HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-STAC-2017-03-08City of Ithaca Shade Tree Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 8, 2017
Present: Nina Bassuk, Laurene Gilbert, Jeanne Grace, Beverly Hillman, George McGonigal, Debra
Statton, Luke, a student guest.
Forester’s Report
There will be a vote tonight whether to send our revisions to the Site Plan Review Ordinance along to
other committees for comment prior to a final vote by Common Council. The version that is being voted
on is a draft by the Planning Department. Jeanne feels key points were taken out of our document
which undermine our main goals in making the revisions. Soil volumes were reduced, the organization
of the document was changed which makes it less clear to developers, the important parking lot section
was made skimpy again, actual instructions for planting were removed, etc., etc. Jeanne doesn’t
support this version for circulation and believes it would be worth waiting another month to circulate a
better document.
Jeanne sent around to STAC members a link to the City of Calgary website showing their strong
ordinance for tree preservation and the nice guide they give to developers. Before construction,
developers have to do an inventory of what’s on the land to be developed, and have to present a staging
plan for where materials will be put during development. There’s a prescription for trimming for
clearance of equipment when there’s going to be conflict.
It would be good to add these to our ordinance, and to think of how to communicate tree
preservation needs to all the contractors who will be working on a project.
Arbor Day, Friday April 28: the Garden Club is interested in donating trees for Stewart Park again.
Three willows need to be planted along the shore there so these could be the Arbor Day trees.
Let’s have a proactive policy for willow removal before they fall apart and hurt someone.
The Garden Club wants to plant 15 crabapples every fall along the inlet until 2022 to restore them to
their former numbers and beauty. Once there were 300 crabs there, before development.
Spring Tree Order: need approximately 70 replacement trees, some at Stewart Park, the rest street
trees, more underwire than tall. Nina suggests Aesculus x Arnoldiana because it doesn’t get blotch on
the leaves, also Tilia tomentosa, silver linden, which is too difficult bare root, various oaks which don’t
do well bare root, including Heritage, Winter King hawthorns, and Heptacodium Miconioides Seven‐ Son
Flower tree.
Nina has put in a $22,000 grant proposal to DEC for 72 trees, part in remediated planting sites, part in
unremediated soil, for the south side of Elmira Road.
Next Meeting Wednesday April 12, 2017, 4pm, Cooperative Extension
Minutes respectfully submitted by Debra Statton