The forest and the trees

The Paradise Planning Commission has weighed in on revising the town’s tree ordinance, and its recommendation is, well, a matter of interpretation.

Three of the five commissioners favor retaining an independent committee to consider tree-felling applications in development plans. And since the Planning Commission did not formally vote—on this or the dozen other proposed revisions—Town Council members will have to figure out what to make of this “input” they’d requested on town staff’s proposed streamlining of the tree code.

The Planning Commission heard four hours of public opinion in a special session March 18 and postponed deliberation until the next meeting, held Monday night (April 7). A local group, the Tree and Land-Use Council, expressed particular concern about eliminating citizen oversight of tree removal. Commissioners April Grossberger (a TLC member), Loretta Griffin and Mitchell Johns endorsed having a review panel separate from the commission.

Assistant Community Development Director Craig Baker said town staff was “hoping for unanimous support” for the proposed changes, but added, “we’re content with what we got.”