Local News: College Station City Council Passes Tree Ordinance

Sphere: Related Content CS Approves Tree Rule
By Cassie Smith

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Every new single-family home or townhouse in College Station must have at least one tree on the property, the College Station City Council decided Thursday.

The City Council voted unanimously to amend the city's landscape and tree-protection ordinance to require developers to include two trees at least 2 inches in diameter or one tree at least 4 inches in diameter.

The new rule does not apply to existing subdivisions.

The change also gives developers more credit for preserving trees during construction and additional credit for landscape plans prepared by qualified landscape professionals.

Residents spoke on both sides of the issue at Thursday's public hearing.

Sherry Ellison stressed the importance of protecting mature trees over requiring developers to plant small trees, but Brian Alg said the city should consider that some residents might not be interested in having trees on their property.

"This doesn't allow for people to make their own choices about what they do for their property," he said.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the City Council repealed an ordinance that authorized photo enforcement of red light violations. Under state law, a city can only implement a red light camera program by adopting an ordinance, so the cameras could return if a new ordinance is adopted.

Jess Fields, owner of Texas Avenue Cigars and one of three people to speak during the public hearing about the issue, said he disagreed with the way the council handled the red light camera controversy.

The cameras were turned off last month after residents voted in favor of removing them, but Fields said the city seemed to be lobbying to keep the cameras in the days leading up to the election and offered a weak defense to a legal petition that claimed the Nov. 3 election violated the city's charter.

"I would encourage you to remember that this is the people's government and, I mean, there are issues that tick everyone off," Fields said.

Two College Station residents asked a judge to invalidate the election results, arguing that the election measure was a referendum but wasn't submitted within 20 days after the red light camera ordinance was passed, as required by the city's charter.

Last week, Visiting District Judge Suzanne Stovall agreed that the election shouldn't have been held and declared the vote void.

Councilman Dennis Maloney said the ruling didn't matter because the City Council had already committed itself to carrying out the will of the voters.

"I don't know what the commotion is all about," he said.

Published on Friday, December 11, 2009