Tree Advocate: Enforce Ordinance; Claims 250 Have Fallen in 2014

AVALON – Borough Council’s Nov. 12 meeting was mostly routine until the public comment period. Martha Wright, a resident who regularly attends, informed council that the borough has consistently failed to enforce its own ordinances dealing with landscaping and protection of vegetation during demolition and construction.
Wright, armed with research on the ordinance and data demonstrating its non-enforcement, presented a disturbing picture. She began by largely praising the ordinance on paper but then relegated it to a “work of fiction because we have not been enforcing it since 2009.” Noting that 53 demolition permits have been issued to date in 2014, Wright “began monitoring the demolitions and found that we are not enforcing the requirements.” Recently Wright has taken the step of filing formal zoning complaints.
Wright’s major concern is the systematic destruction of indigenous trees that are a natural part of the island’s ecology. She pointed to the borough’s self-image as a “green community,” gave statistics on the massive bird migrations that pass through Avalon, and noted the importance of birding to the tourism season.
The attempt was an appeal both to the borough’s sense of its responsibilities as an environmental steward and to its concern for the basic economics of its major industry, tourism.
Giving an estimate that the borough loses five trees per demolition “or 250 trees so far this year,” Wright painted a picture of “a millionaire’s ghetto of massive homes with 15 feet between them and five puny, non-native pear trees per 50-by-110 foot lot.” Saying that she had exhausted avenues for bringing the lack of enforcement to the attention of zoning and administration officials, Wright brought the matter directly to council.
Appearing both surprised and disturbed by the scope of the complaint Wright presented, council next heard from James Waldron, assistant business administrator. Waldron claimed that the borough was “not taking the complaints lightly,” and that work was being done on “developing an enforcement plan.”
It was not immediately clear why an appropriate enforcement plan did not exist for an ordinance that has been on the books since at least 2009. It is clear that borough administrative officials feel that areas of the ordinance also need reworking and that such work will require time; however, a sense of urgency was also apparent. Council requested that it be kept informed on the matter.
Wright claims that 53 homes have been demolished in Avalon in 2014. If her estimate of five trees per demolition is accurate and if the pace of demolitions continues next year, time may be running out for many of the borough’s indigenous trees.
Dredging
Borough Administrator Scott Wahl informed council of some last minute changes to the dredging plan, due to start prior to Thanksgiving. The initial expectation was that the borough contractor, Mobile Dredging and Pumping, would arrange with property owners to dredge slips as they moved in the process of dredging the harbor. The borough had put together an information area on its website, mailed notices with required return documents to property owners and was prepared to move in that original direction. Last-minute discussions have left the borough with a change in plans, but one that may be beneficial to all.
After discussions with Mobile concerning the work to be done with individual property owners, the borough made arrangements with Channel Marine Construction to dredge private slips at “greatly reduced rates” provided property owners sign up.
Property owners can make arrangements with Channel to have slips dredged in advance of Mobile’s dredging of the main channel. The material from the dredging of private slips will be deposited in the main channel and Mobile will pick it up has it dredges the harbor.
This allows Channel Marine to offer a favorable rate to property owners and allows Mobile to concentrate on the main channel renewing hopes that Princeton Harbor can be completed by the end of this year’s dredging season Dec. 31.
Property owners must return all appropriate documents and an escrow check by Nov. 19 at 4:15 p.m. in order to be included. Since the arrangement depends upon Channel dredging private slips in advance of Mobile’s pace in the main channel, the borough makes it clear that “Under no conditions will Channel Marine Construction return to your private slip for private dredging once the main dredge passes by your property.”
Details of the plan have been sent and are available on the website.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.