In 2006, a forward-looking board of commissioners in Rehoboth Beach adopted the comprehensive tree ordinance, putting Rehoboth in the vanguard of communities seeking to protect the urban forests handed down from generation to generation.
In the years hence, Rehoboth aggressively marketed itself as a Tree City USA, and people came from far and wide to learn from our experience with tree protection regulations, and to enjoy the towering oaks and loblolly pines, the showy maples and shapely zelkovas, which provide shade and cooling for our streets, sidewalks, homes and backyards, and habitat for birds and animals of all kinds.
Goodbye to all that.
On Dec. 20, Mayor Kuhns and a majority of the commissioners present overturned the proper decision of the city arborist to deny an unjustified tree-removal request, and in so doing they made crystal clear their contempt for the city’s tree protection ordinance. I fear it is open season for private property owners to strip their Rehoboth lands of mature, healthy shade trees.
When they were running for election, Mayor Kuhns and all the commissioners portrayed themselves as defenders of Rehoboth’s beautiful, protective tree canopy. But on Dec. 20, only Commissioner Sharp stood up for her principles and for the rule of law, while Kuhns, Schlosser and Byrne voted to destroy this healthy tree.
While various proposals to change the tree ordinance gather dust without action by the mayor and commissioners, Kuhns, Schlosser and Byrne are charging ahead to gut the existing law in practice. Without any rhyme or reason, they voted against their own arborist, who found based on her expertise and objective professional criteria that the tree posed no hazard or nuisance necessitating removal.
For his part, Mayor Kuhns cast aside any pretense of respecting the current law, as he insisted that “property rights come into play” and those “property rights” matter more than the arborist’s expert professional judgment faithfully applying the law.
“That’s her opinion,” he said dismissively. Moments later, commissioners Schlosser and Byrne joined him in voting to dismiss the arborist’s judgment.
Mayor Kuhns and commissioners Schlosser and Byrne have shown that the tree ordinance and the expertise of their city arborist are meaningless to them. Remember this the next time they are campaigning on their love for Rehoboth’s trees.
Brian Patterson
Rehoboth Beach
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