05/28/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

e this particular heritage tree had been cut. He said this group wanted to reach a community consensus on this issue, not to cut down all the remaining heritage trees. Mr. Boles said the tree removal on Coburg Road was not an isolated incident. He said another large heritage tree was cut down recently on 6th Avenue in front of the former L'Auberge Restaurant. He said the issue was whether the ownership of heritage trees was a right or a privilege. He said it was his belief that owning heritage trees was a privilege and that such trees should be protected. Ms. Bascom noted that when she was first notified that plans were under way to cut a heritage tree on Coburg Road, her best idea had been to call Regis- ter-Guard columnist Don Bishoff. She said she had then attended a Tree Com- mission meeting at which she discovered that the City does not have a clear definition of heritage trees. She said the creation of tree ordinances will take time. e Mr. MacDonald said it was frustrating that the best resource for preserving trees was to contact the news media. He said he would like an ordinance for the preservation of all trees with diameters of three feet or more. Mr. Boles said that because it would take time to implement the tree manage- ment plan, the City should declare an immediate moratorium on the cutting down of heritage trees. He said the urban forester could review the cases at hand. He said there would have been no question that the tree cut down on Coburg Road was a heritage tree. He said the urban forester was supposed to protect old growth. In response to a question from Mr. Green, Mr. Staszewski said approximately one percent of all trees within the city were heritage trees. V. CITY ATTORNEY'S OPINION ON ISSUES RELATED TO RECONSIDERATION OF THE COUNCIL'S VOTE ON AMENDMENTS TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA GENERAL PLAN City Attorney Bill Gary said the motion to reconsider the Blue Water Boats amendment must come from the prevailing side in the previous vote, but the second did not have to come from this group. Mayor Miller said two councilors wanted to use a council ground rule and call for the privilege to postpone this issue until the following day. He said they could also move to table the issue to a specific date. Mr. Gary said the motion on the Blue Water Boats amendment could be continued to the council's Wednesday meeting the following day, but the matter would have to be voted on at that meeting. He said a motion to reconsider could not be tabled to a date beyond the current month's meetings. Mayor Miller asked if a reconsidered motion could be tabled and Mr. Gary said it could be. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 28, 1991 Page 9