Urban Forestry Commission

Tree Commission Meeting Wednesday, November 19, 2014 v 7:30 - 10:00 pm Dogwood Room, City Hall Present: David Chojnacky, Bob Donaldson, Kathleen Philpott Costa, Lindy Hockenberry, Kate Reich, Christian Autor and Dennis Szymanski Guest: None Absent: Larry Dorr, Karen Oliver, Anna Wilson 1. Call to order. The meeting was called to order by David Chojnacky at 7:30pm. 2. Introduction of Tree Commission Youth Representatives — Christian Autor and Anna Wilson were welcomed as the FCCPS Youth Representatives to the Tree Commission. 3. Public Comments. None 4. New Business. — Reviving Tree Recognition Programs. As a member of the VPIS Board, Dennis Szymanski provided an update on VPIS interest in pursuing a public-private partnership for notable trees along the lines of the Neighborhood Tree Program (NTP). The next step will be for the Tree Commission to create a prioritized "To Do" list to move this forward. — Effectiveness of Falls Church (1) tree work permits and (2) licenses. The current permitting process is considered a dis-incentive citizens. With the exception of specific rules for properties within an RPA, there appears to be little reason for the City's requiring a permit other than revenue. And, while Licenses are required, there is no standard that must be met other than a business license and for the service provider to be bonded. There is a need to better define criteria for tree contractors, to improve procedures and Kate will update the Tree Commission should there be any proposed changes. 5. Old Business. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5456 (TTY 711).   Private Maintenance Agreements on Falls Church City streetscape trees and adherence with adopted, existing standards. The Tree Commission continues to be concerned over the lack of a standardized look and feel for commercial developments. The most recent example is the waiver given the Kensington developer from the bullnose sidewalk standard. This could result in greater harm to the trees from sidewalk traffic and street and snow cleaning material but this consequence was apparently not considered as part of the waiver review process. The Tree Commission had previously discussed a July 16, 2014 memo from the Planning Staff that spoke to the need for updating existing standards in light of multiple, disparate development plans. All agreed a more inclusive process going forward would better serve the community and the staff charged with the responsibility to develop a standard. Kate Reich will contact Akida Rouzi and offer our participation and to encourage her and her management to engage in a more inclusive process.  Canopy Cover Study - How to Use the Results? In his overview, David Chojnacky allowed as how the 20% canopy cover within 10 years was somewhat arbitrary. Perhaps a more useful goal might be broader coverage over a longer planning horizon, for example, 50% in 30 yrs. In order to better inform this discussion, it was decided we should research what other jurisdictions are doing in this area.  Prioritizing the backlog of Commercial Sites with missing Landscaping. Agreements. This is a resource issue for the Arborist and there are numerous properties that fit this description. The Tree Commission agreed that the Citgo property on West Broad St should be addressed first. A long term approach will require development of a list of non-compliant sites and the research that goes with it. Kate Reich will pursue the viability of getting a Paid Intern to perform this work in 2015. 5. Informational Items  Neighborhood Tree Program Fall planting. 45 trees were planted October 18th and November 1st; 45 park trees were mulched by over 20 volunteers on November 15th.  Possible holiday lights on business area street trees. There were still some outstanding safety issues to work out; the LED technology is not robust enough for the lighting environment, i.e., automobile lights will cause the solar collector to turn the lights off. As a result, the Arborist is still unsure How the lights would be lit. In addition, it is unclear how they will be funded. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5456 (TTY 711).   Preparing to Develop a Falls Church City tree inventory. The inventory we have was completed in 2003 and updating is tedious. There are some contractor funds available to update the application in 2015. Kate Reich believes an app that can be updated via smartphone would be ideal. She will meet with the Green Space manager to discuss next steps.  Tree of the Year. There were several species suggested and the Arborist will research availability to help the Tree Commission with a recommendation.  Tree City USA application. The Arborist is aware of the deadline and would contact the Tree Commission should any assistance be required.  Tree Commission Annual Report. The attendees were alerted to begin to develop input to the Annual Report due to Council in February.  Ms. Hockenberry mentioned the EDA was funding a plan to improve the park space between the 100-200 block of West Broad by the Unity Club. 6. Next Meeting: December 17th 7. Approval of Minutes: September minutes were approved. 8. Adjourned at 9:40pm. These minutes are respectively submitted by Dennis Szymanski, Tree Commission Secretary. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5456 (TTY 711).