Spare That Tree? Not Likely, Says Commission

By GINGER PINHOLSTER
Special to The Falls Church Times

October 31, 2010

The Falls Church City Tree Commission passed a motion October 27 urging the City Council to “investigate all options for saving the 70-inch tulip poplar on Lot 2-A at Fulton and North Lee, given that it is of the caliber that could be considered a specimen tree.”

Commission Chair Larry Dorr acknowledged, during the group’s first official meeting since 2009, that the tulip poplar probably can’t be saved. It’s located on developer-owned property that’s being subdivided from two to five lots. The tree’s monstrous size would prevent any development of one of the lots, Dorr noted.

But William (Bill) Hicks, director of construction and engineering within the city’s Department of Environmental Services, noted that “there is an open space fund.”

Arborist Jeremy Edwards, who has resigned his post effective this week, said the lot “would be a beautiful pocket park.”

All agreed that purchasing the 8,000-square-foot lot would almost surely be cost-prohibitive for the City in the current economic climate. Still, Hicks recommended routing the motion to the Planning Commission and also entering it into public comments at the next City Council meeting.

The Commission had tried to save the tree some years ago by having it identified as a “specimen tree,” but the prior property owner refused to agree to the designation. The tree “is a real stunner — absolutely Avatar quality,” City Council member Johannah Barry said during the Tree Commission meeting.

As of June 1, 2009, the city’s specimen tree list included 53 trees, ranging from basswoods, beech, and holly, to black oaks, redwoods, hemlocks, maples, pecan, various maples and tulips.

Also during the meeting, Dorr requested the signature and seal of the expert who had completed a survey of trees on the property at Fulton and North Lee Streets.

Hicks said his office received the subdivision plan October 26, and comments are due by November 10.

In other business, Hicks reported that the city is now actively recruiting a new arborist to replace the outgoing Edwards. “Jeremy has been with us five years,” Hicks said. “We’re sorry to see him go. We will have a new arborist.”

The Commission also passed a motion recommending that the Council should accept an offer by the Virginia Department of Forestry to assess the City’s tree canopy, pending the negotiation of any state requirements. (There was some discussion of whether the state would require a 5 percent increase in tree canopy over the next 10 or so years, in exchange for the assessment.)

Yet another motion was approved to uphold the current tree-removal fee within the city, which is set on a “per-event” basis, regardless of the number of trees being removed at one time. The cost per event is $50 for single-family residential property, or $100 for all other categories.

The tree-removal fee applies only when single-family residential property is under development. With some technical exceptions relating to stream buffers, the fee does not apply to single-family residences that are not engaged in development. The fee was imposed administratively by the City to offset costs incurred by the City Arborist who reviews these site plans.

Finally, the Commission passed a motion thanking Edwards for his service as an arborist and urban forester, and wishing him the best of luck in his new role in a private firm.

The Tree Commission is scheduled to meet the third Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m., but they haven’t been able to maintain that schedule because they often don’t have a quorum. The City’s website has an application for the commission.