre commission when
expanded from five to seven members in
2002 and along with that team was also
Paige Crane and mly O Donell and I try
to thinkk of Chris Linda I was there and
I can't remember remember the other
couple folks can
you I can't remember but you know we
could yeah we did I don't know I don't
know if you knew that but when we first
started we met all over the city so we'd
have a sense of the the plantings in
that city so we met down at the Heritage
House we met at different churches at
different synagogues in classrooms at St
Charles I mean it was really wow f it
was really fun and everybody had to read
where they were meeting so they looked
at the agenda
that's plus but now that we're into
Hightech here and sunshine laws you know
it became a little bit too hard so and
I'm going to just recount the first two
projects Dave did in 2002 was a long
range plan for drexell Circle which was
irrigation so so far we've gone through
at least two or three irrigation systems
Grant I think there two to um uplighting
the inner row of hornbeams which was
highly controversial highly
controversial yeah wasn't it to raise
the height of the box would a little bit
higher because it felt remember it felt
as a little bit too low and then you
know the the stone walls so it seems
like minor things but I would have to
say I think Drexel circle is a jewel and
I always remember Keith Meyer um Karen
McCoy's Mentor who said he bring in
people from New Albany just to look at
Drexel Circle and say you don't have to
install things on every square foot of
your landscape yes something you could
pass along
yes so we also have a small gift for you
and thank you for coming
yes okay so on we go on we go will say
I'm not convinced we're going to see
that much l of Elena given them many we'
got to
well I don't know wait till wait till
the person starts to review her plan she
may decide she can find a more helpful
gig somewhere else yeah or positive so
if we go on to Old business we have some
things we've talked about before uh we
talked about infilling all of our tree
vacancies in Bexley within three to five
years and what will our plan look like
so I want to kind of go back to the
mayor's report that um he didn't
highlight which is dovetailing our
priorities with some funding that the
Bexley beautification fund has you know
we're
collegial but um we all make our
independent decisions so the uh Bexley
beautification fund has uh uh like let
me see if I get this right
$116,000 in their fund and $80,000 of
that is unaccounted for and so they want
to participate in areas where um you
know that are important to the city but
they also have their own ideas and they
wanted to focus on different areas of
the community so in the South area they
wanted to put funds towards the refresh
of college in Livingston Gateway Ela and
um you know that's just such an
important Gateway for the city so much
traffic so many so many
challenges so many issues but we just
felt they just felt they could do better
is there enough money to buy cat's tires
and just probably probably that's a cic
thing right yeah I I'll ask that yeah
ask that I don't oh you're not on cic
I'm not on cic but land use strategy
yeah well I'll bring that up next week
okay for a Mexican restaurant yeah the
priorities the Mexican restaurant seems
to come up every time land use is
discuss oh really why I don't know yeah
okay um and then in central Bexley they
were uh talking about improving fa
Avenue feeling that there could be more
uh trees planted in a more naturalized
area enen has been in conversation with
Grant and Grant said that was done a few
years ago so my suggestion was going to
be to have it to see if you had time
Grant to walk it with Ellen Ellen and
Paige and relook at the
area and D yeah and D too and then in
North Beckley um the Roosevelt medians
was the top priority and that that's a
good match with what the tree
commission's um survey showed and then
the advisers also like the idea of of um
reinforcing mayor Kessler's concept of a
wider variety of trees in Commonwealth
to kind of uh strengthen the arborium
concept so those were the four things
that the um beautification fund advisor
so Ellen and Barb any additional
comments on
those right yeah yeah
yeah so um so we'll just see how how we
can how all those play out you know
collaboratively I would hope uh and and
see within those which might rise to the
top as more immediate how do we um do
how do the infilling work I mean what is
infilling well no I know what it is but
I mean how how you know like how soon do
you plant trees in spaces that need
planted how do you decide where you're
going to plant because I you know I see
a lot of potential opportunities and
it's like I'm happy to help if you
know um typically you know when a tree
comes down in the winter time we replace
it that fall and it all depends on
budget okay so my budget gets I have a
budget for tree planting but it covers
landscape and trees and it covers all
aspects of it so um like the Broad
Street medians you know I'm replacing
you know 50 to 60 trees I wouldn't say
that it's probably exaggeration but you
know I'm replacing 20 to 30 of those
trees a year at least and you know
they're $400 a pop so that comes out of
that bucket of money and you know the
Drexel trees that got hit the other day
you know that's $400 a pop there's five
of those four or five of I mean that all
comes out of the bucket of money so I
have a list of trees of what we've
removed those are priority on that on on
the replacement list and then if I have
enough money to cover that then that's
what we do and if we have additional
Monies to do infill tree plantings or
find other locations then we will I see
so that's how that works yeah so I think
Grant's pretty diligent about infilling
trees that have come down in his
lifetime being here but some of the
things we're talking about our inmer
lives that haven't been infilled in 15
or 20 years simply because they didn't
have this organized program and um
that's why we're working on infilling
all these spaces the um Ellen's campaign
last year
raised
$4,000 four 100 trees
um yeah it all again depends on how much
money is in that bucket of Grant dollars
because I can't go in the contract with
a a company if I don't have the money
and then the BCF Grant is a re urement
fund right so I have to have that money
first so it's not like I can plant
$80,000 worth of trees I have to have
40,000 to cover the Grant and then all
of a sudden I have $40,000 sitting in an
account that gets at the end of the year
that can't be spent that gets thrown
back into the general the fund so it's
kind of a timing is yeah I need to let
the grants need to be not reimbursement
grants but instead here here's your
money well
how could we do that Grant could we put
that in escrow could the Community
Foundation put it in escrow or something
so that it's what the city's done is
they've opened up a grant po okay so
you're supposed to get your grant money
from that PO well the mayor runs
that mayor has a lot of Grants out there
so knowing up front that we're GNA have
$4,000 and grants for tree planting he
can add that to the budget for 2025
right if it's there in the fall when I
go to do tree planting which is the big
question so but are you using
right and and then again there might be
money in that the grant poo to cover
this and it might not be an issue but
that's you know I've asked the mayor uh
how much is left in that account I have
not gotten it so maybe it's a hle
mayor Grant convers could be
okay okay we we we'll get that done
Grant okay so my idea was that um we've
already walked Parkfield and Broad and
so um and with with folks and use the
tree plotter program more or less so if
Grant or Spencer had time to verify or
not verify where we saw holes those
would be two good thorough faires to
start with
and my assumption is I can't remember
the numbers Jim but we probably came up
we can cover the we could cover the 100
trees we could cover the trees yeah
Grant May disagree because we were being
generous in terms of where we thought
trees could be be planted on the theory
that if we didn't identify a spot
there's no chance of a tree being
planted there um or and we can redo it
correct I mean there I think you had 56
new locations for Broad Street that that
to me is a a crazy
number I don't know that you could plant
56 trees on Broad Street being Oaks and
being spaced 50 feet apart I mean that's
and then there's a lot of underground
utilities that need to be marked located
and and and stuff like that which
dictates and you know the sight line you
know you can't be too close to an
intersection uh new new rules like that
um and also like on Stanwood by the
tenis courts you know there's there's a
gas line there that's only like 18
inches below gr I know that's always
been an issue and everybody's like oh
there's no trees planted here and then
we tried to plant in in front yard which
nobody wanted that either so there's a
lot of issues um that most residents or
or people don't see when they say hey I
want a tree PL in location you just
can't so again we thought when we were
talking that if we did Parkview and
Broad and then if we think about South
back not second time
right we are related yeah you know that
maybe look at
college or we could look at Drexel
because I know that you were thinking
that Drexel was going to be your project
for fall
kind of come back in after the
construction was done correct I I think
we do need to talk about a different
species of uh Tree on the was the
underneath the power lines at Drexel and
the same on College because those trees
on the you know east side of college are
getting packed back every year every
couple years I just think a a a right
species for the right
location and um they all
yeah so yeah it's definitely something
you know what do we just you know as we
cut them down when they die or do we cut
down 10% this year 10% next year or do
we do a complete clearcut and remove
them all um but it is something I mean
it's more like
par yeah Park like Park like Park Park
yeah I mean emails I think there's more
discussion to be had but yes I mean I I
think underpower we need to have
five or six specific trees for
underpower lines and then the committee
here can vote on which one they want
planted as long as all the leaves turn
red in the fall we'll be okay
right okay so so that was the thinking
that was the thinking um and you know I
don't know if you would want to look at
Broad and Parkview Grant and uh see you
know what's possible from those numbers
if you'd like to walk it with us or you
want to just do it on your own time uh
yeah we'll I mean we're not quite ready
to start thinking about fall planting uh
we will he probably soon right now we're
on Fourth of July mode I bet you
are
probably um end of July we'll start you
know looking at the the maps that you
have provided us and then uh I should
have a good grasp of what you know my
bucket of money is full of and um and we
should be able to get a pretty good list
of of tree
plantings so I think are you still
pruning the parade route every year MH
so I was thinking of what a great idea
you know I like all my ideas of it would
be if the parade route changed every
year because then all the streets would
be
pruned yeah you know wait
I'm all right Jim let's go on to
planting and tree maintenance study
group yeah I'm not sure we have time for
the full discussion all right let's get
it on the table um one one of the um
items that is um part of the planning
and tree maintenance uh plan that we've
been working on is um the question of
whether we should continue our current
practice of a single tree on each Street
or um um which we would po most folks
would label at least on the the right of
way that as a monoculture or whether we
should consider in some or all places a
variety of trees and that could there
could be a variety of approaches so that
one could be a tall tree and a short
Tree on certain streets one could be
um every you know we plan a variety of
trees that are roughly the same height
on given streets um you know as long as
I've been on the tree commission we've
had a street tree for each segment of
every street but um you know I think it
it's worth the discussion of whether we
want to vary that um I think it's
probably more than a seven minute
discussion um there is and I'm not sure
that I sent this around I thought I had
but my mind probably wandered elsewhere
there is a database um that um Luke our
new member shared with us from Cornell
that um um actually lets you uh check
different characteristics that you'd
like in a tree and then including to
ating salt spray tolerating salty soil
lots of other things I can circulate
this and then you can actually look at
what trees might um you know thrive in
that atmosphere so um you know it I
think it's worth a discussion I will say
the Counterpoint to that is we really
don't have a monoculture anywhere
because not very many streets do we even
have a consistent Street tree because we
don't usually remove trees and most
folks don't plant the same species in
their yards adjacent to it um but there
is the issue of if if you have a
monoculture if for instance you know I
think M the thing that Springs to mind
is the part of Cassidy that has Maples
pretty much consistently along at when
we rebuilt Cassidy if if those were all
to die at once we we might not be very
happy that we lost every single Street
Tree on that street so that's the issue
um beyond that in terms of the the tree
the planning and maintenance group we
have sort of an outline and that we're
going to meet on you got an email while
you were in this meeting s we're going
to meet on July 1 and try to turn that
outline uh into more of a draft report
and we'll be sharing that so um you know
maybe if we have less applications in
August um we could spend maybe a half
hour talking about the issue of
monoculture because I do think it's an
really important discussion for our city
and not one that we want to rush through
and you know a Ci's approach it
differently if everybody travels
everybody travels and I see a lot of
monocultures and streets I mean
Arlington New Albany everywhere else but
it doesn't mean that
that's what they will continue to do it
only means what they have done so it's
it's a worthy discussion and I uh I
valued this information that Luke found
for us and I had thought I attached it
here but I obviously didn't or well I
think I said I would email to everyone
and I obviously
didn't you sent it oh I did yeah I got
it I don't even remember that yeah I
looked at it I don't think I got it oh
yeah I did I'm sure I did okay perhaps
um I'll send it again no I got it but um
perhaps in that discussion maybe Define
mon monoculture I mean you know what
especially what you think Grant but I
mean you don't have do it right now but
I'm just saying for future
discussions is different for everybody
yeah so and the diversity oh we might be
staying a little longer than we
planned but I also think there's
something to be said for diversity too
um and I'm just wondering you know with
the way our Winters are like are we
putting down enough salt anymore that it
it impacts trees oh yeah okay okay don't
those white GL if you don't see black
top what's that if if if if it snows and
and within one hour you're not looking
at blacktop we get a lot of phone calls
okay yeah we dump okay a couple thousand
tons of salt on our roads every year
okay you missed the discussion Grant and
the mayor had about the Year John
Brennan decided we don't need to plow
quite as much as we used to oh how did
that go not well for John
well I can only imagine yeah know went
back I went around with Jim just to get
the whole list of a tree for every
street and course it was whatever was
predominant on that street at that time
at the time yeah that was Jim toris
speaking of yeah he was on he was on on
yes and he actually came to the wise
tree seminar yeah it was yes yes it was
fun yeah it's fun so then I'd like you
also to think of goals for the
Arboretum I mean as as I distill it to
me an AR burum is additional species in
education so uh I know that Ellen has
been diligent about adding additional
species in Commonwealth as she can as
much as I can and I think that so I've
been keeping um a list that Susan
forwarded me a long time ago that this
was kind of the basis for the arborem
and we had the genus and species and not
the cultivar and I think that in order
for us to kind of take it to the next
level we need to start tracking what the
cultivars are because we're starting to
reach we're almost maxed out not maxed
out but we're almost reaching that point
where we have one of every tree that
exists within our range right within our
our Zone that is obviously shifting a
little bit so when we can get the crepe
myrtles to start blooming here like all
the time I would be so excited so
excited so that that's another thing
that um that I think that we need to
start doing is is looking at that as
sort of like let's start tracking the
cultivars
because there's there are different I
mean there's so many different cultivars
and some are better than others and it
actually makes a pretty big difference
but that will actually help both not
only from an education standpoint but
it'll also expand like for us to be able
to say we have so many different
varieties of trees right now we're
reaching I'm like well okay well we have
a you know for instance we have in here
um you know an Acer palum um and that's
all we're saying right but we're not
saying is is it a crimson Queen is it a
blood good is it you know there you know
is it a Takaya always or shisha Kira so
there are a lot of different ones that
we can have in there that would start to
show a little bit more of a Showcase of
the trees that we have um just giving
you guys as an aside one of the things
that Ben has a asked Spencer and me to
do is really look at filling out much
more of the plantings around the pond at
Commonwealth so um he came out and just
so you guys all know he asked why are
there so much few plant material here I
thought that there was going to be a lot
more well a they're a lot smaller and
they will grow but B we literally
increase the size of the pond by about
25 to 30% and so that peanut butter when
it gets spread gets much thinner and so
there wasn't quite as much dense
planting as he was envisioning
like made it bigger didn't change so
that's something that Spencer and I are
going to be looking at in terms of what
can we do so it really does feel much
more like a Chad wig when you walk in
there and there's just a profusion of
plants that you can walk through and
identify them and and do all of that so
um just so you are aware that that is
also kind of coming and I think that'll
be part of what can we do also with in
terms of shrubs as well as trees what
are the variety in different cultivars
of trees that we can
list well and um the mayor was at
portion of our Bexley beautification
fund advisor meeting and I think that's
where the impetus came from for making
that a priority in our funding that um
you know personal on the spot sermon was
really helpful inspiring so I mean the
good news is I think there would be
funds there for you so that's good okay
so um and and as we talked about working
with Ellen and Grant to you know kind of
discern the goal the focus for the
fundraising for the coming year yeah
just
that September very October right so
what else anything Ellen
Ellen okay yeah well and I think we've
already discussed
it um from that meeting ofation it
seemed like the folus wanted to be fair
Avenue and GR
I think it's best
that and I with gr along there because
um there were some ideas I think really
even Beyond trees U kind of coming up
with an interesting
design
yeah so which makes it kind of
interesting
but um yeah I think having a plan and a
design about I
just text you and you some available
dates back to me yeah we can do that so
that then I canate withd and Page okay
so I'll just yeah I'll do that so I just
I just think it's exciting because it's
a testimonial to the work that we all do
that Grant does that Ellena does that um
hi's numbers show that since the the
beautification fund started it has
donated $
1,450,000 to amazing so amazing pretty
amazing pretty amazing so I I had a
quick question and I um along where the
police station is and along the fence
were all
those what is there a plan for that I'm
working on
it like I said you're G to see Ellen a
lot yeah not miss
her was there a reason they cut them all
down before we had a plan or just uh
they there was issues with the police
department and they were scratching the
cars so we cut it back off the fence and
then they were like um then then what
was step two step two was they were in
the alley and they needed cut back off
the alley and then uh that's what we
were step
three they're going to come back yes
well yeah I was also to told that they
would regenerate well and I don't think
that's going to happen well they're not
going to regenerate on six in of trunk
right awful well for everything yeah huh
there's a first time for everything you
like a motion to adjourn I would I move
we
adjourn thank you for coming next time
you will be up here at this important
day so I want to try not to miss us too
much