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Agendas and Minutes

Tree Management Advisory Committee (View All)

Tree Commission Regular Meeting

Agenda
Thursday, October 08, 2015

TREE COMMISSION AGENDA
October 8, 2015

CALL TO ORDER
6:00 p.m. in the Siskiyou Room of the Community Development and Engineering Services building located at 51 Winburn Way.

Commissioners	Council Liaison
Ken Schmidt (absent)	Carol Voisin
Gregg Trunnell	Staff
Casey Roland	Zechariah Heck, Assistant Planner
Maureen Battistella (absent)	Pete Baughman, Parks Liaison
Russell Neff
Christopher John
Mike Oxendine

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Roland/John m/s to approve the September 3, 2015 regular meeting minutes. The motion passed unanimously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & LIAISON REPORTS

City Council Liaison

Councilor Voisin gave an update to the Commission on current and future issues to be discussed at City Council meetings.

Parks & Recreation Liaison

Baughman gave an update on Lithia Park hazard trees and the Garfield Park makeover.

Community Development Liaison

Heck updated the Commission on the Tree of the Year process.

PUBLIC FORUM
Nobody from the audience provided public comments.

TYPE I REVIEWS

PLANNING ACTION:        PA-2015-01792
SUBJECT PROPERTY:     399 South Mountain Ave
APPLICANT:                       Jason Eaton, Conscious Construction, Inc.
OWNER:                               Eric Subert
DESCRIPTION:                  A request for Site Design Review to add one residential unit to the subject property. The application includes a demolition of an existing garage and a removal of one tree with a diameter at breast height of 8 – 12 inches.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Southern Oregon University; ZONING: R-2; ASSESSOR’S MAP: 39 1E 09DD; TAX LOT: 1000.
Commissioners Oxendine/John m/s to recommend approval of the plans as submitted with the following recommended conditions. The motion was unanimously supported.

That the applicant mitigate damage to the Acer macryphyllum (maple tree) by starting a water program as soon as possible;

2)That an arborist be on site to supervise any construction near the Acer macryphyllum;
3)That a preliminary excavation trench of proposed cut for parking/driveway shall be done by hand which will identify potential issues with Acer macryphyllum and that any problematic roots are cut clean by an arborist.

PLANNING ACTION:        PA-2015-01807
SUBJECT PROPERTY:     95 North Main Street
OWNER:                               Durant – Newton Trust
APPLICANT:                       Randy Mason
DESCRIPTION:                  A request for a Tree Removal Permit to remove a hazard tree. The tree is a 17- inch diameter Ailanthus tree from the rear of Brothers Restaurant at 95 North Main Street.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Commercial; ZONING: C-1-D; ASSESSOR’S MAP: 39 1E 09BB; TAX LOTS: 5700.

Commissioners Trunnell/Neff m/s to recommend approval of the plans as submitted. The motion was unanimously supported.

PLANNING ACTION:        PA-2015-01810
SUBJECT PROPERTY:     139 North Second Street
OWNER/APPLICANT:      Judith Ginsburg
DESCRIPTION:                  The property owner is seeking approval to remove a large incense cedar (Calocedrus) from the multi-unit residential property. The application states the tree is close enough to the house and foundation to cause physical damage and a financial burden.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Commercial; ZONING: C-1; ASSESSOR’S MAP: 39 1E 09BA; TAX LOT: 9600.
PLANNING ACTION:        PA-2015-01578

Commissioners Trunnell/Neff m/s to recommend approval of the plans as submitted with the following recommended conditions. The motion was unanimously supported.

That an official letter from a licensed contractor on their business letterhead stating the tree is negatively affecting the house foundation is submitted and approved by the Staff Advisor prior to the tree being removed;
That a mitigation tree is replanted in the general area of the tree to be removed. The mitigation tree must survive for at least one year from planting date.

SUBJECT PROPERTY:     199 E. Hersey Street
OWNER:                               Vision Homes Inc.
APPLICANT:                       Taylored Elements Construction
DESCRIPTION:                  A request for a minor modification to a Land Partition (PA-2015-000794) in the form of a Tree Removal Permit. The applicant previously designated four trees to be preserved during site development. The applicant is now requesting the subject trees to be removed for various reasons.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Single-family Residential; ZONING: R-1-5; ASSESSOR’S MAP: 39 1E 04CD; TAX LOTS: 306.

Commissioners Roland/Trunnell m/s to recommend approval of the plans as submitted with the following recommended conditions. The motion was unanimously supported.
1)That Staff inspect and approve of all tree protection fencing prior to further site work or removal of trees;

That a water program begin immediately for the cedar tree labeled as # 5;

3)That Staff identify and clarify what trees were labeled as being preserved in the original planning action, and, what trees, if any, have been removed without a permit;
4)If any trees were removed without first obtaining a tree removal permit, the City should enforce a penalty upon the applicant equal to the value of the trees cut down.

TYPE II REVIEWS

PLANNING ACTION:        PA-2015-01517
SUBJECT PROPERTIES: 209 Oak St., 221 Oak St., 225 Oak St. and 11 B St.
                                                (And shared driveway partially on 237-239 Oak St.)
OWNER/APPLICANT:      Spartan Ashland Natalie Real Estate, LLC
AGENTS:                              Kistler, Small & White, Architects
DESCRIPTION:                  A request for Outline Plan, Final Plan and Site Design Review approvals for the properties at 209 Oak Street, 221 Oak Street, 225 Oak Street and 11 B Street. The proposal includes the renovation of two existing, historic homes; the construction of six townhouses along B Street; and the construction a new, detached residential cottage. Also included are requests for a Variance to allow a 15-foot wide, one-way driveway where a 20-foot driveway width would typically be required; two Conditional Use Permits to allow a 25 percent increase in the Maximum Permitted Floor Area, and to allow a commercial use within an existing, historic residential building; an Exception to the Street Standards to allow a curbside sidewalk along B Street where a planting strip would typically be required between the curb and the sidewalk; an Exception to the Site Development and Design Standards to allow the placement of a new residence on proposed Lot #9 to be placed behind the setback line of adjacent historic buildings; and a Tree Removal Permit to remove two trees which are within the footprints of proposed buildings. (The proposal involves use of the existing driveway which is partially located on the adjacent property to the north at 237-239 Oak Street; this property’s owner has signed to allow the application to move forward using the shared driveway.)
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Low Density Multi-Family Residential; ZONING: R-2; ASSESSOR’S MAP: 39 1E 09BB; TAX LOTS: 15600, 15700, 15900 and 16000.

Commissioners Roland/Trunnell m/s to support the Staff Report and request that the planning action be delayed until the applicant provides the material listed below. Furthermore, the Commission requests to review the revised application at one of their future regular meetings. The motion was unanimously supported.
The Tree Commission supports the Staff Report and requests

A revised tree removal permit application with an accurate tree inventory;
An arborist report including assessment of the trees’ conditions and their ability to accommodate the redevelopment of the site;
Identification of trees to be removed and the species and placement of proposed mitigation trees.

NEW BUSINESS/ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Review of Downtown Beautification Project.

The Commissioners reviewed and discussed the plans submitted by the applicant. No one attended the meeting who could speak to the specifics of the plan. Ann Seltzer, Management Analyst from the City, was in attendance to discuss the general project goals and history. Ultimately, the Commission unanimously decided to write a letter to City Council stating their support for the project but their objection to removal of healthy, mature trees.

DISCUSSION ITEMS