Urban Forestry Commission

Urban Forestry Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, February 17, 2021 ❖ 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting NOTICE: This meeting will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. All participating members will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via the meeting link listed above and in the City’s website calendar. Public comments may be submitted to arborist@fallschurchva.gov until 6 p.m. on February 17th. All comments will be provided to the Urban Forestry Commission members and comments received by the deadline will be read during the meeting. Attendees UFC members: Kathy Philpott Costa, Amy Crumpton, David DeCoste, David Braun UFC City Staff Liaison: Charles Prince City Council Liaison: UFC Student Representative: Dylan Petrillo City Staff: Jeff Hollern (present for item 7a which was the first topic discussed) Members of the Public: 1) Call to Order - the meeting began at 7:03 p.m. 2) Reading of Virtual Meeting Notice - read by Kathy Philpott Costa. 3) Roll Call - completed. 4) Approval of the January 2021 Minutes - approved. 5) Public Comments - none. 6) Staff Updates/Informational Items: a) UFC Calendar Update - Charles Prince reviewed the UFC relevant document items. b) School grounds maintenance update - Charles met with Seve Padilla and Zak Bradley. Seve was agreeable to making landscaping updates, particularly where it might be construed as dangerous, however it currently isn’t a priority for facilities. They are relying on their contractors. There may be an opportunity to remove the invasive bamboo at  TJ. The homeowner of the property that abuts the bamboo would also like it removed. Charles will develop a proposal for the removal of the bamboo and what could be planted to fill that area which is currently designated as a city wildlife habitation. Dave DeCoste also mentioned potential opportunities for the PTA to organize with ongoing maintenance in certain areas. c) Upcoming UFC Vacancies - Amy Crumpton attended the Appointments Committee meeting and reported that it appears as if Mike Nichols will become a new member of the UFC once he is sworn in. It was also noted that there is interest from other residents to fill David Braun’s soon to be vacated seat. d) Fellows Specimen Trees - Charles will confirm the Fellows Property Specimen Tree Memo has been sent to City Council and if it hasn’t, he will issue it immediately. e) Arbor Day Plans - Charles drafted a schedule for Arbor Day and is seeking UFC input. f) EDA Wayfinding Signage Plan - Charles briefly touched on the plan as his main object was to ensure the UFC is aware of this latest initiative. The EDA has had numerous meetings with City stakeholders but did not seek input from the UFC on the project. 7) Current Business a) Falls Plaza – Staff Presentation - City of Falls Church Planner Jeff Hollern opened the meeting by reviewing the site plan amendment for Falls Plaza. He identified areas of interest to the UFC that were being updated. Charles had reviewed the plans previously and will provide feedback on the site owner plant selections to ensure that the plan complies with the City Code's interior parking lot landscaping rules (Section 48-1182) and new plantings will be native trees and shrubs. Charles stated that invasive plants will not be used. Jeff indicated that the site amendment could be approved as early as March, 2021. b) Memorial or Commemorative Tree Designations - VPIS is planning to dedicate a tree in Cherry Hill Park. Aside from the Code's formal specimen tree designation procedure, a process does not exist for situations when people want to dedicate a tree or identify other noteworthy trees. It was noted that there are varied plaques throughout the City but no unified list known of. Historically, the manner for tracking this information has been informal and hasn’t been updated recently. It was suggested that the UFC should take the lead in developing a Tree Designation Process on public property. Additionally, a means for community members to learn about the individuals on plaques throughout the city should exist. When developing the “Process” it was noted that related issues, such as what occurs when a commemorative tree dies, should be addressed. Amy will draft a proposal to be reviewed at the next UFC meeting. Also discussed was the issue of the Dan Sze's memorial tree. His widow expressed discomfort with regards to creating a memorial on the paper street behind his house because another memorial already exists in that space. Kathy will continue to discuss with City Council and the Planning Commission. 8) Recurring Business a) Annual Report - it was approved by the UFC to be presented to City Council in March. b) West Falls Church Submission - Kathy noted that there will be no formal Boards and Commissions review for this project. Charles indicated that the main update to this submission is the completion of the intersection across from Chestnut Street. This change will create more greenspace at the entrance area. The developer did address a number of UFC concerns (e.g. pet waste area, 18% tree canopy in 20 years), however, the developer is not committing to a percentage of open green space, as it is not a city requirement. At this  point, stormwater recycling has not been addressed in the new plan. Kathy asked that the topic of Stormwater Code revisions be added to the March UFC agenda. Kathy requested UFC members to review and comment on the Streetscape Standard Memo to the planning commission 2021 within the next couple weeks. c) Work Plan and Equity Review - Charles was asked to inquire about further guidance on this topic and if there is a due date. UFC members should provide input to this document which should be updated to reflect an action plan with prioritizations. This topic will be discussed at the March UFC meeting. 9) Future Business a) Counting Tree Plantings (My Tree Counts) b) Green Infrastructure Plan/Standards -- KP coord w/ Amy in Feb/March - Kathy is in the process of reviewing standards used in Arlington and will reach out to Fairfax County. The UFC will need to review this with the planning staff to ensure there is developer-side input. c) Biophilic Cities d) UF Management Plan e) UFC Standard Maintenance Agreements f) TOTY Revision g) UF Code Changes h) Outreach / Publicity i) Stormwater- Tree Incentives 10) Adjourn - The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. These minutes were prepared by David DeCoste, UFC Secretary. Urban Forestry Commission Staff liaison: Charles Prince: 571-238-6306, arborist@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 TTY711.