Trustees endorse permit process for homeowner to remove fallen trees on trustee land; fee waiver motion recorded but unresolved

The East Hampton Town Trustees on June 22 discussed a homeowner request to remove fallen trees and debris from a trustee-owned section of roadway off Two Rod Highway.

The trustees reviewed photos and an aerial map of the property the homeowner (identified in the transcript as Mr. Essig) provided. Trustees said they own the strip of land and emphasized they would not transfer ownership but could grant narrowly defined permission to remove specified fallen trees. Trustees said any work would require a permit application, proof of insurance naming the trustees as co-insured, and a precise scope identifying only the fallen trees authorized for removal.

Trustees said the process will include an on-site visit to tag the trees that may be removed and written permit language that the trustees can tailor to protect their ownership rights. A trustee summarized the recommended steps: have the homeowner submit an application, have trustees or a designee identify and tag the exact trees to be removed, require the contractor to match that scope in an estimate, and then issue a permit with conditions and a timeline.

Board members raised concerns about setting precedent, adverse-possession questions and revegetation obligations. Some trustees said revegetation or broader clearing should be addressed separately by the trustees or required of property owners where applicable; others said the immediate issue was limited to removing downed trees.

One trustee moved to waive the permit fee for the homeowner; another trustee seconded that motion. The transcript does not record a vote on the fee waiver. Trustees otherwise signaled agreement on using the permit process with specific tags and insurance requirements to limit scope and liability.

Next steps: the homeowner is to submit a permit application with contractor scope and insurance; trustees or their designee will visit and tag the trees to be removed; trustees will issue a permit containing the trustees' conditions. The fee-waiver motion remains unresolved in the recorded minutes.