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To determine if the proposed amendments would be effective in saving desirable trees, the Environmental Commission asked the Village Staff to look at a sampling of construction projects over the last year to see if using the new standards would have had an impact.
The Staff chose to look at 16 projects. Three of them were in full compliance with tree protection, since the homeowners had voluntarily protected trees on their properties. Of the remaining 13 projects, it was determined that the number of trees that would have been saved in the setback (the unbuildable parts of these lots) was over 100. This does not include trees that died later. Trees can take several years to die after construction damage.
Remember, that to qualify as a protected tree under the proposed amendments, the tree must be healthy, a species on a specific list of desirable varieties, at least 8 inches in diameter and not too close to buildings or other trees. On 13 properties alone more than 100 of these were lost during nearby construction. |