Tree-lined streets are part of Denver’s quality of life. But with such beauty comes the responsibility of caring for those trees.
We’re behind the latest effort of the city’s forestry department to add some teeth to its longtime ordinance regarding tree care.
It’s better than the draconian policy pitched last year, though we’re still a bit unnerved by the exorbitant fines that could be levied on homeowners.
The ordinance requires property owners to care for trees along the public right away, that narrow strip of land that sits between the sidewalk and the curb. Homeowners are expected to water and prune these trees and remove diseased or dead ones, with some permitting requirements attached.
And while a property owner can be cited for not properly tending to the trees and ultimately could end up in court, there have been no associated fines established. Forestry is now proposing fines that would follow those assessed for noncompliance of other municipal ordinances: $150 for the first violation, $500 for the second notice and $999 for the third.
So if you haven’t trimmed that giant cottonwood that hangs out into the street, warnings would be issued first and there would be an appeals process, according to assistant city attorney Kerry Buckey.
“The practice is to talk to someone first [about the problem] and not issue anything,” he said.
It’s about protecting Denver’s trees in that right of way while also ensuring public safety and neighborhood harmony. The fines also would add some money to forestry’s coffers, possibly $250,000 a year. About $50,000 of that would go toward hiring a fifth arborist.
Last year, the City Council killed a more onerous plan that would have made it illegal for residents to remove healthy trees from their front yards without jumping through bureaucratic hoops; also, disobedience could have resulted in thousands of dollars in fines.
We’ve found a few benefits to this year’s proposal. First, facing a fine is typically a good motivator. Second, the city will charge a fee to developers to cover the city’s analysis of trees in the right of way impacted by the construction.
A city built on the semi-arid plains must take aggressive actions to encourage vegetation and enhance the municipality’s attractiveness and quality of life for residents and visitors.
Denver’s long-standing ordinance has accomplished that and with this proposal, forestry officials will have a little more to work with.
We do worry about homeowners who can’t afford to care for the trees or pay such high fines, which makes it imperative that the city help residents if they can’t afford to hire a tree trimmer.
