Urban Forestry Commission

Tree Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, August 16, 2017 v 7:30 - 9:30 pm Dogwood Room, City Hall Present: Kathy Philpott Costa, Dennis Szymanski, Karen Jones, Barbara Tesner, John Tesner, Kate Reich, Christian Autor, Tim Stevens, Brian Goggin 1. Approval of July Minutes: The minutes from the July 19, 2017 Tree Commission meeting were approved. 2. Public Comments: Brian Goggin (FCC resident and member of Arlington Tree Stewards) provided information on tree-related volunteer opportunities. Kate will explore opportunities for collaborative work with the Tree Stewards. 3. Staff Updates: There is no update on the TC’s voluntary concession proposal for Insight. City Council deferred approval of the Railroad cottages. The Planning Commission approved the Columbia Baptist parking lot and residential subdivision. 4. Current Business  George Mason campus project – strategies for influencing green space: The ESC reported that there was no feedback on the joint TC-ESC memo regarding the campus project. Kate suggested referring to the City Center project because it discusses green space in the broad context of a large City project. Assuming the referendum passes, the TC plans to propose integrated green space guidelines for the school and commercial RFP drafts and discuss green space with the project’s eventual design consultants.  Possible Mixed-Use Voluntary Concession: offset for trees/green space lost: The TC reviewed a draft memo proposing tree canopy/green space expectations for Special Use Exception projects. Kathy will redraft based on group feedback. Karen will create a bar chart showing diminishing green space in recent SE projects. Kate will research Arlington County’s approach to green space in mixed-use projects. 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) 248-5350, option 5.   Potential Use of Tree Canopy Fund for Commercial Projects: No update. As commercial projects have landscaping requirements, a commercial tree canopy fund should be part of the TC’s code review. 5. Plan Reviews: The TC will review the Downtown Plaza design at the September meeting. A green wall with hostas is now shown in the design. 6. Informational Items: An Eagle Scout is moving forward with the notable tree- labeling project; labels have been ordered for 10 trees each of the top 21 species in the City. 7. Future Business  Private maintenance agreements for streetscapes: No update on a standard form agreement. Tinner Hill is managing all landscaping except trees, and Kensington is managing everything including trees.  Code updates/modifications relating to urban forestry  Urban Forest Management Plan  Tree canopy goals and strategies  Enforcement of site plan tree violations Staff liaison: Kate Reich, 703-248-5183, kreich@fallschurchva.gov 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) 248-5350, option 5.