FANWOOD — The borough council will give further consideration to a proposed ordinance governing tree removal and replacement requirements on private properties.
At its Monday evening work session, the governing body discussed the proposal, which is being made necessary by updates to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) stormwater-management regulations. The borough’s existing tree ordinance, which dates back decades, is “very cumbersome,” Borough Engineer Antonios Panagopoulos said. It is “very confusing,” he stated, about what is and what is not allowed and does not contain any specific fines for violations.
The new ordinance would spell out how and when trees can be cut down and, if they are cut down, mandate that new trees be planted to replace them, although not necessarily in the same location on a property. There also would be fines for any violations, Mr. Panagopoulos said. It also calls for a third party to inspect any trees that are being cut down due to disease to confirm that it is indeed the case.
The aim of the updated ordinance, Mr. Panagopoulos explained, is to reduce the amount of rainwater that goes into storm drains, and he said that trees can help in that effort by absorbing water into their roots. The more trees, the more rainwater can be absorbed instead of draining into storm drains.
Some council members seemed uncertain about the proposed ordinance as currently worded and whether it would place too much of a burden on homeowners, especially those with small properties having limited spots to plant replacement trees. BeechAvenue resident Michael Lewis spoke to the council about his concerns, saying that, “the more hoops you make people” jump through to replace trees, the more likely that some trees “will stay up that shouldn’t stay up.”
Mayor Colleen Mahr asked Borough Attorney Russell Huegel to provide the governing body with the text of the existing ordinance as well as the DEP’s model ordinance that was the basis for the updated one that was discussed on Monday.Whether the new ordinance is introduced at the council’s Monday, March 18 meeting, as intended, remains to be seen if further revisions and discussions are needed.
