THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504140146
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
The Planning Commission approved a proposed landscape ordinance Wednesday that would require smaller, but more, trees be planted around newly developed homes in the city.
The ordinance is viewed as a compromise among the city planning staff, Beautification Commission and Landscape Ordinance Committee.
Johnnie S. Miller, president of the Beautification Commission and a member of the landscape committee, said she still has problems with the ordinance but signed off on it because ``after sitting down with this for a great, great length of time, I'm not sure we will have ever agreed.''
Miller is concerned that the changes weaken the ordinance and will ultimately result in a less attractive city. The original ordinance is credited with improving the appearance of neighborhoods built since 1990.
The idea of reducing tree sizes began when builders complained to Planning Commission members that larger trees are too expensive. Builders' costs would rise particularly in the southern portion of the city where lots are larger and more trees are required.
Once the issue was researched, city planners learned that smaller trees are healthier and therefore have a greater chance of survival because they are transplanted with more of their root system intact.
So they settled on smaller trees, but in many cases, more of them.
Miller and others, however, are concerned that the smaller trees have less chance of survival because of outside influences like children, pets, lawn mowers and vandalism.
``We were really caught in between on that one,'' said Nancy Parker, a city councilwoman and a member of the original Landscape Ordinance Committee.
``There was so much time and energy spent on the ordinance and you could see it was working,'' she said. ``So quite a few of us were like mother bears trying to protect their cubs.''
Other proposed amendments that both planners and committee members agreed on include: applying the ordinance to every new home and not just new subdivisions; and streamlining the procedure for guaranteeing that trees will be planted.
The amendments to the ordinance must now be approved by the City Council.
In a related matter, the groups that helped amend the ordinance are not satisfied with the way the ordinance is enforced.
``We feel the ordinance is only as good as the inspectors,'' Miller said.
As part of the city's restructuring about three years ago, landscape inspections were removed from the city's landscape department and placed in the planning department.
``We have not seen the same level of sharpness,'' said Parker. ``The attention to detail seems to be lacking.''
Miller's group is asking that building inspectors be specially trained in landscape inspection. They claim that most building inspectors cannot tell the difference between tree species and therefore cannot verify if the landscaping was done correctly.
Because inspections are an administrative matter, it is not addressed by the ordinance. Miller said the Beautification Commission will lobby for training for inspectors at the upcoming budget hearings.
KEYWORDS: LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE by CNB