Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2019 12 05

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#1 Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda Hi Dean, Thank you for your response and time on the phone yesterday. For the benefit of the Board and to aid the discussion, I will summarize my thoughts and comments from yesterday's conversation here as well. I appreciate your description of the process. You are clearly in a position to know, but also to decide or interpret, what is necessary to possibly fix the structure in its current location by raising it a few feet, so it can sit above grade and direct surface water away from it. From a resident's perspective it seems overkill to need a building permit to raise a small uninhabitable structure a few feet in its existing location. For example, none of the four conditions that would trigger the need for engineered construction plans seem applicable for modification of an existing assessory structure. Would a Miscellaneous Building Permit with Site Plan not be sufficient? While the purpose of the structure is to house electrical and irrigation equipment, the structure itself does not include electrical or plumbing, is less than 200 sf, is one story, and is not attached to a primary structure. https://www.louisvilleco.gov/home/showdocument?id=23365 From my perspective, not cutting down the tree saves the city roughly $5,000 out the gates. The cost to remove the tree was quoted just under $3,000. The city would also avoid the costs of installing a French drain along the sidewalk, as currently planned, and the cost of stump grinding and site reclamation. There is also value to a healthy tree of that age and size, which is truly irreplaceable. While recognizing its impossible to assign an exact dollar value to any single tree in a park, an anecdotal example I found from a Portland, Oregon city park suggests the environmental and societal benefits of a tree this size could be as much as $20,000. How much is that tree worth? Portland Parks & Recreation puts a price tag on it Alternatively, cutting down the tree does not resolve the issue and the city will still have an uneven structure situated in a surface depression that will continue to accumulate rainwater and snowmelt and fill with debris (twigs, leaves, windblown soil, etc.) and require on -going maintenance to keep the entry accessible. I also disagree with the City's appraisal of this tree's value, which is based solely on its species. While I recognize cottonwoods are not popular with city planners and can pose issues when in decline or deceased, this particular cottonwood is very healthy, with no significant die off. It does not produce cotton in the spring. It is of great value to wildlife, particularly to raptors. Just the last few nights, a large owl can be heard perched in its branches and hawks are regular daytime visitors.