Tree & Landscape Board

Approved: September 17, 2014 M&C Nagro Gardiner FINAL / Minutes of the Tree and Landscape Board City Hall, City of College Park May 21, 2014 Members Present Absent Brenda Alexander, Public Works Deputy Director Steven Beavers, Planning Representative Dennis Herschbach, Member John Krouse, Member John Lea-Cox, City Forester Mark Wimer, Chairperson CBE Liaison, Gemma Evans CBE Liaison, Janis Oppelt Also present: Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager Alan Hew, District 4 County Councilmember Lincoln Smith, Forested Chairperson Wimer called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. I. Approval of the Meeting Minutes Motion: Approval of the April 16, 2014 Tree and Landscape Board meeting minutes, as amended. Moved: CBE Liaison Oppelt Second: Mr. Beavers Aye: Unanimous Nay: 0 Abstain: 0 II. Arbor Day Chairperson Wimer informed members that Arbor Day was very successful and that, in spite of the rain, approximately 15 people participated in the plantings, including the Boy Scouts. One yellowwood tree and seven sweet shrubs were planted. III. Prince George’s County Releaf Program Ms. Alexander, Public Works Director, invited all in attendance to the Prince George’s County Releaf Kickoff event that will be held Thursday morning, May 29, in Lakeland at 54th and Navahoe Street. She had recently placed an order for a number of native trees and shrubs and, thus, the City qualified to apply for the Releaf Program. The Program provides reimbursement for up to $150 per tree or shrub. Adam Ortiz, Director of Prince George’s County Environmental Resources, will be available to speak, and Ms. Alexander is hopeful that other City staff and residents will attend. IV. Permaculture Presentation 1 Mr. Beavers, Planning Representative, provided an illustration of the proposed permaculture trolley trail plan, as well as a trolley trail forest garden plants list. The list included estimated costs for each of the five trolley trail sections, but excluded labor and planting materials. The Committee for a Better Environment (CBE) had requested Mr. Smith of Forested Creative Ecology to work up a permaculture plan for the trolley trail, and he identified opportunities along the length of the trail for plants that will be educational, appropriate, and provide food, as well as plants that are designed to increase the diversity of insects on the site; e.g., both apple trees and winterberry shrubs could be planted side by side to attract a varied set of insects. Mr. Smith showed a video slide of the permaculture plan for the trolley trail which illustrated how plants feed each other. He explained that the idea of permaculture is to plant something that can restore the environment and feed people simultaneously. Mr. Smith suggested including fruits and other useful plants, such as hazelnut, red buds, native strawberry, elderberry, fragrant sumac (used for lemonade), weeping mulberries, persimmons, linden, currants, etc. He also suggested apples and paw paws (both types of fruit can be used to make pies). He explained that the harvest window for paw paws is 3 to 4 weeks, but it helps to have two genetically different varieties that are planted close together for pollination. He also suggested hackberry, which is a very nutritious plant similar to an energy bar that can be molded into any shape and consumed. Councilmember Hew stated that all but two residents in attendance at the Berwyn Civic Association meeting were generally supportive of the project. However, some of the residents expressed concern about apples from trees that may be planted too close to the bike trail falling and causing injury to walkers and bikers, apples being thrown at their houses, and apples not being consumed and rotting on the ground. He suggested a compost site near the location of the apple trees. However, some AWC members thought the compost site would not be properly managed and may attract rats. It was also stated that some of the home brewer cider makers may harvest the apples. Councilmember Hew suggested avoiding planting trees with large fruits on the west side of Quebec Street due to concerns by residents. Mr. Smith stated that this trolley trail plan is not to have an enormous planting and create a massive workload on Public Works to maintain, but to choose a particular section of the trail and conduct a pilot. Following the Berwyn Civic Association Meeting presentation, he was contacted by a resident who suggested that the end of the trail near Greenbelt Road would be the best location to begin since it does not back up to houses and that there is a large open area. Chairperson Wimer was concerned about maintenance requirements the first couple of years. Mr. Smith stated that the lowest maintenance would be the trees, and the highest maintenance would be the perennial beds that may have to be landscaped and well manicured. He also suggested turning the benches, which currently sit close to the trail, to face away from trail, and perhaps placing them under an arbor or grow kiwi or black locust over them. Mr. Beavers suggested that the CBE coordinate who will be responsible for maintaining the permaculture planting. He also suggested a projected maintenance schedule to present to the City Council as well as a timeline of when the plantings would begin and also when they may start producing fruit/flowers. Ms. Alexander suggested that the plantings begin this coming fall and also suggested that volunteers provide monthly maintenance. Dr. John Lea-Cox made a motion to begin the permaculture planting on Section 4 of the trolley trail plan. It was decided to include educational signage, and CBE has agreed to pay for the signs and also purchase 50 gator bags. The smaller plastic embossed signs will cost $15 each; the larger interpretive signs will cost more, depending on the content of each sign. The TLB and CBE will collaborate on the content of the interpretive educational signage. The estimated costs to begin Section 4 of the trolley trail are $4,000 for plants, $2,000 for signs, and $2,000 for the arbor and bench. 2  Motion: For aesthetic, educational, and environmental reasons, the TLB recommends that the city pursue a pilot permaculture planting along the trolley trail in Berwyn. Specifically, the southern section of the proposed "Sheet 4" in the plans, adjacent to Quebec Street, is recommended for the pilot. Moved: Dr. Lea-Cox Second: Dr. Herschbach Aye: Unanimous Nay: 0 Abstain: 0 Most members in attendance agreed with Dr. Lea-Cox’s suggestion of spending $600 of the estimated $30,000 from the Alice Kennington Tree Fund for the pilot project, since the funds have not been used since they were left to the City approximately 10 years ago. CBE Liaisons Evans and Oppelt stated that CBE wants this project to be a partnership with the TLB and felt that utilizing a portion of the Alice Kennington Tree Fund would be a great use of the funds. Motion: For the TLB to show their support for the permaculture planting on the trolley trail this fall by using $600 from the Alice Kennington Tree Fund to purchase mature trees Moved: Dr. Lea-Cox Second: Mark Wimer Aye: Unanimous Nay: 0 Abstain: 0 Mr. Beavers suggested that representatives from CBE and TLB should attend the City Council work session on the trolley trail project on June 3; TLB Chairperson Wimer and CBE Liaisons Evans and Oppelt may attend. VII. Adjournment The TLB meeting adjourned at 9:17 p.m. The next TLB meeting is scheduled for June 18 at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall. Minutes prepared by Debra Pinkett, Contract Secretary for the City of College Park 3