Brentwood commissioners call for staff review after neighbor built an unauthorized 'arboretum' in greenway buffer

Commissioners in Brentwood discussed an unauthorized ‘arboretum’ and multiple unapproved improvements on a city‑owned greenway buffer off Maryland Lane, and they asked staff to investigate safety, liability and potential costs for restoring the property to its intended greenway status.

Committee member (speaker 2) said public feedback after media coverage favored returning the property to its original greenway buffer use and asked staff to study the options and costs. Several commissioners emphasized that improvements installed without city approval—bridges, trails and benches—create safety and maintenance concerns and could trigger Americans with Disabilities Act obligations if the city were to accept the work as public amenities.

Staff reported a brief loss‑control inspection by Public Entity Partners and summarized its recommendations: place signage at each access point noting city ownership and that the land is not intended for public use; remove unauthorized structures (bridges, signs, other built features not approved by the city); and repair damaged fencing that creates unauthorized access points. "They recommended the signage be placed at each access point with language indicating it's city owned property, not for public use," staff (speaker 6) said.

Several commissioners said the first step should be to ask the resident who installed the features to remove them and to provide a timeframe for voluntary remediation before the city undertakes removal and assesses costs to taxpayers. Chair (speaker 1) said staff will follow up with a cost estimate and return to the commission with recommendations.

No vote was recorded in the transcript; commissioners agreed to give the installer an opportunity to remove unauthorized items and asked staff to report back with a scope and cost estimate for remediation.