Mayor's Letter to the Post and Courier
This is the revised letter to the Post and Courier. It was greatly shortened at the request of the paper.
Mayor Woolsey
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Two editorials have appeared on the Town of James Island’s tree regulation. The Town defines grand trees as any oak species with a 24” or greater diameter. Charleston County and the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston use the 24” limit. Mount Pleasant defines "historic trees" using the same standard.
Your June 1 editorial compared the Town’s definition of grand trees with protected trees in other jurisdictions. The JI Planning Commission recommended that protected trees be defined as any tree of 8” or greater, with regulations similar to those in the County and the City of Charleston.
Limiting the definition of grand trees to oaks is unusual. To prepare for a workshop on tree regulation, Town staff is gathering information on rules of other jurisdictions, native trees of James Island, and the Town’s undeveloped parcels.
The day before the June 20 meeting, Council received an email from Councilman Kernodle proposing to define grand trees as all trees other than pines with 18” or greater diameter. Earlier that day, I received an email from "Nix 526" asking their supporters to contact Council in support of this proposal. I received 19 emails from Town residents and 20 from others. The emails and 25 supporters at the meeting were less than 1% of the Town’s 8,954 voters.
Councilman Blank, Chair of the Land Use Committee and former Chair of the JI Planning Commission, joined me in voting against the amendment. Councilmen Kernodle and Mullinax and Councilwoman Berry voted in favor.
The vote to allow the Harbor View Road project cited in the June 22 editorial was also 3 to 2. Kernodle and Berry voted to block the project. Mullinax joined Blank and I to allow the project to go forward.
The grand tree definition is very serious because it applies to over 4000 homeowners, subjecting them to fines for cutting down trees in their yard. Asking for permission requires paying a fee and appearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals. A major change in Town policy should never occur by last minute amendment at the behest of a handful of Town voters.
Your June 1 editorial compared the Town’s definition of grand trees with protected trees in other jurisdictions. The JI Planning Commission recommended that protected trees be defined as any tree of 8” or greater, with regulations similar to those in the County and the City of Charleston.
Limiting the definition of grand trees to oaks is unusual. To prepare for a workshop on tree regulation, Town staff is gathering information on rules of other jurisdictions, native trees of James Island, and the Town’s undeveloped parcels.
The day before the June 20 meeting, Council received an email from Councilman Kernodle proposing to define grand trees as all trees other than pines with 18” or greater diameter. Earlier that day, I received an email from "Nix 526" asking their supporters to contact Council in support of this proposal. I received 19 emails from Town residents and 20 from others. The emails and 25 supporters at the meeting were less than 1% of the Town’s 8,954 voters.
Councilman Blank, Chair of the Land Use Committee and former Chair of the JI Planning Commission, joined me in voting against the amendment. Councilmen Kernodle and Mullinax and Councilwoman Berry voted in favor.
The vote to allow the Harbor View Road project cited in the June 22 editorial was also 3 to 2. Kernodle and Berry voted to block the project. Mullinax joined Blank and I to allow the project to go forward.
The grand tree definition is very serious because it applies to over 4000 homeowners, subjecting them to fines for cutting down trees in their yard. Asking for permission requires paying a fee and appearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals. A major change in Town policy should never occur by last minute amendment at the behest of a handful of Town voters.
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