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- M I NUT E S EUGENE CITY COUNCIL March 13, 1978 Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller at 7:30 p.m. on March 13, 1978, in the Council Chamber, with the following Councilors present: D. W. Hamel, Ray Bradley, Eric Haws, Jack Delay, Scott Lieuallen, Brian Obie, and Betty Smith. Councilor Tom Williams was absent. I. Public Hearings A.Amendments to Tree Cutting Ordinance Proposed amendment distributed to Council. Manager said this was basically the ordinance which Council had adopted at its February 22 meeting, with the refinement of those amendments which include prohibition of cutting on less than a 20,000 square-foot lot unless a building permit is issued, no more than five trees per year from a lot of 20,000 or more square feet, with a tree defined as a 25-inch instead of 36-inch circumference. e Kay Holbo, 2090 Broadview, Chairperson, Tree Preservation Committee, reviewed for Council the process it had gone through in recognizing the need to preserve the trees in Eugene, especially in the South Hills area. She explained the major .changes in the amendments to Council. No tree can be cut in Eugene without a permit except: 1) on lots or parcels less than 20,000 square feet on which a building exists or a building permit has been applied for, in which case the individual property owner may cut as many trees as he wishes; 2} on street rights-of-way or public utility easements during the installa- tion of improvements such as sewers and streets; 3} only five trees per year may be removed on lots or parcels over 20,000 square feet. The City will monitor cutting of trees through the Building Department and it would be hoped the amendments would prevent unrestricted tree cutting in the City. - Stan Long, City Attorney, said the ordinance presented to the Council for this evening's meeting represented the entire tree cutting ordi- nance in a complete comprehensive package. The ordinance addresses occupied parcels of land (one that has a dwelling or a building permit for a dwelling); Tree Appeal Board; the size of tree has been reduced; same procedure for obtaining a permit; same criteria under which a permit is to be issued; and the appeal section is the same. He noted the exceptions which were changed somewhat included two pro- hibitions: 1} an emergency situation; and 2} an occupied parcel of private property consisting of less than 20,000 square feet do not need a permit for felling trees. There was a slight rewording in Section 6.330(g} in that any felling necessary to install or maintain improvements such as streets and sewers within publicly-owned rights-of-way or utility easements are not subject to the restrictions of the other sections in the Code. Also, an exception has been made in that a permit is not needed for cutting trees in the. final approval for a PUD. 3/13/78--1 155