Lewes tree group planning January workshop

Lewes planner Janelle Cornwell says the city’s tree ordinance subcommittee is ready to host a workshop to discuss its work with the public. 

“We can make it very interactive. We can have a station for each topic and somebody there to get feedback,” Cornwell said.

The workshop will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Rollins Center.

Cornwell said she believes the goals laid out by the subcommittee are to preserve and grow the city’s tree canopy. That can manifest itself in five different forms, and committee members feel it's important to get the pulse of residents before moving forward. The five workshop topics are: identification and protection of heritage and specimen trees on private property; preservation of qualified trees on private property; education and outreach; tree-planting requirements for new construction or dimensional additions; and construction requirements to protect and preserve trees on or near work sites.

Remarkable trees

In order to protect heritage and specimen trees, the first step recommended is to create a list of “remarkable trees.” The group suggests creating guidelines to qualify certain trees and accepting nominations from the public. Examples of what the committee views as a remarkable tree include the ginkgo tree on the Virden property on Kings Highway, a Japanese sephora on Railroad Avenue, a southern magnolia on Monroe Avenue, and a black walnut on McFee Street. 

A tree survey, similar to what Rehoboth Beach did in 2010, would be required to accurately inventory the existing trees. Rehoboth Beach used a professional company, but the committee could begin with voluntary participation in an online survey. Once established, homeowners could be incentivized to continue caring for their trees or lease them to the city for upkeep and maintenance. If a homeowner breaks the ordinance and removes the tree, they could face hefty fines.

Preservation

Two of the recommendations deal with preserving existing trees that may not qualify as remarkable trees. Committee members feel there should be criteria for protecting trees on private property, discussing a minimum circumference of 4.5 feet at chest height to be eligible. Regulating the removal of trees whose caliper measurements fall in the 6- to 12-inch range is something touched on, but yet to be officially recommended. Lewes officials have been careful to tread lightly on property owners with trees, instead opting for education and outreach to attempt to draft the best ordinance.

On the other hand, committee members have not been shy about wanting to establish protections for trees during construction. They say trees in construction zones sustain heavy damage to their root systems and often do not recover when their nutrient-rich soil is replaced with fill dirt. In an effort to curb canopy loss, the proposal calls for guidelines to protect trees by constructing a fence beyond the tree’s drip line and prohibiting heavy equipment from parking on sensitive areas. 

Tree-planting requirement

According to the recommendations, a standard feature in most other tree ordinances is to require one tree per 2,500 square feet of property. Most lots in Lewes fall between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet, meaning two to four trees would be required. The minimum size of those new trees is suggested to be 5 to 6 feet high with 1.5 to 2 inches in caliper. This would only be an obligation fulfilled by new construction, and current homeowners would not be required to plant new trees, unless an addition expands the property’s dimensional footprint.

Education and Outreach

“Right tree, right place” is a motto that has been repeated throughout meetings and would be the guiding principle in any implementation of education in the ordinance. Officials have discussed creating a brochure and providing it to new homeowners attempting to fulfill the tree-planting requirement and current residents curious about trees. Planting the wrong tree can cause unintended consequences for the owner and surrounding environment. Invasive species can take over large lots in a short period without adding much benefit to wildlife and other plant species. 

The proposed brochure, along with a website, would contain lists of recommended trees, less-desirable trees and invasive species to help aid property owners. Additionally, information about the various ways to care for specific trees could be included. The website, which contains some of the helpful insight already, is ci.lewes.de.us/295/City-Trees.