[Town Hall on March 27, 2024.]
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WELCOME TO THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP MARCH 27TH 2024 TOWN HALL MEETING. WILL EVERYONE JOIN US IN THE RISE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I'D LIKE TO NOW INVITE MAYOR SINGH. TO THE PODIUM TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND A AND WE WILL THEN START THE PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING FOR THE TREE ORDINANCE PRESENTATION. UM SO OVER THE PAST DECADE, OUR COMMUNITY HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF HEAVY RAIN STORMS THAT CAUSED FLOODING. AT THE WORST. WE HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE HURRICANE IDA, RESULTING IN FAMILIES DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES. MORE OFTEN, WE ARE SEEING SUDDEN HEAVY RAIN THAT CAUSES WATER TO FILL UP BASEMENTS AND CLOSE ROADWAYS. ONE OF OUR BEST PREVENTION TOOLS FOR FLOODED BASEMENTS IS PRESERVING THE NATURAL TREE CANOPY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. A SINGLE TREE PROVIDES COUNTLESS BENEFITS. INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO SOAK UP OVER 10,000 GALLONS OF WATER EACH YEAR. THE SAME TREES ALSO FILTER STORM RUNOFF, COLLECTING POLLUTANTS FROM WATER AND KEEPING IT OUT OF OUR WATERWAYS. THAT FEED THE LOCAL AQUIFER AND SOURCES OF OUR DRINKING WATER.
AT THE DIRECTION OF OUR STATE LAWMAKERS IN TRENTON, THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IS WORKING ON A NEW TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE THAT PROTECTS OUR NATURAL TREE CANOPY. STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EXPORTS HAVE WORKED ON A BASELINE STANDARD FOR TREE PRESERVATION THAT IS PART OF A LARGE STORMWATER RESILIENCY STRATEGY FOR ALL OF NEW JERSEY. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE LARGER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT YOU SEE HAVE BEEN IN PROGRESS FOR OVER A DECADE FOLLOWING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATES FROM TRENTON. MOVING FORWARD LAND, INCLUDING ANY COMMERCIAL OR MULTI UNIT, HOUSING WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARDS IN OUR ORDINANCE FOR TREE PRESERVATION AND REPLACEMENT. IN DRAFTING THIS TREE ORDINANCE, THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND I HAVE JOINED WITH SHARED TREE COMMITTEE ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, OPEN SPACE AND THE TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN REVIEWING HOW SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES ARE ESTABLISHING THEIR RULES. WHILE ALIGNING OUR POLICY WITH THE REGIONAL STORMWATER RESILIENCY STRATEGY. I HAVE WORKED TO BALANCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE POTENTIAL BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROSPECT OF GETTING A PERMIT TO REMOVE A TREE AND ENSURING A REPLACEMENT IS PLANTED. MAYBE AN INCONVENIENCE. HOWEVER THIS IS A CRUCIAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FOR THE COLLECTIVE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHILE IT MAY SEEM THAT CUTTING DOWN A TREE ON YOUR PROPERTY IS NOT A BIG DEAL. SOMETIMES THIS SMALL ACTION COULD CAUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR'S BASEMENT TO FLOOD. IF EVERY RESIDENCE GOT DOWN JUST ONE TREE EACH, WE WOULD LOSE APPROXIMATELY 8000 TREES. IMAGINE HOW MANY BASEMENTS THAT COULD FLOOD. THE NEW ORDINANCE WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NOT ANY UNINTENDED EFFECTS CONSEQUENCES ON THE CANOPY THAT IS PRESERVED AND THE CANOPY PRESERVED LONG TERM. I KNOW YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME THAT MONTGOMERY IS A THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AND TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO FLOOD PREVENTION. I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR STAFF THAT HAS WORKED SO HARD TO BRING THIS TOGETHER FOR US. UM ON YOUR RIGHT THERE, YOU WILL SEE SHERRY CREW. SHE'S OUR ASSISTANT PLANNING DIRECTOR. NEXT TO HER IS LAUREN VESLOVSKY. SHE'S OUR OPEN SPACE DIRECTOR. NEXT TO HER, OF COURSE, IS MARK HERMAN, WHO'S A TOWNSHIP ENGINEER. AND THE NEXT TO HIM IS OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT RICH BALT LO AND THE NEXT THEN, OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR, LAURIE STON, AND THEN OUR CLERK LISA FANIA. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ALL SEEING THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN THERE'LL BE QUESTIONS AFTER THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR COMING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAYOR CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OK IN THE ROOM IF I GET TOO FAR FROM THE MICROPHONE, SOMEBODY JUST WAVE YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR. UM THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION. THANK YOU. EVERYBODY FOR COMING TONIGHT. UH, AS MAYOR SINGH MENTIONED THAT THIS IS, UH, AN ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES TREE REMOVAL AND REQUIRES TREE REPLACEMENT IN CERTAIN INSTANCES , AND THIS STEMS FROM A STATE DIRECTIVE. UH, THAT APPLIES TO EVERY MUNICIPALITY ACROSS THE STATE. SO JUST A QUICK OUTLINE
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OF WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT. WE'LL DISCUSS WHY THE ORDINANCE IS BEING UPDATED AT THIS POINT. AS PART OF THOSE STORM WATER REGULATIONS. WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMUNITY FOREST AND THE ROLE THAT THE TREES PLAY IN STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. ALTHOUGH MAYOR SINGH SOLD MY BEST STATISTIC OF THAT 10,000 GALLONS PER TREE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND THEN WRAP UP WITH A TIMELINE FOR ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE AND THEN SOME PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THE GRAPHIC OOPS AND I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON THERE. THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT I REALLY LIKE THE REPRESENTATION OF THE TREE. IT SHOWS YOU THE STRUCTURE THAT EXISTS BELOW THE GROUND AND ALL OF THE ROOTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY A LARGER NETWORK THAN WHAT YOU SEE ABOVE THE GROUND. SO ALL THOSE ROOTS ARE REALLY DOING A HUGE EFFORT TO SEQUESTER STORM WATER AND INFILTRATE IT BACK INTO THE GROUND. SO SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION. MARK WILL, UH, GIVE US SOME DETAILS ON THIS. THANKS, WARREN. ALRIGHT, UM YEAH, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND. BEFORE THE SEVENTIES, THERE WEREN'T ANY STORM WATER REGULATIONS AND THE U SEPA, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AT PASS REGULATIONS THAT KIND OF CARRIED US THROUGH WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY. I'M NOT. I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, UH, WE'VE DONE PRIOR PRESENTATIONS BUT TO GIVE MORE OF LIKE A GENERAL OVERVIEW. UM THROUGH YEARS AND YEARS OF PLANNING, AND, UH, REGULATION AT THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL, UH, LED TO THE CREATION OF WHAT'S CALLED THE MUNICIPAL STORMWATER REGULATION PROGRAM. I WAS DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO THE EPA S RULES IN THE LATE NINETIES. UM AND THEN IN NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. UH, THEN CREATES CREATED THIS PROCESS, WHICH LED TO AN ANNUAL STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT EVERY MUNICIPALITY TOWNSHIP CITY BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY, UH, HAS A PERMIT. THE DEP RENEWS IT EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO RENEW THIS, AND TYPICALLY, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT OFTEN COMES WITH NEW REQUIREMENTS. SO AS PART OF THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS, UH, THE PERMIT RENEWED IN 2023. THE ONE SPECIFIC ONE THAT WE'RE GOING OVER TONIGHT IS THE TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT ORDINANCE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS MANDATED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN NEW JERSEY ARE REQUIRED TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE BY MAY OF THIS YEAR. UM AND THEN THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TONIGHT. SO THE TOWNSHIP LAST UPDATED OUR TREE ORDINANCE IN 2008. SO WE'VE BEEN LIVING WITH IT FOR A WHILE ABOUT 15 YEARS AND WE KNOW SORT OF WHERE THE DEFICIENCIES ARE, AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON IT. SO THIS PRESENTS A GOOD TIME FOR US TO DO THAT UPDATE. SO YOU MIGHT NOT IMMEDIATELY CORRELATE TREES AND THEIR WOOL IN STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. UM, YOU MIGHT NOT THINK ABOUT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT AT ALL. MOST PEOPLE DON'T MARK THINKS ABOUT IT EVERY DAY. THE REST OF US REALLY DON'T UNLESS YOU HAVE WATER IN YOUR BASEMENT. UM BUT THESE TWO THINGS ARE REALLY INTERTWINED.THE STATE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES AND THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY. SO THEY DEVELOPED THIS REGULATION. UM PREVIOUSLY, PAST REGULATIONS FOCUSED ON KEEPING THINGS FROM GETTING ANY WORSE, AND THIS IS KIND OF THE STATE'S ATTEMPT THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT ENACTING REGULATIONS THAT ARE MORE PROACTIVE AND ARE DEALING WITH, UM PROBLEMS AND TRYING TO MAKE THEM NOT ANYWHERE AND ALSO TO GET BETTER. SO TREES PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE WATER CYCLE. THEY ARE HELPING WITH SOIL EROSION. YOU CAN SEE THE PHOTO THERE ON THE RIGHT IS A LONG ROCK BROOK. I TOOK THAT JUST SOUTH OF BESSIE GROVER PARK ON CAMP MEETING AVENUE AND YOU CAN SEE THE TREES KIND OF HANGING ON ON THE BANK, AND THEY'RE HOLDING BACK ALL OF THAT SOIL, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR SOIL INTACT AND TO KEEP SEDIMENTATION OUT OF OUR STREAM. THEY ALSO HELP WITH POLLUTANT REDUCTION, THEIR INFILTRATING ALL THAT STORM WATER BACK INTO THAT GROUND WITH THAT BIG ROOT STRUCTURE SYSTEM THAT WE SAW IN THAT EARLIER SLIDE AND ALSO HELPING WITH FLOODING. UM MAYOR SINGH MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT TREES AND ALL THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT THEY OFFER. BUT THE US FOREST SERVICE HAS DONE SOME RESEARCH REGARDING , UM HOW MUCH STORM WATER A MATURE TREE CAN SEQUESTER AND THE ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN 14,000 GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR, WHICH IS A PRETTY AMAZING NUMBER. SO THE STATE RELEASED THEIR FINAL TEMPLATE ORDINANCE FOR THE TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR MUNICIPALITIES IN NOVEMBER OF 2023. AND IT BASICALLY ESTABLISHES AN OUTLINE A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT EACH MUNICIPALITY NEEDS TO ADOPT IN TERMS OF CERTAIN SECTIONS, BUT THEN THEY PROVIDE SOME DISCRETION TO EACH MUNICIPALITY TO TAILOR THE ORDINANCE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR SPECIFIC COMMUNITY SO WE CAN MINIMIZE OUR IMPACTS TO OUR RESIDENTS AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY GREEN. SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT STORM WATER. UM THE DEP, THE
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DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR THE STATE. THEY DO A LAND USE ANALYSIS OF THE STATE EVERY FEW YEARS AND RELEASE THAT DATA AND BASED ON THEIR MOST RECENT DATA, THE TOWNSHIP HAS LOST OVER 100 ACRES OF FORESTED LAND SINCE 1950 1972 EXCUSE ME THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR FORESTED LANDS LOST IN THE PAST 50 YEARS WITH ABOUT ONLY 5000 ACRES REMAINING, SO THAT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE TO PROTECT WHAT REMAINS AND HOPEFULLY TO EXPAND ON THAT THAT FOREST THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE WHO'S A GREAT PARTNER WITH THE TOWNSHIP. AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, MIKE PIZZARO HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. UM THEY PARTNER WITH US ON A LOT OF ORDINANCE REVIEW. THEY GIVE A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. THEY DID AN IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE ASSESSMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP IN DECEMBER. 2020 FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE IS, IT'S ANYTHING THAT'S PREVENTING, PREVENTING, UH, WATER FROM BEING INFILTRATED BACK INTO THE GROUND , SO IT'S A BUILDING. IT'S ASPHALT, WHETHER IT'S YOUR DRIVEWAY OR A ROADWAY. GRAVEL ANYTHING THAT'S KIND OF PREVENTING THAT WATER INFILTRATION. SO IN THIS ASSESSMENT, THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE FOUND THAT ABOUT 8% OF THE TOWNSHIP IS COVERED WITH AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. AND IN THAT REPORT, THERE'S SORT OF THRESHOLD FOR CONSIDERING WHEN A WATERSHED IS IMPAIRED IS GREATER THAN 10% SO THIS SOUNDS GREAT.WE'RE UNDER THAT 10% NUMBER, BUT WE'RE A BIG MUNICIPALITY. WE'RE 32 SQUARE MILES, SO WHEN YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT NUMBER OUT TO ACTUAL SQUARE FOOTAGE, WE HAVE 73 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE. AND WITH SOME VERY TECHNICAL CALCULATIONS THAT THE WATERSHED WAS ABLE TO DO THEY'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 2.1 BILLION GALLONS OF RUN OFF FROM THOSE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES EVERY YEAR. I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND 2.1 BILLION GALLONS. UM 3500 OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOLS IS MAYBE SLIGHTLY BETTER TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT, BUT EVEN THAT IS HARD TO REALLY WRAP YOUR BRAIN AROUND. UM, CLEARLY, IT'S AN ASTRONOMICAL NUMBER. SO THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT IS A REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES AND HOW THOSE LANDSCAPES FUNCTION WHEN THERE IS A RAIN EVENT. SO THE GRAPHIC ON THE LEFT SIDE IS A MORE NATURALIZED LANDSCAPE. YOU SEE THE TREES AND THE GRASS. AND IN THAT, UH, GRAPHIC. IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR YOU TO SEE BUT ABOUT 50% OF THE RAINWATER THAT'S HITTING THE GROUND IS BEING INFILTRATED BACK INTO THE GROUND, WITH ONLY 10% RUNNING OFF. BUT THE CHARACTERIZATION ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS MORE DEVELOPED ENVIRONMENT. AND IN THAT SCENARIO, ONLY 15% OF THE RAINWATER IS BEING INFILTRATED BACK IN THE GROUND BACK INTO THE GROUND, WITH 55% RUNNING OFF OF THE SURFACE. OUR FORESTS HAVE SOME OTHER THREATS, UM, DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT ARE THREATENING OUR TREES. WE HAVE AN OVERPOPULATION OF DEER. I'M SURE THAT'S NOT NEWS TO ANYONE WHO'S LIVED IN TOWN FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS. UM WE DID A STUDY IN 2021 OF OUR DEER DENSITY AND FOUND 69 DEER PER SQUARE MILE THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS NOT CONSIDERED A SUSTAINABLE NUMBER.
THE PICTURE ON THE TOP, RIGHT. THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT PHOTO REPRESENTS WHAT A HEALTHY FOREST LANDSCAPE WOULD LOOK LIKE. YOU HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VEGETATION, A GROUND COVER KIND OF A MIDDLE LEVEL AND THEN A TREE CANOPY. AND THEN THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS MORE WHAT WE'RE USED TO SEEING. WHICH IS KIND OF THAT BEAR UNDERSTORY. THE TREES HAVE NIBBLED ALL THE LIKE NEW TREES ALL THE UNDERSTORY PLANTS, SO THERE'S NO NEW GENERATION OF TREES TO TAKE OVER ONCE THOSE OLDER TREES DIE OFF. WE ALSO HAVE THREATS FROM INVASIVE INSECTS. THE EMERALD ASH BORER HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY AND ON OUR REGION, UM IN THE SOUR LANDS. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE ONE IN EVERY FIVE TREES IN THE SOUR LANDS ARE AN ASH TREE, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILLION TREES. THAT ARE LOST DUE TO THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE EMERGING DISEASES. TREES GET SICK, JUST LIKE PEOPLE DO. THERE'S BACTERIAL LEAF SCORCH THAT AFFECTS CERTAIN SPECIES OF OAK TREES. AND THERE'S ALSO A NEW BEECH LEAF DISEASE, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY IS GONNA KILL OFF OUR OUR BEECH TREE POPULATION. SO IF YOU'VE EVER CARVED YOUR INITIALS IN, A BEECH TREE. THOSE ARE THE ONES WITH THE NICE, SMOOTH BARK. UM, GO OUT AND TAKE A PHOTO OF IT BECAUSE THAT TREE WILL PROBABLY BE GONE IN FIVE YEARS. SO NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT SORT OF THE SPECIFIC ORDINANCE PROVISIONS NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT BACKGROUND AND SOME CONTEXT SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS SORT OF THE TWO TRACKS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT. ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT EVERY PROPERTY OWNER IN TOWN, WHETHER YOU'RE A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER, A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER, A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
ALL PROPERTIES ARE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS THAT GOVERN TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT FIRST AND THEN THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE GOVERNS MAJOR DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. LATER IN THE PRESENTATION WITH THE PROVISIONS THAT APPLY TO THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS. OK? SO WHERE I COULD IN THE SLIDE SHOW. I TRIED TO
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PUT OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE PROVISIONS NEXT TO THE PROPOSED PROVISIONS SO THERE COULD BE A GOOD SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON. RIGHT NOW. IN THE TOWNSHIP CODE. ALL THE REGULATIONS ABOUT TREES ARE SORT OF SPREAD OUT AND PEPPERED THROUGHOUT THE CODE, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO ABIDE BY MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE STAFF TO TRACK DOWN SPECIFIC REGULATIONS. SO IN THE NEW ORDINANCE, EVERYTHING WILL BE IN ONE SECTION EASIER TO REFERENCE EASIER TO FIND, SO THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO STREAMLINE THE CODE. SO THE PROVISIONS THAT GOVERN TREE REMOVAL. CURRENTLY THERE IS A SECTION THAT GOVERNS TREE REMOVAL IN A CRITICAL AREA. CRITICAL AREA IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA LIKE A WETLAND OR A STREAM CORRIDOR. IF YOU HAVE ANY STEEP SLOPES ON YOUR PROPERTY AND RIGHT NOW, THE ORDINANCE SPECIFIES THAT NO TREE REMOVAL IS PERMITTED IN THOSE LOCATIONS. THAT'S A GOOD PROVISION THAT CARRIES FORWARD INTO THE NEW ORDINANCE. THERE'S NO CHANGE PROPOSED TO THAT. THERE'S ALSO A SECTION ON TREE CLEARING, WHICH PROHIBITS REMOVAL OF KIND OF FORESTED AREAS AND MORE WHOLE SCALE CLEARING OF A LOT AND THAT IS BEING REPLACED. NOW, WITH THIS NEW SECTION THAT HAS MORE SPECIFIC, DETAILED PROVISIONS WITH THOSE NEW STATE REQUIREMENTS, SO THAT SECTION IS ABANDONED AND IS REPLACED WITH THE NEW SECTION. NOW GOING TO SHIFTING TO THAT RIGHT HAND COLUMN OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE . UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, A PERMIT IS REQUIRED TO REMOVE ANY TREE WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP.WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE VARIOUS EXEMPTIONS THAT EXIST, BUT REPLACEMENT TREES WILL BE REQUIRED IN A NUMBER OF INSTANCES. UM, FOR REMOVAL OF SMALLER TREES THAT WERE REQUIRED AS A CONDITION OF A PLANNING OR ZONING BOARD APPROVAL FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT. ANY TREES REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION AND REMOVAL OF ANY TREE THAT'S GREATER THAN SIX INCH DB H DB. H IS DIAMETER BREAST HEIGHT. IT'S A MEASUREMENT OF THE TREE'S DIAMETER ABOUT 4.5 FT. OFF THE GROUND. UM WE WERE TALKING HOW TO HOW TO SORT OF REFERENCE THAT IT'S THE SIZE OF SORT OF A CAKE PLATE. IS THAT MY NEPHEW'S BIRTHDAY PARTY THIS WEEKEND? KATE COMES ON THAT LITTLE PLATE THAT'S THE SIZE. UM SO ONCE ANYBODY WANTS TO REMOVE A TREE IF THEY RECEIVE THEIR PERMIT, ANY REPLACEMENT PLANTINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED NEED TO OCCUR WITHIN A ONE YEAR TIME SPAN, AND THEN THE QUANTITY OF THOSE REPLACEMENT TREES IS DETERMINED BY THE SIZE OF THE TREE OR TREES TO BE REMOVED. WHAT'S REVIEW THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE? THERE'S YOUR CAKE PLATE. SO WHEN A PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO REMOVE A TREE, THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF REPLACEMENT TREES, SO THE FIRST OPTION IS TO PLANT THOSE REPLACEMENT TREES ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY. SO THE CHART HERE THE FIRST TWO ROWS UNDER THE HEADINGS REALLY ARE FOCUSED ON STREET TREES AND ALSO THOSE NEW TREES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN THE LAST THREE ROWS ARE FOCUSED ON THE TREES THAT WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER YARD OR A MORE ESTABLISHED TREE ON A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. SO A SIX INCH DB HT AND RICH CAN CORRECT ME. IF I'M WRONG IS PROBABLY ABOUT 15 TO 20 YEARS OLD. IT'S A PRETTY MATURE TREE. THAT'S THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED ON YOUR PROPERTY IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT RICH DEPENDING ON THE SPECIES AND OK? SO THE SECOND OPTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PLANT THE TREES ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY. IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE SPACE, THEN THE OTHER OPTION IS TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY INSTEAD OF REPLANTING, AND THAT MONEY WOULD GO INTO THE TOWNSHIPS TREE REPLACEMENT FUND. THESE ARE THE SAME INCREMENTS IN THE CHART THAT YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AND THEY BASICALLY REPRESENT $500 PER TREE. FOR THAT REPLACEMENT VALUE SO I CAN KIND OF TOGGLE BACK AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE THERE. AND THE NURSE. THE MONETARY VALUES IF YOU DON'T WANT TO REPLANT. THIS SLIDE. I TRIED TO INCLUDE A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF THE STATE MODEL, SO THE STATE MODEL REQUIREMENTS ARE THE CHART ON THE LEFT THERE. SO THIS IS INCLUDED IN THAT TEMPLATE MODEL THAT THE STATE RELEASED. THIS IS THE MINIMUM THAT A MUNICIPALITY HAS TO ADOPT IN TERMS OF THE REPLACEMENT, AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP'S PROPOSED ORDINANCE. PROVISIONS ARE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. I ATTEMPTED TO COLOR CODE IT SO THAT IT WAS AN EASIER CORRELATION FOR FOLKS TO SEE HOW THE TOWNSHIP'S ORDINANCE MATCHES UP WITH THAT STATE REQUIREMENT, AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN. THE TWO COLUMNS REPRESENT THE TWO OPTIONS OPTION ONE AND OPTION TWO. YOU CAN ALSO MIX AND MATCH THEM IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO. IF YOU GO TO THAT BOTTOM LINE, THE RED LINE A TREE THAT'S 30 INCHES OR MORE. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO PLANT FOUR TREES, YOU WANT TO PLANT TWO. YOU CAN PLANT TWO AND THEN GIVE US $1000 SO YOU CAN MIX AND MATCH THAT, DEPENDING ON YOUR PROPERTY'S CONFIGURATION AND YOUR SPECIFIC, UH, NEEDS. SO AS WE'VE MENTIONED THIS, THIS ORDINANCE DOES STEM FROM A STATE DIRECTIVE AND THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO ADOPT SOMETHING THAT REGULATES TREE REMOVAL. MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE AND HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT REGULATES TREE REMOVAL, SO JUST TO COMPARE HOW THE TOWNSHIPS PROPOSED ORDINANCE STACKS UP WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, YOU CAN SEE THE GENERALLY EQUIVALENT TOWNS TO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THE EAST WINDSOR, HILLSBOROUGH, HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP AND PRINCETON. AND BERNARD'S BRANCHBURG, EAST, ANWELL AND FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
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HAVE ORDINANCES THAT ARE MORE STRINGENT THAN WHAT IS PROPOSED FOR. MONTGOMERY. OK? THERE ARE SOME EXEMPTIONS FOR THE REPLANTING REQUIREMENT. SO THERE ARE EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO REMOVE A TREE NEEDS TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT. BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS TO PLANT REPLACEMENT TREES. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO THERE'S EXEMPTIONS FOR A NUMBER OF INSTANCES. IF YOU HAVE A DEBT OR DISEASE TREE ON YOUR PROPERTY OR MULTIPLE. IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF ASH TREES ON YOUR PROPERTY, THOSE CAN BE REMOVED ONCE YOU SECURE YOUR PERMIT, BUT THEN NO REPLANTING REQUIREMENT IS IN PLACE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT COST EXPENSE TO GETTING THOSE TREES REMOVED, SO THERE'S NO REPLANTING REQUIRED. AND TREE THAT'S WITHIN 50 FT. OF THE PRIMARY BUILDING ON YOUR PROPERTY. YOU CAN REMOVE THAT WITHOUT REQUIRED REPLANTING. IF YOU HAVE AN INVASIVE SPECIES ON YOUR PROPERTY, LIKE A BRADFORD PEAR OR A TREE OF HEAVEN, WE WANT YOU TO REMOVE THOSE UM, AND THERE'S NO REQUIRED REPLANTING FOR THOSE ANY TREE THAT'S POSING A PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERN WITH THAT REALLY BAD WINDSTORM WE HAD A FEW WEEKS AGO. IF YOU HAD A TREE THAT'S NOW SORT OF LEANING OVER YOUR DRIVEWAY, LEANING OVER YOUR HOUSE OR LEANING OVER THE ROAD, THEY COULD BE REMOVED WITHOUT REQUIRED REPLANTING. ANY TREE THAT'S INTERFERING WITH YOUR SEPTIC OR GROWING IN A SEWER EASEMENT CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT REQUIRED REPLANTING. ANY NURSERY OPERATION IS EXEMPT FROM THE REPLANT REQUIREMENTS. THEY'RE REMOVING TREES ALL THE TIME, BUT THEY'RE ALSO REPLANTING ALL THE TIME AS WELL AS PART OF THEIR BUSINESS MODEL. FARMS WITH AN APPROVED WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH HAPPENS THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. THEY'RE ALSO MANAGING THEIR FOREST BY REMOVING TREES SELECTIVELY AND PLANTING NEW ONES OR PROTECTING TREES THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE FOREST NATURALLY. AND ANY TREES THAT ARE REMOVED THAT ARE IN THE AIRPORT HAZARD AREA CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED REPLANTING. SO ALL THESE INSTANCES I JUST WENT THROUGH A PERMIT APPLICATION WOULD STILL BE REQUIRED. BUT NONE OF THOSE REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS IN THOSE CHARTS WOULD APPLY. SO AS WE MENTIONED AS OF MAY 1ST A PERMIT WILL BE REQUIRED TO REMOVE A TREE. I HAVE THESE VERY SUBTLE, SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN THE PRESENTATION TO REMIND EVERYBODY AS WE GO ALONG. SO IN TERMS OF THE PERMIT APPLICATION, THE PROCESS THAT IS ENVISIONED IS AN ONLINE FORUM. PRETTY SIMPLE. IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR AN EXEMPTION , SAY YOU HAVE FOUR DEAD ASH TREES ON YOUR PROPERTY THAT YOU WANT TO REMOVE. THERE'S AN ONLINE FORUM. YOU POPULATE IT WITH YOUR NAME YOUR ADDRESS YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AND THEN YOU CHECK THE BOX THAT SAYS YOU'RE EXEMPT OR YOU'RE APPLYING FOR AN EXEMPTION AND WHAT CATEGORIES OR ONE CATEGORY OF EXEMPTION THAT YOU THINK YOU QUALIFY FOR, AND THEN UPLOAD A PHOTO OR TWO OF ALL YOUR DEAD TREES, AND THAT WOULD BE IT. THERE'S NO FEE THAT'S REQUIRED. JUST LET US KNOW THAT THAT WORK IS HAPPENING, AND WE WOULD REVIEW THE PERMIT AND THEN APPROVE THAT. THOSE FOLKS WHO WERE SEEKING TO REMOVE A LIVE TREE OR TREE THAT'S NOT EXEMPT, WOULD DO THE SAME THING. PROVIDE US WITH THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE US WITH A COPY OF THEIR PROPERTY SURVEY IF THEY HAVE ONE AND SKETCH IN THE LOCATIONS. EXCUSE ME OR USE LIKE A GOOGLE MAP IMAGE AND KIND OF CIRCLE THE AREAS WHERE THE TREES ARE THAT ARE TO BE REMOVED AND THEN EXPLAIN. WHY ARE YOU PUTTING IN A POOL? DO YOU NOT JUST WANT THOSE TREES ANYMORE? JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF EXPLANATION ON WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT REMOVAL IS, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE THAT REPLACEMENT PLAN THAT SHOWS THE OF THE NEW TREES THAT YOU'RE PLANTING AND THE SPECIES THAT OF TREES THAT YOU'RE SELECTING. SO THE FEE FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE PROPOSING TO REMOVE TREES THAT AREN'T EXEMPT WOULD BE $150 TO REMOVE BETWEEN ONE AND 10 TREES, AND THAT FEE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF TIME AND CONSULTANT. TIME TO REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION AND CONDUCT LIKELY AT LEAST TWO SITE VISITS ONE TO CONFIRM THE CONDITION OF THE TREES TO BE REMOVED, AND THEN LATER TO CONFIRM THAT YOU'VE PLANTED THOSE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT TREES. ANYONE WHO IS PROPOSING TO REMOVE MORE THAN 10 TREES. IT WOULD BE $50 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL TREE TO BE REMOVED.AND THEN THERE'S A SORT OF A THIRD TIER FEE THERE. OF $800 IF THE TREE REMOVAL WAS RESULTING IN A LAND DISTURBANCE THAT'S GREATER THAN A HALF AN ACRE. SO THE HALF ACRE CORRESPONDS TO THE TOWNSHIP'S STORMWATER REGULATIONS. ANYTHING THAT IS A LAND DISTURBANCE. MORE THAN HALF AN ACRE TRIGGERS THE TOWNSHIPS STORMWATER REGULATIONS AND IS CONSIDERED MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT SOME SORT OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITY. SO THOSE ARE A LARGER SCALE PROJECT. THE HALF ACRE WAS SELECTED, UH, FOR THIS ORDINANCE TO MATCH THAT STORM WATER. DISTURBANCE REGULATION BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO STEMMING FROM A STORM WATER REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE. OK SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT PROVISIONS THAT APPLY TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS. NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE THAT APPLY TO A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. SO
[00:25:04]
REVISITING THE CHART THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND WE'RE NOW GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT RIGHT SIDE. WE WENT OVER THE TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT WHICH WILL STILL BE TRIGGERED FOR ANY MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, AND THEN THOSE PROJECTS WILL ALSO HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE PROVISIONS FOR STREET TREES, BUT FOR SCREENING PARKING LOT TREES. AND SHADE TREES. AND WHEN WE SAY MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT, WE MEAN A NEW RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION, A NEW SHOPPING CENTER HOME CONSTRUCTION ON AN EXISTING LOT SORT OF THOSE LARGER SCALE PROJECTS. OKAY SO WHEN SOMEONE IS UNDERTAKING A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PLANT STREET TREES AND OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE PROVISIONS ARE 50 FT SPACING.AND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. THE SPACING IS NOW PROPOSED TO BE VARIABLE. THIS WAS WHAT A LOT OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ENACTED IN LOOKING AT THOSE, UH OTHER ORDINANCES THAT ARE IN PLACE. THERE'S ALSO AN 8 FT OFFSET FROM THE SIDEWALK THAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED FOR ANY NEW STREET TREES. THIS IS TO HELP PROLONG THE LIFE OF SIDEWALKS AND UM, ANY MAINTENANCE AND THAT UPHEAVAL THAT HAPPENS WITH THE TREE ROOTS AS THE SIDEWALKS KIND OF LIFT OVER TIME. OK? THE BUFFER SCREENING AND PARKING. THERE'S REALLY TWO CHANGES THAT ARE NOTED HERE. SO BUFFER SCREENING IS REALLY A VEGETATIVE BUFFER THAT'S REQUIRED AROUND THE PERIMETER OF A PROPERTY AND IT WILL SCREEN THAT USE OR THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT FROM A BUDDING PROPERTIES. SO THE TWO CHANGES HERE ARE TO REALLY TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE BUFFER ITSELF. UH, THE WIDTHS ARE ESTABLISHED BY THE ZONING DISTRICTS. THE INDIVIDUAL ZONING DISTRICT PROVISIONS AND JUST ADDING LANGUAGE THAT THE PLANTS THAT A RE PROVIDED IN THE BUFFER HAVE TO BE EFFECTIVE YEAR ROUND.
SO YOU CAN'T JUST PLANT DECIDUOUS PLANTS THAT THEN IN THE WINTER YOU CAN SEE STRAIGHT THROUGH ONE, A MIX OF EVERGREEN AND DECIDUOUS. AND THE OTHER PROVISION THAT CHANGES IS THE PARKING LOTTERY REQUIREMENT. RIGHT NOW. THE ORDINANCE SPECIFIES ONE TREE FOR EVERY 30 PARKING SPACES, AND THE NEW ORDINANCE SPECIFIES ONE TREE FOR EVERY FIVE PARKING SPACES.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO PARK UNDER THE SHADE TREE IN THE SHOP, RIGHT PARKING LOT TO SCHOOL PROVIDE MORE TREES IN THE, UH, IN THOSE PARKING LOT SCENARIOS. IT ALSO PUTS THE TREES IN PLACE WHERE THE STORM WATER RUNOFF IS HAPPENING. SO IN A PARKING LOT, YOU'RE GETTING ALL OF THAT RUNOFF DIRECTLY OFF THE ASPHALT. SO BY PUTTING MORE TREES IN PLACE, YOU CAN SEQUESTER THE STORM WATER RIGHT THERE WHERE IT'S BEING GENERATED. THE LAST PROVISION FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT IS THE SHADE TREE REQUIREMENT. THE CURRENT ORDINANCE REQUIRES 14 TREES PER ACRE. THERE IS A WAIVER PROVISION IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CALCULATE THAT TREE PLANTING REQUIREMENT BASED ON HOW MUCH AREA YOU'RE DISTURBING, NOT YOUR WHOLE LOT. SO LET'S SAY YOU OWN A 10 ACRE LOT. YOU'RE BUILDING A POLE BARN AND MAYBE YOU'RE GOING TO DISTURB ONE ACRE OF YOUR LOT INSTEAD OF 14 TREES, TIMES YOUR WHOLE 10 ACRES 100 AND 40 TREES.
YOU'RE DISTURBING AN ACRE. YOU CAN JUST PLANT 14. THAT'S THE CURRENT ORDINANCE PROVISION.
UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, THE SHADE TREE REQUIREMENT WOULD BE 20 TREES PER DISTURBED ACRE AND THAT ONLY KICKS IN ONCE THERE'S DISTURBANCE OF A HALF ACRE. THERE'S THAT HALF ACRE AGAIN THAT CORRESPONDS TO OUR OTHER STORMWATER REGULATIONS FOR DISTURBANCE, AND THIS IS REALLY TO CAPTURE THOSE LARGER PROJECTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE. SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT DESIGN STANDARDS NOW THAT APPLY TO ALL TREE PLANTING, SO WHETHER YOU'RE DOING TREE REPLACEMENT ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY, OR WHETHER IT'S A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, PLANTING STREET TREES OR DOING THAT BUFFER SCREENING. THESE ARE THE PROVISIONS THAT WILL APPLY TO ANY KIND OF TREE PLANTING. SO IN OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, THERE'S A SPECIFICATION TO REQUIRE NATIVE SPECIES AND INVASIVE SPECIES ARE PROHIBITED. SO AN INVASIVE SPECIES IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT NATIVE TO OUR REGION, AND THERE'S NO NATURAL PREDATORS FOR IT, SO IT PROLIFERATES OUT OF CONTROL AND JUST CONTINUES TO SPREAD. OUR NATIVE WILDLIFE. DON'T EAT IT. THEY DON'T USE IT AS HABITAT. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO PLANT. THAT PROVISION WILL CARRY THROUGH.
ORDINANCE ALSO ALLOWS FOR A NON NATIVE, SO A NON NATIVE IS NOT THE SAME AS AN INVASIVE SOMETHING THAT'S NON NATIVE CAN BE NOT NATIVE TO THE REGION, BUT IT WON'T PROLIFERATE OUT OF CONTROL. SO IF YOU HAVE BOXWOODS A T YOUR HOUSE IF YOU HAVE TULIPS AT YOUR HOUSE, THEY'RE NOT NATIVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA PROLIFERATE AND TAKE OVER YOUR YARD IF THERE WERE UNCHECKED. SO WE'RE ALLOWING FOR SOME NON NATIVES FOR BUFFERING BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE MORE EFFECTIVE CHOICES FOR BUFFERING THAN THE NATIVE SPECIES THAT WE HAVE. THE OTHER PROVISION THAT'S ADDED HERE IS TO REQUIRE DEER PROTECTION. UH, MY LITTLE SCOUTS THERE WHO ARE PLANTING WITH US, UM AT A PARK. THEY INSTALLED TREE PROTECTION AROUND EVERY PLANT. I THINK MOST FOLKS KNOW THAT ONCE YOU GET NEW LANDSCAPING, OR YOU GO OUT AND GARDEN, A SIGNAL GOES OUT TO ALL
[00:30:02]
THE DEER AND THEY COME AND THEY EAT IT IMMEDIATELY. SO THIS IS PROTECTING PEOPLE'S INVESTMENT, AND IT'S HELPING TO GET THOSE TREES A GOOD HEAD START. IT'S KIND OF A COMMON SENSE IMPLEMENTATION THING THAT IS NOW IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. THE TOWNSHIP HAS HAD A TREE REPLACEMENT FUND SINCE WE LAST UPDATED THE ORDINANCE IN 2008. SO THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, IT TAKES THE FUNDING FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T WANT TO DO THAT 14 TREES PER ACRE ON THEIR PROPERTY, AND THE FUNDS GO TOWARDS THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE, PLANTING STREET TREES, PLANTING TREES IN OUR PARKS AND ALSO TOWARDS OPEN SPACE COMMITTEES, PROJECTS, PLANTING ON OPEN SPACES AND ALONG STREAM CORRIDORS. THAT'S THE PHOTO THERE, PLANTING ALONG ROCK BROOK SO THE NEW ORDINANCE PROVISIONS ANY MONEY COLLECTED WOULD STILL BE USED FOR THOSE TYPES OF TOWNSHIP TREE PLANTING PROJECTS THAT I MENTIONED AND ALSO TO ADD ANY GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BECAUSE THIS IS THE STORM WATER ORDINANCE AND ALSO ALLOW FOR TREE MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS A BIG THING. SO OBVIOUSLY WE EXPECT THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO COMPLY, RIGHT? WE HOPE EVERYONE WILL COMPLY WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A CHANGE. SO WE HAVE A VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES SECTION TO REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE. MODEL ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE A PROVISION FOR VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES. SO THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE SETS AN INTRODUCTORY PERIOD KIND OF THE LEARNING CURVE PERIOD FOR EVERYBODY THE FIRST SIX MONTHS WHILE WE GET THE WORD OUT TO ALL THE HOMERS ASSOCIATIONS, ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ALL OF THE LANDSCAPERS AND TREE SERVICE COMPANIES, SO IF YOU WERE TO REMOVE TREES FROM YOUR YARD, LET'S SAY AND SECURE PERMIT, AND THEN WE FOUND OUT YOU WOULD JUST BE REQUIRED TO REPLANT TREES BASED ON THE CHART THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. AND THE ONLY THING THAT'S DIFFERENT IS INSTEAD OF A YEAR, YOU WOULD HAVE A CONDENSED TIME FRAME OF THREE MONTHS TO PLANT THOSE TREES. SO THIS IS WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS KIND OF THAT LEARNING CURVE PERIOD FOR EVERYONE. AFTER NOVEMBER 1ST STARTING ON NOVEMBER 1ST. THEN FOR A FIRST DEFENSE, YOU WOULD PLANT THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF TREES THAT WE SAW IN THE CHART IN THE EARLIER SLIDES, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 25% AND THAT'S ROUNDED UP TO THE NEAREST WHOLE NUMBER. CAN'T PLANT A QUARTER OF A TREE? AND AGAIN THAT THREE MONTH TIME FRAME AND THEN A SECOND OR ANY ADDITIONAL OFFENSES THEREAFTER IT WOULD BE THE REPLACEMENT. UH, FEE. THE REPLACEMENT TREES REQUIRED IN THE CHART PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 50. SUBTLE PLUG MAY 1ST IS OUR START DATE FOR THE ORDINANCE. OKAY, SO , UM, THE S UPCOMING SCHEDULE WILL BE. THE ORDINANCE WILL BE INTRODUCED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AT THEIR APRIL 4TH MEETING. SINCE THIS IS A CHANGE TO TOWNSHIP DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WILL FORWARD THAT ORDINANCE TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR THEIR REVIEW FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN.THIS REVIEW IS SCHEDULED FOR THE APRIL 8TH MEETING. THE PLANNING BOARD WILL THEN FORWARD THEIR RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, AND ON APRIL 18TH. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE. THE ORDINANCE WILL TAKE EFFECT ON MAY 1ST AND THAT WILL MEET THE DEP MANDATED DEADLINE FOR ADOPTION, AT WHICH TIME THE PERMITS WILL BE REQUIRED. SO THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT. NOW OUR OUR CLERK AND OUR ADMINISTRATOR, LORI LISA GONNA ROVE AROUND THE AUDIENCE WITH THEIR WIRELESS MICS. SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION AND WANT TO RAISE YOUR HAND, UM YOU CAN KIND OF STAND UP AT YOUR SEAT. THEY'LL COME OVER AND WE'RE ASKING FOLKS TO LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AS WE HAVE QUITE A LARGE CROWD AND WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE OUR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE . I JUST FORGOT TO DO THAT, UH, WE HAVE OUR DEPUTY MAYOR. VINCE BARRIGAN. HERE. WE HAVE OUR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WOMAN. UH, DEBORAH KEENAN HERE. AND WE HAVE THAT TODD, WHO'S ALSO A COMMITTEE WOMAN, AND THEN WE HAVE DENNIS, WHO'S A COMMITTEE PERSON AS WELL. SO IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION AND WANTS TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
HI STEPHEN CARTER 373 ROUTE 601. UM, TWO THINGS WERE NOT MENTIONED IN THE AUDIENCE. ONE IS IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF DYING ASH PIECES AS I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE IS. IF IT FALLS ON ITS OWN,
[00:35:01]
I MEAN, YOU STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH PERMIT PROCESS OR SWAP THEM. GRAB ME IF I HEAR A CHAIN SAW A LOT OF TIME YOU SAW THE FALL, YOU KNOW? ON TOP OF THE DRIVEWAY. YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE QUICK. CETERA, ET CETERA. MY FIRST QUESTION. AND THE SECOND THAT'S NOT MENTIONED AT ALL IS ALL THREE A PRESENTATION. YOU MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF STORMWATER RUNOFF. MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP IS DOING. TO ADDRESS THE HUGE BEAVER DAM PROBLEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING ALL ACROSS. I KNOW YOUR BOOK HAS SEVERAL LARGE DAMS. THAT'S RAISING THE WATER TABLE ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SIX AND ONE BRIDGE. UM SO A T THE MINIMUM CAN I PROPOSE THAT THE BEAVERS ALSO BE SUBJECT TO FINES AND IMPRISONMENT? YOU SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK.WE WANNA FOCUS ON THE ORDINANCE QUESTIONS. SO IF I COULD GET YOU TO GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION FROM YOU, AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THE BEAVER DAM ISSUE IN CRUISER BROOK, AND THEN WE'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION AROUND THE ORDINANCE. OK? HELLO NATALIE CT ON OUR 18 CHARLESTON DRIVE. AND MY CONCERN WITH THIS IS MOSTLY FOR THE EXEMPT PERMITS AND THE TIME AND WHAT'S THE EXPECTATION FOR TURNAROUND TIME? HAVING LIVED HERE FOR 14 YEARS I'VE BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES I'VE HAD TO HAVE TREES CUT DOWN BECAUSE THEY WERE DEAD, WHERE THERE WAS FROM SUMMER DROUGHT CONDITIONS OR MAJOR STORMS THAT CAME THROUGH AND BECAUSE THOSE MIGHT BE A HAZARD IF THEY'RE ON YOUR PROPERTY AS WELL. YOU ANSWER BOTH FOR THE QUESTIONS. SURE. MM.
UH, STARTING OFF WITH THE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM WE'LL START OFF WITH THE TREE FALLS ON ITS OWN. UM RIGHT NOW, THE ORDINANCE SAYS TO REMOVE ANY PERMIT, UH, REMOVE ANY TREE. UH, YOU DO NEED A PERMIT. I THINK IN THAT CASE, UH, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DOCUMENT THAT IT FELL ON ITS OWN. YOU KNOW, IF IT TOOK A PICTURE, UH, GENERALLY, THE TOWNSHIP WILL BE LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS CUT DOWN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO IF THERE'S UM YOU KNOW IF THE APPLICANT IS ABLE TO PROVIDE PROOF THAT IT DID FALL ON ITS OWN, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. SO FOR THE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT, UM JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY. IT WAS ABOUT, UH, TURNAROUND TIME FOR EXEMPT ACTIVITIES. CORRECT. YEAH, OK. UH, WE WOULD PUT A PRIORITY ON THAT, UM THE PERMIT COULD HAVE COULD INCLUDE AN EMERGENCY PROVISION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY WOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY AND NOT PUT AN EMERGENCY FOR EVERYTHING. IF IT'S A CLEARING FOR, YOU KNOW, AN INTENDED PROJECT LIKE, UH, I'M PUTTING IN A PORT AND YOU KNOW IT'S EMERGING EMERGENCY. IT WOULDN'T BE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UH, THE PERMIT COULD INCLUDE SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR AN EMERGENCY PROVISION. I I CAN DOUBLE CHECK THE ORDINANCE. AND WE CAN TOUCH BASE AFTER THE MEETING AGAIN. I BELIEVE I'M SORRY. YEAH, I. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROVISION FOR EMERGENCIES IN THE ORDINANCE. I COULD DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND AGAIN. IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PROPERTY, SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES HAVE POWER LINES ON THEM AND THAT MY HUSBAND, I GET AN OCCASION, ESPECIALLY DURING HURRICANE SANDY, WHERE I HAD, YOU KNOW, A LIMB OF A TREE FALL ON THAT. IN WHICH CASE I MEAN, HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE TURNED AROUND WHEN IT'S THE POWER COMPANY THAT CAME AND TOOK CARE OF THAT ISSUE. SO THOSE ARE JUST JUST CONCERNS TO THINK ABOUT YEAH, I THINK LIKE MARK MENTIONED JUST DOCUMENTING THAT IN CASE THERE'S QUESTIONS WE UNDERSTAND. THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN AFTER HOURS AND ON THE WEEKEND AND ON A HOLIDAY, THEY ALWAYS HAPPEN AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIME. SO IF YOU JUST DOCUMENT THAT AND JUST LET US KNOW AFTER THE FACT THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. YEAH, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE ORDINANCE THAT'S PROPOSED SAYS TREES. REMOVE UH, FOR EMERGENCIES. TREES MAY BE REMOVED WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A PERMIT IN CASES OF EMERGENCY. IMMEDIATE NOTICE AND SUBSTANTIATION OF THE EMERGENCY SHALL BE COMMUNICATED WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WHICH WOULD BE THROUGH THE ENGINEERING OFFICE. UM, SO THAT PHOTO AND SENDING IT IN YEAH, SO THE PERMIT CAN BE APPLIED FOR AFTERWARDS. LIKE LIKE, LAUREN SAID. IF IT'S ON A WEEKEND, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF US. JUST DOCUMENT. UM DOCUMENT THE SITUATION. YOU DOING? UM, MIKE WAS OUR 601. UM A COUPLE OF THINGS. $150 FOR A PERMIT. IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S 100 AND $50
[00:40:05]
TO REMOVE BETWEEN ONE AND 10 TREES. THE MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL REVIEW OF THE REVIEWING THE PERMIT FOR HOW MANY TREES ARE BEING REMOVED HOW LARGE THEY ARE MAKING SURE THE CALCULATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER IS CORRECT USING THE CHART AND THEN COMING OUT IF NECESSARY, ON SITE TO LOOK AT THE TREES TO BE REMOVED AND THEN AFTER ANY REPLACEMENT TREES ARE PLANTED, COMING OUT AGAIN TO SAY THAT THOSE TREES WERE PLANTED PROPERLY. IN THE PARKING LOT. SUCK UP THE WATER. THE HEAVY RAIN CAME. IS THAT ALSO TRUE OR NO? THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING THE TREES IN THE PARKING, SO THAT'S CRAZY. UM AND THEN WHO'S TAKING CARE OF THE TREES THAT ARE PLANTED. BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE, PEOPLE DON'T JUST CUT DOWN A TREE FOR NO REASON. THEY JUST IF YOU MAKE THEM PLANT MORE TREES, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. IF FOLKS DON'T WANT TO PLANT A TREE ON THEIR PROPERTY THEY DON'T HAVE TO. THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE THE MONEY NOT TAKEN CARE OF IN OUR OPEN SPACE, RIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA PAY 1000 BUCKS. THROW A TREE OUT IN THE FIELD, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO GET TAKEN CARE OF THERE, EITHER, RIGHT? TAKING CARE OF IN WHAT WAY? HE TAKES CARE OF THEM. THEY'RE PLANTED IN THE OPEN SPACE. A RE YOU TALKING ABOUT TREES PLANTED BY THE MUNICIPALITY OR TREES PLANTED BY A BY A PROPERTY OWNER. NO TREES PLANTED BY THE MIXED REALITY THAT ARE OUT IN THE OPEN SPACE.THEY'RE NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OR BRING HIM UP. DO NOT BE WAITED THERE. NOTHING GETS DONE TO THE TREE. THEY JUST AND BREAK APART AND THEN YOU'RE STUCK WITH IT. HALF TREE. THERE'S MULTI ALL THE FORESTS, ALL THE OPEN SPACE THAT ARE NOT TAKEN CARE OF. I MEAN, I THINK PAYING $1000 TO THROW UP. A BARE ROOT TREE ON THE GROUND IS RI. RIGHT. DO YOU THINK THAT'S RIDICULOUS? $1000? THE TREES ARE WORTH. I CAN. AND IF WE PLANT BARE ROOT TREES WHICH COST YOU A DOLLAR 49. THREE TIMES FASTER THAN WHEN WE BUY IT A NURSERY. AND THERE WILL BE MUCH HEALTHIER. BUT THERE'S A SWEET I CAN ADDRESS THAT. GET OUT OF THE GROUND. YOU THROW IT ON A TRAILER, LET IT BOUNCE AROUND ON THE TRAILER AND HAVE A LANDSCAPE OR THROW IT IN THE GROUND. BARE ROOT TREE IS GOING TO GROW WAY BETTER THAN A BALL IN BASKETBALL. BERRY TREES DO GROW BETTER. PROBABLY THE PROBLEM IS, THE ORDINANCE WILL REQUIRE A TWO INCH TREE. THE REASON A TWO INCH TREE IS IT'S A REASONABLE SIZE THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE DAMAGED BY EITHER PEOPLE OR ANIMALS. UM, SO IN THE HANDS OF A REASONABLE ROOT BALL THAT WILL SURVIVE. I GOT I GOT THAT.
BUT LIKE IF WE TAKE A IF WE TAKE A MAPLE TREE, AND WE PLANT IT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD HERE, RIGHT, SO WE DID THIS THE ROOTS JUST WRAP RIGHT? IT COMES OUT OF THE NURSERY. THROW IT IN THE GROUND.
THE ROOTS W. THE TREE IN 20 YEARS, MOST LIKELY DIES OR JUST FALLS OVER. OK YOU TAKE A ROOT A BARE ROOT TREE SMALL LITTLE TINY TREE POLE ON THE GROUND IT GROWS. GO DOWN TO THE BROOK.
HERE, GRAB A BEAR ROOT TREE. UH, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
BUT WE COULD GET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. WE ARE HAVING A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY WITH THE WIRELESS MICS BEING HEARD A LIVE STREAMING, SO WE'RE GONNA ASK PEOPLE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'VE GOT CONFIRMATION. DO YOU WANNA DO IT THIS WAY OR. OK UM HI. I'M I'M GONNA HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THE QUESTIONS. THE LADY ASKED, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE ALSO UNDER THE WOODLAND MANAGEMENT. UM AND, UH, IS IT CORRECT THAT THE REPLACEMENT TREES HAVE TO BE TWO INCH OR MORE DIAMETER? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION. UH, THE SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, REGARDING THE NEED FOR PERMITS, EVEN FOR TREES THAT FALL DOWN. ON THEIR OWN. NOW WE'VE HAD FOUR TREES FALL ON OUR POWER LINES JUST SINCE CHRISTMAS. I KNOW ABOUT THOSE BECAUSE THE POWER GOES OUT ON THE HOUSE. AND PETER SG AND COMES AND THEY CUT THEM UP AND THEY PUT THE LINES BACK UP. WE UM IN THE SAME TIME THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 40 TREES THAT CRASHED IN THE WOODS. OKAY AND
[00:45:09]
YOU KNOW, USUALLY IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN THESE STORMS COME IN, AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU KNOW, DO I LITERALLY HAVE TO WALK OUR WHOLE 49 ACRES AFTER EVERY STORM, TAKE PICTURES AND SEND THEM TO YOU AND DOCUMENT ALL THE TREES THAT FELL IN THE STORM. THAT'S MY SECOND QUESTION. SO FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE A WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR A FARMLAND ASSESSMENT, SO YOU'RE EXEMPT FROM THE REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WE REVIEWED, SO YOU'RE REPLANTING PER YOUR YOUR PLAN AND YOUR FORESTRY PLAN AND YOU PROTECTING TREES BASED ON THAT PLAN AND THINNING AS NEEDED ? YEAH, SO YOU'RE EXEMPT FROM THE REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS. AS FOR THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION, I MEAN, I. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE YOU TO DOCUMENT THAT ON THAT KIND OF A BASIS IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WHERE WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS TREE CUTTING HAPPENING LIKE WHOLESALE ACROSS YOUR PROPERTY. THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD GET IN TOUCH. BUT I THINK TREES THAT ARE NATURALLY DYING IN THE WOODS, AND YOU ARE PROBABLY AN EXCEPTION TO MOST PROPERTY OWNERS IN TOWN. IF YOU HAVE 50 ACRES. UM I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD PUT THE BURDEN ON YOU TO DO TO WALK YOUR PROPERTY EVERY DAY FALLS AND NOBODY HEARS IT. IT DOESN'T MAKE A SOUND. I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO BRING. SOMEBODY HAD TO MAKE THAT JOKE TONIGHT. SO GOOD ON YOU. THANK YOU. YOU CAN COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM. SURE. HI. I'M FRANK DRIFT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ME. BUT LIVE IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP. 82 YEARS. I KNOW I DON'T LOOK IT, BUT I'VE LIVED HERE 82 YEARS. AND I'VE DONE A LOT FOR THIS TOWN. YOU KNOW? I. I FEEL BAD BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS ORDINANCE IN NOT ONE BIT. I'VE BEEN IN A LANDSCAPING BUSINESS. OR I'VE BEEN 56 YEARS. I DID ALL THE WORK FOR JOHNSON AND JOHNSON. AND GILMAN. THAT WAS KNOWN AS CAMP. YOU. ROUTE ONE. NINE. AND I'VE BEEN OVER AT THE CONFERENCE 1020 YEARS. NOW, SO I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. IF YOU TELL ME THE ONE TREE IS GONNA TAKE OF WATER. I, YOU KNOW. THE WATER IS RUN OFF. WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THESE NEW TREES? AND I'M LIKE I. I AGREE WITH THIS FELLA ON THE BACK. FOOT BARE ROOT TREES IN YOU CAN GET A BARE ROOT TREE TO THREE INCHES. THERE'S NO REASON THE PLANT BALD TREES. I CAN BUY THEM FOR $40 A PIECE. WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? I DON'T BELIEVE WES WINTER. HAS ADOPTED THIS ORDER YET. HAVE THEY I'M NOT SURE I BELIEVE SO. I WAS TOLD BY SOMEBODY YESTERDAY THAT THEY HAVE NOT. THEY'RE DISCUSSING IT. NOW. WELL, I SEE HERE IN MONTGOMERY. IS WE HAVE SO MANY ORDINANCES. IF YOU CAN DO ME A FAVOR MY BAG UP THERE. BRING IT UP HERE. WE HAVE SO MANY ORDINANCES. I WAS ON THE ZONING BOARD FOR HOW MANY TERMS 36 YEARS. SIX YEARS.I TONY BOARD EIGHT YEARS AGO. NO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN ADDED. BUT NONE OF THEM. NO, I WOULDN'T SAY NONE OF THEM. BUT A LOT OF THEM DON'T EVEN NOBODY CARES ABOUT I SEE THEM MAKING NEW ORDINANCES UP. WHERE WE HAVE ONE IN THAT BOOK. BECAUSE I WAS HERE AND I SEEN IT. I'VE SEEN THEM RIGHT THE ORDINANCE UP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. RUN OFF AND TAKE CARE.
THIS IS A PIECE OF PROPERTY. MONTGOMERY. YOUR PROPERTIES THAT YOU OWN.
BUT NO ONE TAKES CARE OF. SO WE TALK ABOUT FLOODING. THE FLOODING PROBLEM IS RIGHT THERE.
NO ONE TAKES CARE OF THE WOODLANDS. YOU KNOW, WOULD BE AROUND THE TREES AROUND THE STREAMS. TAKE CARE. SO WHAT HAPPENS IT BACKS UP. I LIVE ON SUNSET ROAD. FRANK FRANK, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO? WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO COME BACK? MAYBE AT THE END, THE THREE MINUTES IS UP, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GONNA
[00:50:05]
GIVE A ONE MINUTE WARNING SO THAT EVERYONE I DON'T WANNA DO THAT. I WANT TO FINISH UP WHAT I HAVE HERE. NO. I SEE THAT I LIVE THERE. WELL, SEE, I LIVED ON ROAD BREAK DOWN ALL THE PROPERTIES WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE WHERE MY PARENTS I LIVE IN A FARM THERE WHERE I'M AT NOW. I DID A RODEO FOR 25 YEARS. RAISED A MILLION $400,000. I GAVE EVERY PENNY AWAY. BUT ONE. IT UPSETS ME. BUT THE DEVELOPERS COME IN. AND THEY COME IN HERE TO TOWN. AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A NEW HOUSE NEW DEVELOPMENT BACK THERE. LET'S PUT A RETENTION BASIN. RIGHT? THEY PUT A RETENTION BASE. THEY DIVERT THE WATER. NOW THEY GO. NEXT DEVELOPMENT DIVERTS THE BORDER.WE NEVER HAD A FLOOD ON SUNSET ROAD. UNTIL THOSE TWO DEVELOPMENTS WERE BUILT. YOU PUT THE RETENTION BASIN IN AND YOU DIVERT THE WATER. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE FLOODS. LIKE THAT, RIGHT THERE. NOBODY TAKES CARE OF IT. YOU DON'T NEED THIS ORDINANCE. AND IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN ORDINANCE MAKE IT SIMPLE. THEY GOT A $50 ORDINANCE A PERMIT GO IN. ENGINEER GETS A PERMIT. FILL IT OUT. GIVE HIM THE $50 WALK OUT. DON'T MAKE PEOPLE WAIT BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF THE ZONING BOARD OR THE PLANNING BOARD, IT'S THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. YOU KNOW, SO I JUST DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE IN AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS. THAT'S MY OPINION.
RIGHT? 35 ADDISON AVENUE ON THE SAME LINE LIKE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING. ONE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO REMEMBER. WE NEED TO SIMPLIFY THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE SAYING 150 FOR 1 TO 10 COUNTRIES JUST MAKE IT $15 PER TREE SO THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER AND IT IS EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO REMEMBER AND ALSO FOR YOU TO ENFORCE. AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, HOW IS TOWNSHIP ENSURING THAT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE GONNA KNOW? BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE IN THE BACK. PEOPLE ARE GONNA DO A LOT OF THINGS. AND UM, HOW YOU GONNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO DO ALL THIS TAKE PERMIT, AND THEN ALSO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ENFORCE IT? WHAT A RE YOUR PLANS TO IF PEOPLE DON'T FOLLOW IT, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO ENFORCE WHATEVER YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF. BUT I CAN ADDRESS THE ENFORCEMENT AND TYPICALLY, UM I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORS USUALLY LET US KNOW WHEN SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE HAPPENS GOOD OR BAD. W, WE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GO ON EVERY PROPERTY. UM SO SOME OF THIS IS SELF SUPPORTING SELF. REPORTING SO WE THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN EVERY TREE IN THE TOWN. SO WE WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN. IF SOMEONE LETS US KNOW WE WE'LL SEE IT. BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO WALK EVERY PROPERTY. WE CAN'T DO THAT. SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN. RIGHT. WE WANNA WORK WITH PEOPLE TO JUST ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE. UM IN TERMS OF ENSURING HOW PROPERTY OWNERS WILL KNOW ABOUT THE ORDINANCE. WE HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THAT CAN HELP DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION IN OUR E BULLETINS. IF YOU'RE NOT SIGNED UP, PLEASE DO. UM AND VIA OUR TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER. SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, UH, THROUGH THE LIBRARY THROUGH INFORMATION POSTED IN THIS BUILDING IN ANY OTHER WAYS THAT WE THINK ABOUT, UM, ALSO PASSING IT ON TO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH THOSE FOLKS WERE ALSO INVITED TONIGHT BUT GIVING THEM MORE AND DETAILED INFORMATION AND REACHING OUT TO OUR OUR LANDSCAPING, COMMUNITY.
ARBORIST, LANDSCAPERS TREE CARE. AND MAKING SURE FOLKS ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE. THAT I, UH KEVIN CARRO, UM ONE ROAD, THEY'LL MEET MY RESIDENT FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW HERE UM, I HAVE A QUESTION IN THE COMMENT. UH, RIGHT, SO THESE ARE VERY EXCESSIVE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAYBE YOU GUYS SHOULD THINK ABOUT STARTING OFF AT A LOWER FEE RATE. I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS ORDINANCE, WHY DON'T WE START OFF LIKE FIVE BUCKS FOR A PERMIT? YOU KNOW, 100 AND $50 REALLY? UH THE PENALTY OR THE REPLACEMENT FEES ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCESSIVE. MAYBE WE CAN TRIM THAT DOWN, TOO. I THINK THAT, UH, PRETTY EXCESSIVE. I MEAN, WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH UH, EROSION OF WHAT? MY PRI PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS. UH, BUT MY, MY QUESTION IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE HIRING TO IMPLEMENT THIS ORDINANCE? UM, NO NEW EMPLOYEES. A RE BEING HIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE
[00:55:08]
ORDINANCES IS BEING HANDLED BY THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. I COULDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU BECAUSE I THOUGHT I DID HEAR THE TOWNSHIP IS NOT HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES TO IMPLEMENT THE ORDINANCE. IN MY COMPANY. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. I MEAN, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID KAY, SPEAKING INTO THE MICROPHONE. MAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S, UH, PART OF THEIR JOB NOW. DON'T HIRE MORE PEOPLE. THE LOWER THE FEES. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO DO. THANK YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 10. I'LL BE AS QUICK AS I CAN. UH, MY NAME IS PHILIP MILSTEIN AND I'VE LIVED IN MONTGOMERY WOODS FOR 24. ON 75. BUT I ADMIT AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS, UH, THE ISSUE OF TOWN MAINTENANCE OF TREES. UM I AM ALL FOR YOU KNOW WHAT IS ECOLOGICALLY SOUND, AND I'M VERY MUCH FOR WHAT IS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING. UM AND LIVING IN MONTGOMERY WOODS. I DRIVE ON RIVER ROAD VERY OFTEN. THEY DON'T MAKE BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATIONS STRONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO LOOK DEAD TREE. THAT HAS BEEN THERE THAT I HAD SENT LETTERS TO THE TOWN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES. THIS TREE EXTENDS FARTHER THAN TWO TELEPHONE POLES. THAT'S A BIG IT IS. I TOOK PICTURES OF IT JUST BEFORE I CAME HERE. UH, THERE ARE ALSO FOUR DEAD TREES UP THE ROAD, A PIECE THAT ARE ON A CLIFF. THAT ARE REPULSIVE LOOKING UM AND I'D LIKE EVERYONE , YOU KNOW. HOPEFULLY WE CAN ALL KEEP OUR PLACES AS NEAT AND ATTRACTIVE AND ECOLOGICALLY SOUND AS POSSIBLE. BUT I THINK THE TOWN NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. GET RID OF THOSE. UM, AND IF IT'S NOT THE TOWN'S RESPONSIBILITY, I'D LIKE THEM TO SOFT. THE COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I DIDN'T MOVE HERE TO LIVE IN AN UGLY PLACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PAM BOOTH. I LIVE IN 99 ADAMS DRIVE IN BELLE MEAD. AND I JUST LIKE TO, UH, INQUIRE ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED, SUCH AS THE FEE. UM WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE DOING THIS THEN I AGREE. UM WELL, THE OTHER THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET THE REST OF THE WORK DONE THAT THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO IF THEY'RE CHASING DOWN ALL THESE TREES, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THEIR YARDS AND DOING THIS KIND OF THING FOR DECADES ON AND WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WATER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT PRIOR TO, UM ENGAGING THIS, UH, ORDINANCE THAT WE BRING FRANK DRIFT AND A FEW PEOPLE IN LIKE HIM WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE AND CONSIDER SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE, RATHER THAN, UM, BURDENING PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY OVERTAXED WITH BY $100 150 DOLLAR FEE FOR TAKING AWAY THEIR DEAD TREE OR WHATEVER I MEAN IT TO CHARGE WHEN THE TREE IS OB OBVIOUSLY DEAD. OR NEEDS TO BE REMOVED OR HAS ALREADY FALLEN DOWN FEELS LIKE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY INSTEAD OF A BLESSING TO THIS COMMUNITY. UM, I ALSO WELL. I KNOW AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE AND IT REALLY FEELS AS THOUGH THERE OUGHT TO BE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH. LET'S PLANT A LOT OF TREES SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN USE THEM RATHER THAN PENALIZING THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR REMOVING THINGS FROM THEIR OWN PROPERTY THAT THEY WANT TO REMOVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO. MY NAME'S ED HEBNER. I LIVE AT 360 THE MARKS TERRACE. HERE IN MONTGOMERY, UH, BEEN HERE 30 YEARS. HAVE ABOUT AN ACRE AND A HALF OF WOODED LAND. UH I DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN OF THE STATE WITH EROSION. AND I SEE HOW TREES CAN HELP THAT. KEEP A CREEK BED FROM WIDENING AND DEEPENING AND THINGS JUST GETTING SWEPT AWAY. I DISAGREE WITH THE LOGIC THAT A TREE THAT THE BIG TREES THAT CAN ABSORB 10,000 GALLONS OF WATER DURING A YEAR. THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF 30 GALLONS DURING A DAY. HOW MUCH WILL THAT BE? ON A DAY WHEN IT'S NOT SUNNY WHEN THERE'S A STORM OR A HURRICANE? AND IS THAT AT ALL SIGNIFICANT TO REALLY STORM WATER CONTROL. I DON'T SEE THAT AT ALL THE LOGIC JUST JUST DEFIES ME. UH, ANYHOW, I AM. STEADFASTLY OPPOSED TO THE STATE. UH, MODEL ORDINANCE AND
[01:00:05]
IT IT'S TERRIBLE. I THINK THAT THE TOWNSHIPS BEING FORCED TO COMPLY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT THE STATE WANTS. UH I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. BUT IN MY VIEW ANYTHING IN THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE THAT IS ABOVE THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THE STATE REQUIRES IS JUST ADDING FUEL TO AN UNNECESSARY FIRE. UH, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE UM THAT THE HOMEOWNERS TREES, UH, LOOK LIKE A NAIL, AND WE NEED TO DRIVE A HAMMER INTO IT TO KEEP ALL AS MANY TREES AS WE CAN WHEN, IN FACT, MANY OF THE PROBLEMS ARE ACTUALLY THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. UH, PERHAPS THERE'S YOU KNOW, INCORRECT DRAINAGE BEING DONE? UH BUT IT'S AN ENORMOUS USURPING OF HOMEOWNER RIGHTS. TO DECLARE THAT SUDDENLY HOMEOWNER TREES THAT HOMEOWNERS HAVE LIVED WITH AND NURTURED FOR DECADES OR PLANTED THEMSELVES OR SUDDENLY. THE CONTROL IS TAKEN OVER BY THE TOWNSHIP. DEAD TREES. I UNDERSTAND WE CAN GET EXCEPTIONS TO THE PERMITS WITH WITH OUR CONTACTING THE TOWNSHIP AND PROVIDING PROOF, BUT LIVE TREES. WHY CAN I NOT TAKE DOWN A LIVE TREE? UH, AND REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER TREE OF MY CHOICE. I CAN TAKE ONE DOWN. I HAVE TO GET A PERMIT I HAVE TO SPEND. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT WILL COST TO BUY A TREE THAT'S TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER. AT WHATEVER IT IS SIX INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND. CAN'T BUY THEM AT HOME DEPOT. I'M SURE WE CAN'T GET THEM AT WAL MART. UH AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PLANT THEIR OWN TREES.AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING PROFESSIONAL COME BY. SO YOU WANNA TAKE DOWN A TREE? YOU'RE SUDDENLY BURDENED WITH PROBABLY WHAT IS $1000 JUST TO REPLACE THAT TREE SOMEWHERE ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY. WILL WE GET CREDIT FOR TREES WE'VE ALREADY PLANTED MAYBE WE PLANTED SEEDLINGS. I'VE PLANTED DOZENS OF TREES ON MY PROPERTY. UH DO I GET CREDIT FOR THAT? IF I TAKE ONE DOWN NOW I HAVE TO GET A PERMIT. I HAVE TO REPLACE IT. I. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. IT JUST SEEMS JUST HE WAS VERY WRONG. UH, ON A DETAIL IN THE PLAN. YOU SAY YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE TOWNSHIP. MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT. YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE ENGINEER FOR ANY TREE. WELL. IF YOU FOLLOW THAT RULE, EXACTLY, AND THIS IS RIDICULOUS EXAMPLE. I KNOW. BUT IN THE SPRING, THERE ARE A LOT OF SEEDLINGS COME UP IN THE LAWN. THE TOWNSHIP ACTUALLY ENFORCED THAT AUDIENCE, YOU COULD DRIVE SOMEBODY TO BANKRUPTCY FOR CUTTING THEIR LAWN ONE TIME. THERE HAS TO BE A DEFINITION OF WHAT DEFINES A TREE. IS THAT THIS TALL IS IT THIS TALL WHEN IT'S A QUARTER INCH WIDE, IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE. THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED.
THAT'S JUST PATENTLY RIDICULOUS. UH, WILL THERE BE? WILL THE ORDINANCE ITSELF ACTUALLY BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC? NOT JUST THE PRESENTATION, BUT THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, SO THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT BEFORE IT'S THE NIGHT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED, AND I DON'T SEE IT BEING INTRODUCED AND BEING DISAPPROVED BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE UNDER THE GUN BY THE STATE. I NEEDED TO BE STARTED BY MAY 1ST. SO WHAT CHOICE WILL THE WILL THE COMMITTEE HAVE AT THAT POINT? YES WE WILL BE POSTING THE DRAFT ORDINANCE ON THE WEBSITE IN THE SAME LOCATION. WHERE THE, UM THE PRESENTATION IS THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. UH, THAT FULL.
MOST OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I JUST FEEL IT'S A VERY UNNECESSARY USURPING. UH, MY RIGHTS AND OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMEOWNER RIGHTS. IT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM.
BARELY GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION. IF IT DOES IT ALL THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
WELL, MY BETTER HALF UM I'M JEAN HEBNER AND I SECOND EVERYTHING, HE SAID, BUT I ALSO TOOK MAJOR ISSUE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, RICHARD TO THE IDEA THAT NEIGHBORS ARE GOING TO RAT OUT NEIGHBORS AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO TO NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY POOR WAY TO THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ENFORCE AN ORDINANCE. UM, IF YOU CAN'T ENFORCE IT, DON'T MAKE IT. HOW MANY RULES DOES NEW JERSEY HAVE THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS THAT NOBODY PAYS ATTENTION. THINK OF SPEED LIMITS LIKE YOU PUT ALL THESE SPEED LIMITS OUT THERE IF YOU DON'T ENFORCE THEM, WHAT'S THE POINT? SO IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THIS, YOU NEED TO HAVE A WAY TO ENFORCE IT WITHOUT SAYING OH, YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE GONNA RAT YOU OUT. THAT SUCKS. LIKE NOT KIDDING. THAT'S NOT GOOD. UM TO SAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA HIRE ANYBODY NEW. I HAVE CALLED THIS TOWNSHIP ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION OVER THE 30 YEARS WE'VE LIVED HERE. PEOPLE ARE OVERWORKED HERE. THE ZONING DEPARTMENT DOESN'T GET BACK TO YOU. THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS A MILLION THINGS GOING ON. I HAVE THREE HOUSES DOWN THE END OF POSSUM ROAD THAT GOT TRASHED TWO YEARS AGO IN A HURRICANE.
[01:05:02]
THEY'RE NOT BOARDED UP. THE SHEDS ARE STILL UPSIDE DOWN ON THE ROOF. WHAT'S THE DEAL? LIKE CAUSE? NOBODY KNOWS NOBODY. NOBODY FOLLOWS THROUGH. THEY'RE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB THAT'S ALREADY THERE. SO AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU'RE JUST GONNA ADD MORE ON TO SOMEBODY'S PLATE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE VERY EFFECTIVE AT A DAY. YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO RESPONSIBLY MAKE THE ORDINANCE SO THAT IT IS ENFORCEABLE SO THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT IT'S NOT PUNITIVE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT DOES FEEL VERY PUNITIVE. AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER MY OWN YARD. I THINK THAT'S WRONG. THANKS. CHRIS NEWMAN. I LIVE ON SPRING HILL ROAD AND LIVED HERE FOR SINCE WE'RE TELLING EVERYBODY 24 YEARS. UM IN THAT TIME I HAVE LOST. I DON'T KNOW 100 TREES. AT LEAST THROUGH STORMS AND SADLY, FROM THE EMERALD ASH BORE AND IT JUST BREAKS MY HEART. WE WE'VE TAKEN DOWN A LOT OF DEAD TREES. UM NOT ALL OF THEM BECAUSE DEAD TREES DO HAVE A ROLE IN ECOLOGY, AND THEY MAY BE UGLY. BUT THE WOODPECKERS DON'T THINK SO. SO I THINK CAN'T TAKE EVERY DEAD TREE DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN THE WOODS. EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY LOOK ANYWAY, UM SINCE ALL THOSE TREES HAVE DIED, THE WATER JUST POURS OFF THE MOUNTAIN. I MEAN, I HAVE SO MANY GULLIES AND THE START OF CANYONS ON MY PROPERTY. THERE HAS BEEN NO DEVELOPMENT. ABOVE MY HOUSE. THERE'S BEEN NO NEW HOUSES PUT IN. THERE'S BEEN NO NEW ROADS PUT IN. THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED IS THAT THOSE TREES DIED. THAT'S IT. AND IT'S I HAVE VIDEOS OF THE GUSHING WHITE WATER COMING DOWN THAT MOUNTAIN AND IT'S BECAUSE THE TREES ARE GONE. AND I CAN'T POSSIBLY PLANT ENOUGH TREES TO REPLACE 100 HUGE. 100 YEAR OLD TREES, BUT I'M TRYING TO DO WHAT I CAN. AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON BEHIND THIS ORDINANCE BEING SO EXPENSIVE IS BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT IN YOUR I DON'T KNOW. $50,000 POOL. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH A POOL COSTS. UM MAYBE IN THAT TREE IS IN YOUR WAY. LET'S LOOK AT IT. YOU PUT IN A $50,000 POOL AND YOU'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN AN OAK TREE. MAYBE YOU'RE GONNA THINK TWICE ABOUT THAT AND MOVE THAT POOL SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO I THINK THE FEES A RE MADE TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK ABOUT DO I REALLY WANNA TAKE THAT TREE DOWN? I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE I COULD PUT MY NEW PATIO SOMEWHERE ELSE.THERE'S A LOT OF EXEMPTIONS FOR THINGS THAT ARE NEAR YOUR HOUSE. THINGS THAT ARE NEAR YOUR SEWERS. SO IT'S NOT THAT PUNITIVE. ALSO I KNOW YOU OWN YOUR PROPERTY AND GOVERNMENT NOT GONNA COME TAKE IT. BUT YOU'RE ONLY GONNA BE THERE FOR HOWEVER LONG YOU LIVE. THOSE TREES ARE GONNA OUTLIVE YOU. AND WHAT YOU DO NOW AFFECTS GENERATIONS TO COME. SO JUST BECAUSE YOUR PROPERTY DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GONNA BE YOUR PROPERTY IN 50 YEARS. IN FAVOR OF THE OR AND, YEAH, IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE AND THEN WE CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE AND SOMETHING ELSE. AND SOMETHING ELSE. UM, YEAH, I'M A FAVOURITE. THANK YOU.
HI, EVERYONE. I'M ANNA JOLI. I LIVE ON, UH, 37 CHERRY BROOK DRIVE, AND I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO. I THINK WHAT MARK SAID IS I HAVE ABOUT AN ACRE AND A HALF AND OUT OF IT. UM PROBABLY AN ACRE IS HEAVILY WOODED. SO I'VE BEEN IN MONTGOMERY FOR 21 YEARS AND I'VE TAKEN CARE OF PROBABLY 50 TO 75 TREES THAT I HAVE ON MY PROPERTY. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK. IS THERE ANY THOUGHT GIVEN TO GIVING SOME SORT OF PROVISION TO HOMEOWNERS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE A NATURAL HABITAT IN MY BACKYARD.
AND THERE ARE TREES GROWING EVERY DAY. YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY HAVE SEE TREES GROWING EVERY DAY . JUST LIKE A PICTURE THAT YOU SHOW OF NATURAL HABITAT. I DON'T HAVE TO GO AND PLANT THOSE TREES. I TAKE CARE OF THEM SO I AM PROPOSING THAT WE GIVE EXEMPTION TO HOMEOWNERS LIKE MYSELF. WHO YOU KNOW, ALREADY HAVE 50 TO 100 TREES ON MY PROPERTY. I'M TAKING CARE OF THEM AND THERE'S NATURAL HABITAT GROWING ALREADY. UM YOU KNOW, IF YOU TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO PLANT ONE MORE TREE, IN ADDITION TO THE TREES THAT I HAVE UM WHERE WOULD I PLANT IT? YOU KNOW THERE IS NATURAL HABITAT. I DON'T WANT TO DISTURB THE HABITAT SO THERE'S JUST 11 THOUGHT THE SECOND THOUGHT IS THAT I DO THINK THE FEES ARE EXCESSIVE. I'M ALL FOR THE TREES. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO MANY YEARS . UM AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY MAINTAINING THE TREES. I LOVE THE TREES. UH BUT I DO THINK THAT $150 FOR PERMIT APPLICATION REALLY? AND $500 TO YOU KNOW, TREE FUND IS KIND OF EXCESSIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. UH, FRANK DERBY. I
[01:10:11]
LIVE AT THE CORNER OF 518 AND 60 1.5 FOR ABOUT YOU GET CLOSER TO THE MIC LIKE THIS LIKE THIS. I DID WANT TO SAY TO YOU, UH, PROFESSIONALS WITH THE TOWNSHIP THAT I THOUGHT YOU HAD DONE A VERY NICE JOB HERE. OF CRAFTING SOME, UH UH, MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN WHAT OUR PEERS ARE DOING WHERE THEY ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT AND THEN THERE, OF COURSE, SOME PEERS THAT ARE CHOSEN TO GO EVEN MORE STRINGENTLY AND THAT I THINK THAT IN LIGHT OF THE MANDATE, UH, I. I UNDERSTAND THERE. THERE'S NO EXEMPTION FOR ANY TOWNSHIP HERE FROM THE OBLIGATIONS IMPOSED BY THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE. THAT'S RIGHT, ISN'T IT? CORRECT SO I MEAN, WE'RE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING NO MATTER WHAT WISHFUL THINKING. WE MIGHT HAVE. AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING AND IN COMPARISON TO OUR NEIGHBORS, WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS ROUGHLY THE SAME. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT AND IT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. I MEAN, WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE IF A TREE COMES DOWN, IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. UH, AND THAT'S THE BASIC PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? AND THAT IF SOMEONE CAN COME UP WITH, UH I GET THEM CONFUSED. WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT BEAR ROOTS OR BALLS, BUT IF WE CAN COME UP WITH CHEAPER BALL OR CHEAPER PAIR ROOTS, YOU CAN DO THAT AND AVOID THE LARGER FEES PAID INTO THE REPLACEMENT TREE FUND. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, IF I CAN COME UP WITH A 50 OR $100 REPLACEMENT TREE. THAT'S OF THE RIGHT CALIBER. I CAN GO AHEAD AND PLANT THAT MYSELF WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE THE $500 OR $1000 CONTRIBUTION TO THE REPLACEMENT TREE FUND. RIGHT YOU CAN, BUT WHAT THE FIRST GENTLEMAN OR SECOND GENTLEMAN WAS REFERRING TO ABOUT BEIRUT. A BEIRUT TREE IS VERY SMALL. IT WOULDN'T MEET THAT TWO INCH MINIMUM COUNT SO WE NEED WE NEED A MINIMUM CALIBER TO REPLACE WHAT'S BEING TAKEN OUT, AND THAT ALSO IS MANDATED BY WHAT THE STATE IS TELLING US, RIGHT, CORRECT, OK AND THEN. POINT I THINK, AND I'LL SIT DOWN AND YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. UH I MEAN, I'M RIGHT THAT WE ARE PLAYING CATCH UP HERE. THIS HAS BEEN MANDATED STATEWIDE BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING TREE COVER AND IT AND PERVIOUS SURFACES ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF PLANNING BOARDS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WHO WERE IN THIS AREA AND LET DEVELOPERS RUN AMOK. BEFORE 2008 WHEN WE PUT IN A TREE ORDINANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME.AND THAT WE ARE TRYING DESPERATELY TO CURE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT EXIST NOW WITH THIS ORDINANCE IS THAT CORRECT? SOME OF THAT WAS A AS A NON OBJECTIVE STATEMENT.
IT'S LOUD. YEAH. SO EXCUSE ME. HELLO? UM THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL AND COMMISSION FOR COMING UP WITH THIS IDEA. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. TO PLANT MORE TREES. I REALLY DO. I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE FOLKS HERE TONIGHT THAT REMARKED ABOUT THE FEES. I JUST THINK THAT THEY'RE EXCESSIVE AND PROHIBITIVE FOR SOME PROPERTY OWNERS. UM, I LOVE TREES. I DONATE TO THE HARBOR DADE FOUNDATION. THEY HAVE LOTS OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO PLANT TREES. UM, I'VE LIVED IN THE TOWNSHIP SINCE 2001 AND, UH, WE LIVE OVER ON RIVER ROAD. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA. BY THE WAY, CYNTHIA'S IN AC F BOSIN WE LIVE OVER BY THE CAUSEWAY AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE FLOODWAY. UM AND IN THE PAST 23 YEARS OR SO OUR PROPERTY HAS LOST ALMOST 100 TREES. PLANTING A TREE IS NOT AN EASY IT'S MAYBE EASY TO DIG THE HOLE AND PUT THE TREE IN, BUT YOU HAVE TO WATER IT CONTINUOUSLY TO GET IT TO TAKE ROOT. YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT A GALLON OR TWO OF WATER EVERY DAY. YOU HAVE TO COVER THE ROOTS SO THAT IT DOESN'T DRY OUT. IT'S NOT JUST PUT THE TREE IN THE GROUND AND IT GROWS. IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BRING MORE TREES INTO THE TOWNSHIP. TO ABSORB SOME OF THE WATER. BUT THE WATER ABSORPTION DOESN'T HAPPEN WHEN IT'S FLOODING. IT TAKES TIME FOR THE WATER TO SEEP DOWN AND FOR THE TREES TO FIND THEIR ROOT SYSTEM TO THEIR WAY TO ABSORB THE WATER. AND WHAT I'M REALLY WONDERING IS IF THE TOWNSHIP HAS GIVEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO PREVENT MORE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES FROM BEING PUT IN PLACE IN THE TOWNSHIP. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD REALLY ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE FLOODING THAT WE HAVE, UM
[01:15:04]
CAN TELL YOU NIGHTMARES ABOUT LIVING DOWN AT THAT CAUSEWAY, WHICH WE WON'T GO INTO NOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE FLOODING. UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE TOWNSHIP UH, CAN ADOPT THIS, PROVIDED YOU TWEAK SOME OF THE PROVISIONS IN AND ESPECIALLY FEES. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE HIRING NEW PEOPLE. BUT THAT DOESN'T EXCLUDE YOU FROM SEEKING CONSULTANTS. WHEN NEEDED. AND I WONDER ABOUT THOSE FEES. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF IT AS LONG AS THE FEES AREN'T AS CRAZY AS THEY THEY'RE PRETTY CRAZY FEES. $1000 2000 DOLLARS. UH, THAT'S THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS GREG KAGANOVICH. I UH, LIVE ON BRICKS DOWN THE ROAD IN BELLE MEADE. I HAVE WE HAVE LIVED IN THE TOWNSHIP FOR OVER 42 YEARS, NOT AS LONG AS MR DRIFT. BUT LONG ENOUGH TO SEE SOME CHANGES. WHEN WE MOVED IN THE CAUSEWAY WAS MAYBE FLOODING ONCE A YEAR. RIGHT NOW IT'S FLOODING ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. A T THE SA ME TIME FORESTED AREAS WERE REPLACED WITH NICE PLACES LIKE MONTGOMERY WOODS AND WORK A YORKSHIRE WOODS AND SHARBEL DEVELOPMENT FULL OF PAVEMENT AND ROOFS. AND WERE ALL THE WATER. THAT USED TO SOAK IN GOES, IT GOES INTO THE RIVER AND FLOODS. I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE. UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE WAS TRYING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. INTRODUCE SIMILAR ORDINANCE LAST FINALLY, IT WAS 27 YEARS AGO. WHEN THE TEXT OF THE ORDINANCE PROPOSED THEN WAS QUITE SIMILAR TO WHATEVER WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW. HOWEVER, I HAVE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS.ONE THING THAT THE ORDINANCE IS MISSING ITS REQUIREMENT OF PERPETUAL MAINTENANCE. IN PUBLIC PLACES. BY OWNERS OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS. AND BY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS. TWO YEARS. THIS IS WHAT REQUIRES AFTER THAT. THEY BASICALLY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT OR WHICH MEANS MOST OFTEN, THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. THE SECOND SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE THERE IS A PROVISION HERE THAT UP TO 30% OF THE MONEY IS COLLECTED. CAN GO FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. THAT'S WAY TOO HIGH. WE DON'T NEED MORE STUDIES AND MORE REVIEWS. WE NEED MORE TREES PLANTED. AND THE LAST COMMENT IS THE PERMIT FEE. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD BE A NEW REVENUE GENERATING STREAM. THERE SHOULD BE NO FEE. FOR THE PERMIT. WE HAVE WE HAVE THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATION AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THERE. I THINK THEY SHOULD HANDLE WHATEVER PAPERWORK IS REQUIREMENT. WITHOUT THE KEY. IT WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE. AND COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MIKE PESARO. I'M THE POLICY DIRECTOR FOR THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE WHERE HOPEFUL TOWNSHIP AND WE WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES, MONTGOMERY AND BETTER PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE DO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE AND DO THANK THE TOWNSHIP AS MANY HAVE MENTIONED.
THIS IS REQUIRED BY THE TOWN. THE STATE DEP IS REQUIRING THIS AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF REASONS FOR THAT. BUT DR NEWMAN MENTIONED EARLIER. YOU KNOW, TREES ARE COMING DOWN UPSTREAM.
UH, IN FLOODING HAS HAPPENED OVER THE 10 YEARS I'VE WORKED FOR THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE. WE GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. MY PROPERTY IS FLOATING WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WE HAD AN EXPERT ON STAFF WHO WOULD GO OUT AND TRY TO WORK THROUGH THIS WITH US. AND INVARIABLY ALMOST ALWAYS WHEN THAT PERSON WENT OUT TO LOOK AT THE FLOODING. TWO THINGS HAPPENED. EITHER. THAT PERSON HAD REMOVED A TREE. AND WHAT? THERE WAS NEVER ANY FLOODING.
[01:20:01]
WELL, YOU REMOVE THE BIG OAK AND NOW THERE'S FLOODING. OR THEIR NEIGHBOR DID IT. AND THEY HAD THE FLOODING. SO AS WE ALL KNOW, FLOODING IS GETTING WORSE. WE GOT ALMOST THREE INCHES THE OTHER DAY. IN MANY OF THE ROADS IN HOPEFUL TOWNSHIP WHERE I LIVE WERE CLOSED. I'M SURE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER. BY MAKING IT YET. STOPPING THE DEGRADATION.TREES PROVIDE A TON OF BENEFIT. NOT ONLY DO WE ABSORB STORM WATER, AND WE CAN ARGUE OVER WHETHER IT'S 10,000 GALLONS 5000 GALLONS OVER A YEAR, BUT IT DOES . IT ALSO SLOWS IT DOWN. HOW MANY OF US HAVE STOOD ON A TREE DURING A RAINSTORM? AND IT'S BEEN DRY. THE LEAVES INTERCEPT THE RING. A SLOW IT DOWN. FILTER OUT THE POLLUTANTS. THEY PROVIDE HABITAT. THEY ALSO SHADE OUR STRUCTURES. THEY SHADE OUR STREAMS, SO THE LIFE IN THE STREAM IS HEALTHIER AND CAN SURVIVE. YOU KNOW MANY TOWNS HAVE IT YOU YOU SAW UP EARLIER. A HOPEFUL TOWNSHIP AGAIN IS HEADED, I THINK SINCE AT LEAST 2012 2010 A TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. UH, ALL ALL THE TOWNS HAVE TO DO THAT. UM YOU KNOW, JACKSON HAS HAD IT, I THINK SINCE 2003 SO THESE THINGS HAVE EXISTED AND I, YOU KNOW MOST MOST OF THESE OR HAVE A DEFINITION OF WHAT A TREE IS SO TREES THAT ARE SAPLINGS? NO. NECESSARILY APPLY. WE'RE NOT PROTECTING SAPLINGS, NECESSARILY. I DON'T KNOW FROM THIS ORDINANCE, WHETHER THAT IS THE CASE, BUT THAT BY AND LARGE WHAT MOST ORDINANCES HAVE YOU HAVE THE EXCEPTIONS FOR HAZARDS AND DAMAGED AND DISEASED TREES? UM BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY WE HAVE A POLLUTION PROBLEM. WE HAVE A FLOODING PROBLEM. A RE WE GOING TO STEP UP? AND DO OUR PART TO HELP SOLVE IT. AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU ALL THE TREES IN THE WORLD IS GONNA STOP IDA FROM FLOODING OUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT THAT TWO YEAR STORM THAT 2.8 INCHES OR THREE INCHES THAT WE GOT ON SATURDAY COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE WITHOUT TREES. UM SO I DO SUPPORT IT. I DO. THANK YOU. WE ARE HERE. THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE IS HERE TO HELP AND EDUCATE AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND, YOU KNOW YEAH, I INFORMATION WHERE WE CAN. UH, SO AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. I'M LIZ PELEUS. I'VE BEEN STUDYING THE PROBLEM OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT NOW FOR MANY YEARS, AND NEW JERSEY HAS A REALLY BIG PROBLEM. NEW JERSEY IS A VERY WET STATE. IT HAS A FOR ITS SIZE. IT HAS ITS WETLANDS. IT HAS ITS PINE BARRENS. IT HAS ITS MANY RIVER SYSTEMS AND BECAUSE IT'S A NICE PLACE TO LIVE IN A CONVENIENT LOCATION BETWEEN MAJOR CITIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME TO NEW JERSEY. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BUILT HOUSES THAT WE HAVE OVER DEVELOPED. AND NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FLOODING. AND APPARENTLY, THERE IS NO CHOICE AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF A UH, PRE PLAN TO ORDINANCE BECAUSE THE STATE HAS DECIDED THAT THIS WILL TO SOME DEGREE HELP. THIS IS THE PROBLEM THE STATE CREATED YOU KNOW, AND, UH PANDERING TO DEVELOPERS. BUT SO WE NEED. WE NEED A TREE ORDINANCE. I HAVE SOME TROUBLE, THOUGH. WITH A LOT OF THE, UH USE OF TREES. IN IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A, UH BUT THEY. THE DIVISION BETWEEN TREES, WHICH ARE HUGE SHADE TREES AND TREES, WHICH ARE SIMPLY ORNAMENTAL AND NICE TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY USE A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF WATER. I THINK REPLACEMENT OF UH, THAT WOULD BE DONE THE REPLANTING WITH, UH, MONEY THAT COMES IN TO THE MUNICIPALITY BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA DO THIS THEMSELVES SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR SHRUBS. THEY SHOULD BE USED FOR TREATS BECAUSE TREES DRINK A LOT OF WATER THAN SHRUBS. ALSO AS A HOMEOWNER, AND I'VE BEEN GARDENING FOR THE 38 YEARS THAT WE'VE LIVED HERE. THIS IS MY PASSION IN LIFE. IT'S VERY HARD TO BUY TREES. IT'S YOU HAVE TO FIND A NURSERY OR SOMEPLACE TO GET THEM. THEY'RE NOT MANY OF THEM. THEY HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED. THEY HAVE TO BE CARED FOR. IT'S NOT AN EASY PROBLEM TO SOLVE. AND I THINK THE ORDINANCE WELL, IT YOU KNOW THEY HAVE TO PRODUCE WE HAVE TO PRODUCE SOMETHING WHICH MEETS THE STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT I REALLY THINK. THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL MORE THOUGHT AS TO HOW TO AND GET THE BEST. BORDER ABSORPTION FROM THE
[01:25:10]
TREES THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN AND, UH SO I THINK THIS SHOULDN'T BE RUSHED THROUGH. I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE SHOULD GET TOGETHER. AND COME UP WITH SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE FLOODING IS NOW AN AMAZING. YOU KNOW, DISCOVERY WAS WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE 38 YEARS IT TOOK A HURRICANE TO SPREAD THE ROAD. NOW IT TAKES TWO INCHES OF RAIN. AND EVERYBODY IS A DANGER BECAUSE WHEN YOU CAN'T USE YOUR WORDS YOU CAN GET HELP. IT'S A PROBLEM AND WE HAVE TO FIX I NEW JERSEY, BUT IT'S NOT A SIMPLE FIX, AND IT REALLY NEEDS MORE THOUGHT. THANK YOU. HELLO MY NA ME IS KATIE ZAN. I LIVE AT 70 HARVARD CIRCLE. I AM HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE WOODS EDGE. HO A, UM, ONE OF THE ROLES THAT I TAKE AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE HO A IS TO MANAGE REQUESTS BY HOMEOWNERS TO REMOVE DEAD OR DYING TREES FROM HO, A COMMON SPACE AND THE HO A IS A RULE. WE DO NOT GROOM OUR COMMON SPACE WOODS. WE DO NOT, UM, MOVE TREES THAT HAVE ALREADY FALLEN FROM STORMS OR SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY FELL. UM, BUT WE DO. REMOVE TREES. UM THAT POSE A RISK TO HOME OWNER PROPERTY. SO MY QUESTION IS GIVEN THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NEARLY 100 AND 50 HOMES. UM AND I GET REQUESTS MONTHLY FROM DIFFERENT HOMEOWNERS. WHEN I PUT IN A PERMIT THIS NEW PERMIT SYSTEM TO HAVE A TREE REMOVED. IS IT FOR EVERY HOME? SHOULD I BUNDLE THEM? WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME WITH HAVING SOMEONE COME OUT IF I HAVE SIX HOMEOWNERS WHO HAVE A DEAD TREE THAT IS LEANING OR POSES A RISK TO THEIR THEIR PROPERTY. UM HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE FROM THE TOWNSHIP TO COME OUT? REVIEW MY ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN HAVE SO I COULD HAVE THESE TREES REMOVED. UM I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS. I'M A VOLUNTEER. SO UM, TO HAVE THIS NOW, AS AN ADDED WORKLOAD ONTO MY ALREADY FREE WORK. LOAD UM, SEEMS TO BE A LOT AND I KNOW HOAS HAVE A REALLY BAD REPUTATION, BUT I TRY TO DO AS BEST AS I CAN WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS MAINTAINED AND THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LOOKS GOOD. ANOTHER QUESTION IS THE PARKS AND THE PARKING AROUND PARKS. I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THE WOODS EDGE PARK AND I CAN TELL YOU IN THE SINCE EVERYONE'S SAYING HOW LONG WE'VE LIVED HERE IN THE 16 YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED IN MY HOME, UM NEARLY ALL OF THE TREES AROUND THE PARK HAVE FALLEN AND HAVE DIED. SO IS THE TOWNSHIP, THEN GOING TO REPLACE SOME OF THESE TREES IN AND AROUND THE PARKING LOTS? UM I THINK THERE ARE 10 SPOTS IN THE WOODS EDGE PARKING LOT SO CLEARLY, NEW TREES NEED TO BE PLANTED. UM AND YEAH, I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION IS HOW MANY PERMITS DO I HAVE TO APPLY FOR IF I'VE GOT SIX HOMEOWNERS THAT WANT TO HAVE TREES REMOVED? FROM MY HO A COMMON SPACE. IF ALL THE TREES ARE ON THE HO A COMMON SPACE, I WOULD THINK YOU COULD BUNDLE THEM ALL TOGETHER, AND IT WOULD HELP US TO REVIEW IT FASTER FOR YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL COMING OFF OF ONE KIND OF LARGER PROPERTY. ONE LARGER AREA BUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, OK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE EASIEST WAY FOR US TO DO IT AND WOULD EXPEDITE THE REVIEW. OK? HOW LONG IS THIS REVIEW? BECAUSE I KNOW I'M GONNA GET PEPPERED WITH QUESTIONS. AS SOON AS THIS GOES INTO EFFECT. WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE VOLUME OF REQUESTS WE'RE GONNA GET IS SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THAT REVIEW IS, BUT CERTAINLY IF IT'S KIND OF A UH, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TREE OR DEAD TREE. WE WOULD TRY TO EXPEDITE THOSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YEAH. MY SUGGESTION TO MOVE THAT THROUGH QUICKER. UM USUALLY THE PERMANENT APPLICATIONS. UH, WHEN THIS GOES LIVE, IT'LL GO ON. GO ONLINE, IT'LL BE AN ONLINE FORM.THESE TYPICALLY GO TO THE EMAILS OF SEVERAL STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT. UM POSTDEMIC I'VE JUST BEEN NOTICING LIKE WE GET A LARGE INFLUX OF E EMAILS. UH, PEOPLE AREN'T CALLING AS MUCH IF YOU WANT TO GET OUR ATTENTION QUICKER. MY SUGGESTION IS CALL. CALL OUR OFFICE. AND THAT'LL TYPICALLY GET A QUICKER RESPONSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CHRIS CONNERY. I LIVE OVER ON WINDSOR ROAD. UH, I TOLD MY WIFE I WASN'T GONNA SPEAK TONIGHT. BUT AND ACTUALLY, THIS ORDINANCE DOESN'T IMPACT MY HOUSE OR MY YARD BECAUSE I AM ALL VERY SMALL TREES. IT'S A NEW
[01:30:05]
DEVELOPMENT. BUT ONE THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYES AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS AND AS READING THROUGH AGAIN ARE THE FEES. NOW I KNOW THE ORDINANCE OR THIS IS MANDATED. BY THE STATE. BUT WHAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE FEES? THAT WERE PUT INTO THIS DOCUMENT. WALK INTO THIS PRESENTATION. IS THAT MANDATED BY THE STATE. DOWN TO US TO THE TOWNSHIP THAT WE HAVE TO PUT FEES. IN HERE OR I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE SOURCE OF THE FEES AGAIN. THEY ARE VERY HIGH. 500 TO 2000. SO COULD YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SOURCE OR WERE? THOSE NUMBERS CAME FROM? SURE WE LOOKED A PREVIOUS YEARS OF, UH, HISTORY BASICALLY FOR THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE, AND THEY ARE PURCHASING THE SIZE OF THE TREE THAT WE'RE SPECIFYING IN THE ORDINANCE. SO WE LOOKED A T WHAT THEY'VE BEEN PAYING TO PURCHASE AND PLANT THOSE TREES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND IT'S ROUGHLY $500 TO PROCURE THE TREE AND GET IT PLANTED. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE, AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT IN THE SMALLER PRINT, THE TOWNSHIP JUST GOT A NEW QUOTE THIS THIS MONTH FOR SOME TREE PLANTING FOR THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE AND ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS QUOTED $583. AND ANOTHER QUOTED 675. I THINK IT IS PER TREE. SO THE $500 PER TREE WAS BASED ON THOSE PREVIOUS YEARS, QUOTES. THE REPLACEMENT FEES ARE YES TO BE ESTABLISHED BY EACH MUNICIPALITY. YES.CORRECT. OKAY? AND THE OTHER THING AGAIN, THE PERMIT FEES AND ALL THAT STUFF AGAIN. NOT THAT I HAVE A TREE TO WORRY ABOUT. REPLACING BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO HAVE LIKE A DEAD TREE ON YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU DECIDE NOT TO TAKE IT DOWN? AND IT'S NOT IMPACTED ANYTHING. A RE WE GONNA BE REQUIRED TO TAKE DOWN DEAD TREES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO. OKAY. THAT'S THE HOMEOWNER'S DECISION. PROPERTY OWNER'S DECISION AND THE OR AND THE TIMING OF THIS AGAIN IS IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A DONE DEAL. EVERYTHING'S IT IT GETS APPROVED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. IT'S UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH, AND THAT'S TO MEET THAT STATE DEADLINE OF MAY 1ST TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE. OK, AND IF IT'S UP TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. THEN THESE FOLKS HERE COULD VOTE ON IT. OK, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU.
HI BRIAN HAMILTON. UM I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I I'D WATCHED THE, UH HEARING OF THIS BACK IN DECEMBER AND UH, THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT YOU'RE REQUIRING TO REPLACE UM, BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE TREES, HAS GONE DOWN FROM THAT INITIAL PRESENTATION BACK IN DECEMBER, AND I THINK PART OF THE CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME WAS, YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF REMOVING A 3030 INCH TREE COMPARED TO LIKE, UH, UH, SIX INCH TREE OR OR SLIGHTLY LESS. I GUESS WE'RE DOING A TWO INCH TREE. UM, HOW MUCH WOULD THAT HOW MANY OF THOSE WOULD IT TAKE TO REPLACE THAT 30 INCH TREE? SO I DON'T THINK THERE WAS EVER A AN ANSWER IN THAT, BUT I DID GO AND LIKE, LOOK AT SOME LITERATURE, AND IT SEEMED TO ME FROM WHAT I CAN SEE IN LIKE THE USDA. UM, DOCUMENTS THAT OR, LIKE AN OAK OR A PINE LIKE A 30 INCH PINE YOU'D NEED ABOUT, UH, 12 6 INCH PINES TO REPLACE A 30 INCH PINE OR MAPLE TREE, SO TO ME I ACTUALLY LIKE THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FOR THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE. IF YOU TOOK TREES DOWN. I THINK THIS KIND OF IS A LITTLE BIT WATERED DOWN. I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK TO UH, WHAT YOU'D ORIGINALLY PROPOSED, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE BASED ON OR WHY YOU YOU DECIDED TO REDUCE THESE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK TO WHAT YOU PROPOSE IN DECEMBER AND ADDITION. I THINK YOU'D ALSO PROPOSE MORE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPERS AND SHADE TREES, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE COME DOWN FROM DECEMBER AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THAT NUMBER HAS COME DOWN FOR, UH TREES THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE TO, UM UH, TO ADD YOU MEAN THE 20 TREES PER I THINK THAT'S REMAINED UNCHANGED. I THOUGHT IT WAS WENT DOWN TO LIKE 14 OR SOMETHING FROM IT'S.
CURRENTLY THE PROPOSAL IS FOR 20. SO YOU DIDN'T READ YOUR SIDE . SO WHAT YOU PROPOSE IN DECEMBER STAYED. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE SAME AS THE DECEMBER PRESENTATION. I'M NOT 100% SURE WHAT YOU HAD IN HERE BECAUSE IT WAS LESS. BUT THAT DIDN'T ACTUALLY REDUCE OK. AND I'M JUST
[01:35:05]
CURIOUS LIKE IN REDUCING THE NUMBERS FOR THE REPLACEMENT TREES. WHY DID YOU COME DOWN FROM WHAT YOU WERE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN DECEMBER? BECAUSE I KNOW THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN.YOU KNOW HOW MANY TREES DO YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY PLACE THESE BIGGER TREES? AND FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, YOU KNOW? YOU NEED MORE YOU NEED WHAT YOU PROPOSED BACK IN THE SUMMER TO REALLY LIKE ACCOUNT FOR THIS SO WELL. HOW DO HOW DO THOSE NUMBERS COME COME DOWN. THE NUMBERS CHANGE, BASED ON SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOVERNING BODY WITH OUR DIFFERENT, UM, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS, BASED ON SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK THAT WE WERE HEARING, SO THE NUMBERS WERE, UH, CHANGED FROM THAT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT HIGHER, BUT I'M DEFINITELY UH, OF THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS ALICIA SCHWARTZ. I LIVE ON HARVARD CIRCLE ALSO. UM, I HAD A REALLY JUST SORT OF WANTED TO FOLLOW UP A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT, UH, KATE SAID, UM, I LIVE IN A DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S 29 YEARS OLD. UM THE TREES ON THE CURB, ARE, UH, PROPERTY OF THE TOWNSHIP. WE HAVE A PARK IN THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PROPERTY OF THE TOWNSHIP. UM MANY OF THOSE TREES HAVE COME DOWN WITH THE STORMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST 29 YEARS. UM PERIODICALLY.
UH PUBLIC WORKS COMES BY TAKES A TREE DOWN LEAVES THE STUMP. ON THE CURB IN THE IN THE, UM AREA NEXT TO THE CURB. MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE. THEY DON'T REPLACE THEM. THEY DON'T MAKE IT EASY FOR ANYBODY ELSE TO REPLACE THEM . WE'VE LOOKED INTO HOW WE COULD TRY TO PAY, BUT IT'S PROHIBITIVE TO HAVE TO PULL THAT STUMP OUT AND PUT OUR OWN TREE AND PLUS, THERE'S NO GUIDANCE WHATSOEVER FROM THE TOWNSHIP AND ITS TOWNSHIP PROPERTY. SO I MEAN, I APPLAUD THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE ABOUT RUNOFF AND WHATEVER, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF ITS OWN PROPERTY, PLANT TREES AND DO WHAT IT SHOULD BE DOING TO MAINTAIN. I THE TREES IN THERE, NOT JUST THE PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THE DEVELOPERS DO MORE. UM AS I UNDERSTAND FROM A CONVERSATION. I JUST HAD ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WON'T HAVE TO APPLY TO RESPOND TO THE NEW ORDINANCE. THEY'RE THEY'RE GONNA BE GRANDFATHERED IN. I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT ON 206 AND ALL THE TREES THAT CAME DOWN WITH THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. I GUESS THEY'RE BACK. THEY ONLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT 20 PARKING SPOTS TO TREE VERSUS THE NEW ONE. SO THAT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THEY GET TO HAVE TO COMPLY TO THIS, UM BUT I DO THINK THE TOWNSHIP HAS A RESPONSIBILITY HERE, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM STEP UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EVERYONE UH, MY NAME IS KEN HUANG. THE CARRIERS TRAIL. UH, I'VE GOT A QUESTION BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I DO. UM SO MY INTERPRETATION I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDE OF THE TREE REMOVAL REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE COMPARED THE STATE MODEL. TO THE MONTGOMERY MODEL. UH, IS MY INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE STATE MODEL IF WE WERE TO GO TO THAT IF SOMEONE WAS TO CUT DOWN A TREE. THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A TREE. THERE IS NO OPTION. TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. IS THAT CORRECT. WE HAVE TO ADOPT SOMETHING THAT REGULATES REMOVAL OF TREES AND REQUIRES REPLANTING. OK, BECAUSE SO THEN MY INTERPRETATION, THEN OF THE MONTGOMERY OPTIONS THAT WE'RE GIVING A RESIDENT THE CHOICE. EITHER REPLACE THE TREE. OR CONTRIBUTE TO, I GUESS THE TREATMENT IS THAT CORRECT. OK, SO YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE WAY I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT WE'VE GIVEN A CHOICE TO THE I KNOW THE FEES ARE QUESTIONABLE, AND THAT'S A SUBJECT FOR DEBATE. AND GENERALLY, I THINK I THINK IT RATIONALLY MAKES SENSE RIGHT? BECAUSE ROUGHLY $500 TO PLANT A TREE. YOU KNOW, TWO TREES WILL COST YOU $1000 WHETHER YOU PLANT IT YOURSELF OR YOU PAINT IT. IT'S EQUIVALENT ROUGHLY. UP INFLATION AND ALL THAT GREAT STUFF. UM BUT WE'VE GIVEN THE RESIDENT A CHOICE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE OF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE FEE SIDE. UM WHAT I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STATE WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO PLANT THE TREE. WHEREAS WE'RE SAYING TO THE RESIDENTS IT'S YOUR CHOICE. YOU CAN PLANT A TREE. OR YOU CAN PAY THE FEE TO THE FREE BANK. SO CORRECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE AND SAID THAT THEY LOVE TREES AND, UH, NOBODY SEEMS TO LOVE FLOODING. AND UM, I YOU KNOW, I
[01:40:03]
AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MORE TREES. I. I REALLY LOVE TREES, TOO. UM I THINK IT'S WRONG TO SAY THAT DETENTION BASINS CAUSE FLOODING. I UM, USED TO BE A, UH, CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEER AND I NEVER THOUGHT THAT DETENTION BASINS SOLVED A LOT OF PROBLEMS. THEY MOVE THE PROBLEM SOMETIMES, UM, THAT, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE STREETS AND IN THE BASEMENT AND, UH, UM UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING THEY CO THEY ACCOMPLISH. UM, BUT UM I. I AGREE WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE LESS IMPERVIOUS COVER. UM THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, BUT A LOT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER IS BEING USED FOR SIDEWALKS FOR STREETS THAT WE ALL DRIVE ON FOR. THE ROOFS OF OUR BUILDINGS, AND, UM UM, OUR PATIOS. OUR SWIMMING POOLS ARE, UM YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OUR DRIVEWAYS THERE'S A LOT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER AND DRIVEWAYS. BUT BEFORE EVERYBODY GOES HOME, I WANNA TELL YOU THAT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE SHOULD BE DOING TO REDUCE FLOODING AND THAT IS WE CAN TEAR UP OUR LAWNS . UM 85% OF THE WATER THAT FALLS ON OUR LAWNS RUNS OFF. AND THAT'S NOT TRUE OF FORESTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S NOT TRUE OF, UM, MEADOWS AND PRAIRIES. NOT THAT WE HAVE PRAIRIES IN NEW JERSEY. BUT MEADOWS AND GRASSLANDS WE DO HAVE GRASSLANDS IN NEW JERSEY.AND UM IF PEOPLE WOULD A LITTLE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR LAWN, AND, UM PLANT, NATIVE GRASSES AND WILDFLOWERS THERE AND NOT MOW THEM, OR MAYBE MOW THEM ONCE A YEAR, SO THEY DON'T GET FULL OF WOODY INVASIVES. AND IF THAT WORKED THE FIRST TIME YOU DID THAT TO ANOTHER PATCH AND ANOTHER PATCH. ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS PUT, UM NATIVE GROUND COVERS UNDER YOUR TREES. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TREES, YOU COULD PLANT TREES AND PUT NATIVE GROUND COVERS UNDERNEATH THEM.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT NATIVE GROUND COVERS TO USE. ASK ME, UM , ASK THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE AND, UM YOUR EMAIL OR PHONE CALL WILL GET TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF NAMES RIGHT NOW, UM, LIRE LEAF SAGE AND GOLDEN RAGWORT. UM JUST SAYING, AND, UH, THOSE ARE EASY AND THEY THEY SPREAD BY THEMSELVES, AND, UM A ANOTHER REASON THAT FORESTS ARE SO GREAT AT SOAKING UP WATER.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE TREES, IT'S ALSO LONG TIME AGO. I HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE. A LONG TIME AGO, THERE WERE TREES THERE AND SOME OF THEM. DIED AND JUST, YOU KNOW , CRUMBLED LIKE THE ASHTRAYS DO, BUT SOME OF THEM FELL OVER AND UPROOTED AND THERE, UM, WHEN THE TREE ROTTED THERE WAS A HOLE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A MOUND WITH THE SOIL THAT STAYED IN THE TREE ROOTS WHEN IT UPROOTED AND THEY CALL THAT PIT AND MOUND TOPOGRAPHY AND VIRGIN FORESTS WERE ABSOLUTELY FULL OF THAT, AND THAT'S A LITTLE LIKE A RAIN GARDEN. AND UM, EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS IN OUR WOODS, MY HUSBAND SAYS, OH, GOD, ALL THAT FILL THAT IN. SOMEBODY WILL TRIP ON THAT WE GET SUED, AND BUT WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP IT BECAUSE IT FILLS WITH WATER WHEN IT RAINS, AND IT IT IT. IT UH, GRADUALLY, UH, SOAKS IN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. AND GRADUALLY MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH THE GROUND TO THE STREAMS. SO ANYWAY, LESS LAWN IS GONNA HELP, TOO. AND, UM, ANYWAY MORE TREES HELP.
GOOD EVENING. BILL FORBES GREEKTOWN ROAD. UM I JUST WANNA SAY I SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE, HOWEVER, IT IS ULTIMATELY PRESENTED AND REFINED. UH AS A HOMEOWNER AND OWNER OF A COUPLE OF CHAINSAWS, AND I KNOW HOW TO START THEM. UH, WHEN I START ONE UP, IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A DEAD TREE THAT I'VE GOT TO TAKE DOWN. UH, I HAD TO TAKE DOWN TWO ASH TREES LAST YEAR. UH IN THE PAST, I'VE HAD TREES COME DOWN BECAUSE OF STORM DAMAGE. UM AND THEY WERE ALL CUT UP AND DISPOSED. UM SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH TAKING DOWN
[01:45:02]
DEAD TREES. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH TAKING DOWN LIVE TREES. AND I CAN'T IMAGINE. JUST GOING OUT AND CUTTING DOWN A LIVE TREE. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. SO TO TAKE ONE DOWN AND REPLACE IT. FOR WHATEVER REASON I HAVE AN OAK TREE. THAT'S STRUGGLING WITH THE CURRENT DISEASE. UH, IT MAY HAVE TO COME DOWN. I HAVE THREE OTHER OAK TREES THAT ARE VERY LARGE THAT ONE'S ON SORT OF ON THE NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY AND TO ON OUR, UH I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO CUT THOSE DOWN. BUT I MAY HAVE TO AND I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN LEAVE A DEAD TREE IN PLACE. UH, I MIGHT DO THAT WITH THE ONE PIN OAK. UH BECAUSE THERE'S IT KIND OF BUTTS UP TO ANOTHER TREE. SO UH, ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I SUPPORTED IT. UM, I UNDERSTAND. THAT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE PLANTED UH, ARE EXEMPT AS WELL AS ANYTHING THAT'S DEAD. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.I MARY ANNE COUCH FROM BERKELEY AVENUE. UM SOMEONE ASKED FOR AN EXAMPLE. FOR THE TOWNSHIP, NOT CARING FOR TREES. I'VE WORKED WITH ARBOR DAY TREES AND I PLANTED AS MANY AS I COULD FOR OUR OUR LAWN AND ALSO WITH THE CUB SCOUTS ON DEAD TREE RUN ROAD . IRONICALLY UM, WITH WITH A LOT OF HELP, I THEY HAD THEY HAD PROTECTED THE BRANCH. THEY PROTECTED THE, UM NETTING AROUND THE TREE ITSELF, AND I TOOK AS MANY TIMES AS I COULD GALLONS OF WATER TO WATER THOSE TREES UNTIL HE HAD TO GO ON VACATION. AND WHEN I CAME BACK, YOU KNOW THEY WEREN'T THEY WEREN'T THERE ANYMORE. I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY SAD, BUT THESE GUYS HAD SPENT TIME AND EFFORT TO PUT THOSE TREES IN AND THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT. UM THERE ARE TOO MANY TREES. IF YOU SAY TAKE OUT ONE TREE AND PLANT TWO, TOO MANY TREES TOGETHER DON'T DO WELL, THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE. YOU DO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SPACING AND I. I WHO THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO REMOVE DEAD TREES, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT, UM THE STUMPS MAKE IT EVEN MORE SO. SO TO TRY AND EVEN USE THAT SPACE. YOU HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT. SO WHEN I WE'RE MOVING A DEAD TREE AND THEN I WANNA PUT MONEY INTO PUTTING A NUTRIENT. JUST BE AWARE THAT IT IT I AS A HOMEOWNER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DO AND I, 100 AND 50 FOR A SILLY PERMIT. IT. IT JUST IT GETS PROHIBITIVE. AND I, UM WOULD LIKE I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST. OH, THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT THERE WAS ONE MORNING WE WENT OUT AND TURNED THE CORNER. AND WHERE THE CVS IMP PLIABLE ARE THERE WERE TREES THAT ARE NO LONGER THERE, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF TREES THAT THAT ARE DONE. THAT KIND OF THING IS REALLY DEVASTATING. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THOSE GIANT SPACES WHERE TREES ARE GONE. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOU DO NO MORE THAN THE STATE MANDATE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE TO PUT A YOU TH THEY CALIBER TREES, THEIR NUMBER OF TREES AND IF YOU HAVE TO PUT SOME KIND OF DISINCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE DON'T DON'T GO SO THAT PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN REPLACE THE TREES THAT THEY WANT TO REPLACE AND TRY TO REPLACE AND TO PUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AWAY. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU AND GET TO THE POINT. THANK YOU.
AN EXTRA THREE MINUTES. WHAT I WANT TO SAY HERE IS LOOK YOU HAVE AN ORDINANCE. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. BUT THIS IS A DRAFT. I GOT THIS DRAFT FROM LAURIE. I WENT HOME. NO, I'M NOT A FAST READER. SO IT TOOK ME ALL DAY ALL AFTERNOON. AND I HAD THIS AND I SAID, THIS DOESN'T EVEN THIS. THIS IS A LOT OF STUFF IN HERE. THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR ABOUT. BUT WHY DON'T WE STICK TO WE WANT THE STATE WILL SAY, LISTEN YOU CAN DO INCH AND A HALF CALIBER TREES. RIGHT? SO IF YOU DO INCH AND A HALF CALIBRE TREES, YOU DEFINITELY CAN DO ALL BEAR ROOT IF YOU WANT, WHICH GET PLANTED IN THE FALL. YOU KNOW, IT SAYS HERE. OR FOUR MORE IT SAYS FOUR
[01:50:01]
TREES. WELL, THE MINIMUM CALIBER OF 1.5 INCH SO IF YOU TAKE IT TO 33 INCH TREE DOWN YOU NEED TO PLANT FOUR TREES WITH A MINIMUM CALIBER OF INCH AND A HALF. SO WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THE 2.5 INCH? YOU DON'T HAVE A YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU GET THE INCH AND A HALF TO GROW. WHY DO YOU WANT TO PUT THE 2.5 IN BECAUSE IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP I'M GONNA BRING UP ELTON DRIVE. I DRIVE. WHICH I CAME TO THE COMMITTEE AND I SAID, LISTEN. DON'T PLANT THOSE TREES IN BETWEEN THE SIDEWALKS AND A CURB. THEY'RE NOT GONNA LIVE THERE AND YOU GONNA TEAR THE SIDEWALKS UP. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. OK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I GO THERE NOW. ALMOST ALL THE SPOTS WHERE THE TREES WERE PLANTED. THE SIDEWALKS ARE ALMOST ALL REPLACED. IF NOT THE TREES THAT ARE STILL LIVING ARE PUSHING UP THE SIDEWALKS. THEN LET'S GO TO GRANDVIEW ROAD. WHEN J AND J CAME THERE. THEY GAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY TO PLANT TREES BECAUSE HE REQUIRED ALL THESE TREES. THE TOWNSHIP PLANTED THESE TREES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF GRAND VIEW ROAD ON THE NORTH SIDE. I SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF THESE TREES? THEY'RE ALL GOING TO DIE. NO. NO SHADE TREE COMMITTEE SAID. WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THEM. 95% OF THE TREES ARE DEAD TODAY. SO WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF ALL THESE CRAZY PEOPLE WANT TO PUT IN YOU KNOW? AND I THINK THE PERMIT IT SAYS HERE THE STATE YOU DON'T HAVE TO REQUIRE TO HAVE A PERMIT FEE. THAT'S UP TO YOU. SO I THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY THINK ABOUT NO IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PERMIT FEE, A $10 FEE LIKE SOMEBODY SUGGESTED. YOU KNOW? ON THE SPOT . I COME IN. I FILL OUT MY PAPERWORK. I WALK OUT WITH A PERMIT. WHEN I'M DONE. CALL A TOWNSHIP IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT. COME CHECK IT OUT. IFI REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. THEY SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM. THAT'S ALL I SAY. WELL I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO, BUT I REMEMBER ONE THING. NEEDED THE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. I STARTED THAT COMMITTEE. IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. WHEN WE WANT A FIREWORKS. I STARTED. THAT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. TOWNSHIP DOES NOT ALL ALL THE ANSWERS.MY NAME'S REED CHAPMAN. I LIVE ON ZION WSF ROAD. UP ON THE MOUNTAIN AND, UM CHOSE TO LIVE THERE. UH, LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE TREES AND THEN AND THE RURAL LIFESTYLE. UM UH, I CHOSE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE OPEN SPACE AND THE FRIENDS OF OPEN SPACE AND THE SHADE TREE COMMITTEE AND THE ARBOR DAY. UH, ALL OF THAT, UM BECAUSE, UM OF ITS IMPORTANCE TO ME AND TO THE COMMUNITY. UM SO I SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. AND, UM AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, UH UH, IT'S NOT GONNA COST ME THE TAKE DOWN THE DEAD TREES THAT I HAVE TO REMOVED FROM MY PROPERTY. I HAVE I HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. UM IN TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE NUMBER OF DEAD ASH TREES ON MY 2.5 ACRES. I AM A LANDLORD. AND, UH, MY TENANTS. WORRIED ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT AS WELL. UM AND THE PROBLEMS ARE GO. ON THE TREES THEMSELVES, BUT THAT DEALING WITH THE NEIGHBORS ONE IN PARTICULAR. JUST DON'T GET ALONG AND IT STARTED WHEN HE CUT DOWN THE LIVE TREES ON HIS PROPERTY. I HARD TO GET OVER THAT, UM. AND THEN THERE'S UH, THE POWER COMPANY. I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM. AND DEAL WITH THEM BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE RIGHT OVER THE POWER LINES. AND, UM AND THEN MY PROPERTY LINE WITH MY NEIGHBOR.
HAVE AN EASEMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT ENTAILS. AND SO I HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. AT ANY RATE.
[01:55:03]
I'M JUST CAME TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I HEAR A LOT OF, UH, DISTORTIONS , UM, FROM PEOPLE AND I UNDERSTAND, UM YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OWNERS WANNA DO WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THEIR PROPERTY. I'VE NEVER BEEN SYMPATHETIC TO THE IDEA THAT JUST ON LIVE TREES AND SO CONCERN. AND, UM THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.HI. I'M LAURIE CLEVELAND. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAUERLAND CONSERVANCY AND I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY COMMENTS THAT I WAS PLANNING ON JUST LISTENING. THIS EVENING, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD. PEOPLE SAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT AND THE CARE THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS ORDINANCE, AND I THINK IT IS A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE SINS AS YOU HEARD IS LOSING OVER 1 MILLION TREES TO A SINGLE INVASIVE INSECT. THE EMERALD ASH WAR, AND NOW WE'RE LOSING THE BEACH TREES. WHICH IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE DEVASTATING IN A LOT OF WAYS. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST IT BY WHILE THE TREES DIE WHILE PEOPLE CUT LIVE TREES DOWN ON THEIR PROPERTY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHETHER THEY'RE PUTTING IN A POOL. OR A PATIO, WHETHER THEY DON'T LIKE RAKING LEAVES. I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH SOMEONE WHO CUT DOWN ALL THE TREES ON THE PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO RAKE. I MOVED HERE BECAUSE OF THE WORDS. I'M NOT, UM UH, FORESTER. I'M NOT A ECOLOGIST BY TRADE. I CAME INTO THIS THROUGH A VERY WINDY PATH, BUT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT I DO. AND I'M REALLY, REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS SO ONES. THEN I HAVE TO SAY. 1.1 MILLION TREES, ONE IN EVERY FIVE TREES IS DYING. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO CUT LIVE TREES. WHEN I SAY WE CAN'T AFFORD IT. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, WHICH, BY THE WAY, I LIVE ON THREE ACRES, AND I'VE LOST 80 ASH TREES IN THE COST OF CUTTING A DEAD TREE IS CERTAINLY EXORBITANT, BUT THE COST OF CUTTING A LIVE TREE GOES WELL BEYOND THE PERMIT FEES OR THE REPLACEMENT COSTS. THE COSTS OF LOSING THESE LIVE TREES. AND THE FLOODING THAT IT'S CAUSING FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. WE CAN'T JUST CONTINUE TO WATCH IT HAPPEN. NEW JERSEY IS IN TROUBLE. AS MIKE MENTIONED, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. IT'S EASY WHEN YOU LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU DON'T SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS, BUT HERE WE CAN SEE IT. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE OTHER DAY. WHAT 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN. MY DAUGHTER'S IN THE CAR. YOU KNOW SHE'S HEARD ME SAY THE 1.1 MILLION THING, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, MOM, TREES, TREES, ALWAYS ABOUT THE TREES. WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THERE'S WATER ACROSS, AND SHE SAYS IT HAS NEVER FLOODED LIKE THIS. WHAT'S GOING ON? AND I SAID, HONEY, YOU KNOW WE'RE LOSING 1.1 MILLION TREES. THAT'S A LOT OF WATER THAT'S NOT GETTING SUCKED UP.
AND NO MATTER WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE OAK TREE IN YOUR YARD MAKES A DIFFERENCE OR NOT.
I'M STANDING IN MY OWN LAWN, AND I LIVE ALMOST AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND WATER IS SHEETING ACROSS. MY PROPERTY LIKE IT HAS NEVER DONE BEFORE. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IT'S NOT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE UP THE HILL. THERE'S NOTHING UP THE HILL. BUT DEAD TREES. WE CAN'T SIT BY AND WATCH THESE TREES DIE. WE CAN'T SIT AROUND AND SEE OUR NEIGHBORS CUTTING TREES AND NOT REPLACING THEM. WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE'LL MAKE A POT ROAST AND TAKE IT NEXT DOOR WHEN SOMEONE TWISTS THEIR ANKLE. IT'S THE SAME WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE DOWNHILL FROM US. WE HAVE TO REPLACE THESE TREES. WE CAN'T WE CAN'T NOT DO IT. SO WHETHER IT'S ADOPTING ORDINANCES LIKE THIS, WHETHER IT'S JUST PLEADING WITH PEOPLE TO PLANT NATIVE AT HOME TO TAKE UP THEIR LAWN TO PLANT A MEADOW TO PLANT YOUR LYRE LEAF SAGE UNDERNEATH THE TREES THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. I WOULD BEG YOU TO
[02:00:06]
PLEASE DO SOMETHING. BECAUSE OUR BIRD NUMBERS ARE DECLINING. OUR BUTTERFLY NUMBERS ARE DECLINING.IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES, WHICH I GET IT, WE'RE ALL BUSY PEOPLE. YOU DO CARE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS? YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS. YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE DOWNSTREAM WHOSE HOUSES ARE GETTING FLOODED NOW WHOSE CARS ARE GETTING SWEPT AWAY WHO ARE SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF THESE TREES DYING? YES THIS IS ONE TREE THAT YOU'RE CUTTING IN YOUR YARD AND REPLACING IT WITH TWO AND IT IS EXPENSIVE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT. AND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. WE HK YOU.
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