Arborists: Room for improvement in Rehoboth tree ordinance

Clearer definitions, better communication between city departments and more authority for the city arborist were a few of the recommendations tree care professionals made to Rehoboth’s law oversight committee Aug. 22.

Rehoboth’s tree ordinance has been in place for over a decade, and for several months the committee has been considering possible changes. In July, the group met with City Arborist Liz Lingo and planning commission Vice Chair Brian Patterson to get the city’s perspective.

Rehoboth arborist Bob Hughes said he thinks the tree ordinance is working pretty well, but he would like to see Lingo have more authority to make decisions on her own.

“She’s more than capable,” said Hughes, owner of Hughes Wood Service.  “If you want to pull something over on her, you have to get up pretty early in the morning. She’s on top of things.”

Joining the committee and Hughes were MLA Inc. landscape architect Kathryn Downs, ArborCare President Ritchie Thurman and Bella Terra Landscapes President Mike Schimmel.

Schimmel suggested expanding the varieties of trees that can be planted as part of the tree mitigation. The list is currently limited to native trees, he said, but there are nonnative species, like the crape myrtle, that would work well.

Downs agreed the list of trees is too narrow. There are a lot of very nice non-native trees that homeowners should be able to choose from, she said.

Schimmel said the shade tree committee should meet more than once a month. He said there have been cases when landscaping has been delayed for months because the committee was scheduled to meet and then didn’t. He recommended the group meet every two weeks.

Improved communication was another issue Schimmel brought up and used a street tree on St. Lawrence Street as an example. He said a building permit was approved, but there’s a tree located in the area of the driveway. Now, the tree is there and the sidewalk is torn up, he said, then suggesting an onsite visit before the building permit is approved.

The sidewalk should be fixed soon. During a city parks and shade tree committee meeting Aug. 27, the homeowner was given permission to remove the tree, a 6-inch-diameter Zelkova.

Thurman suggested more clearly defining what a specimen tree is. The goal of the ordinance is to save as many trees as possible, but some nonspecimen trees are being treated as if they are specimen.

Downs recommended better enforcement of tree protection barriers. 

Hughes agreed, saying if there’s a good reason to have it in the ordinance, it might as well be enforced.

A summary of tree ordinance recommendations from Lingo and Patterson is available on the town’s government website, cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net, under the oversight committee’s Aug. 22 meeting.