Resident urges board to revisit parkway tree rules and require more trees for townhomes

Barb Orzey, who identified herself with an address for the record, asked the board to explain the rationale for discouraging trees in parkways and urged the board to push for more trees in townhome developments. Orzey said parkway trees can push up sidewalks and conflict with underground water lines and plowing, but she also said some townhome developments have very few trees and that detention ponds are being counted as green space without meaningful tree cover.

"I do have a question because it's been mentioned here a couple of times about not putting trees in the parkway. Could you explain why you don't want that?" Orzey asked. Public-works issues (water lines, sidewalk damage, plow mirrors) were cited as maintenance reasons for parkway restrictions; board members acknowledged those maintenance concerns but said ordinance review and planning coordination could address how to promote trees in townhome areas without imposing undue costs on homeowners or developers.

Orzey recommended the town council review existing ordinances and consider grandfathering existing parkway trees so residents are not forced to remove them. Board members said the planning commission and town council attention to tree placement and ordinance updates would be appropriate as the board's preferred tree list is finalized.