The City’s revision to LDR Section 604.051, regarding tree requirements applied to your private residential single family residential property appears to be an attempt to solve a none-existent problem. The City has offered no verifiable evidence that people are willy-nilly cutting down trees on their private property. In fact, as we understand it, there was only one, that is right ONE, fee levied for illegal removal of a tree in the last four calendar years (2020-2024). And so far they have been unable to advise the number of permits for such tree removal during the same period. One would think that the city would have this information at their fingertips after spending untold amounts of taxpayer money on a consultant who tells us we need to be like Fernandina Beach and spending the last two years planning to attack your property rights.
And to make things worse, we3 find that Volusia County exempts all single-family homesteaded property from such foolishness. But we have, in our city, a small group that continues to advocate for these senseless attacks on your rights because they think they are right and the rest of the 30,000 people here are wrong.
It is clear to us that the small vocal group is concerned over the loss of trees from new home develops and is seeking to address that here. But since it is not possible to set a separate requirement for residential private property versus large development, they have chosen to attack the giant and let the small fry, the homeowner, get barreled over in the process. The simple exemption currently in place for Volusia County, would solve that problem, but then again, they seem to want to control your every breath!
We have gathered the documentation on this proposal and list it here for you to review and process:
For a copy of the Staff report for the 04/08/22 meeting regarding the Tree Ordinance revision CLICK HERE
For a Video excerpt from 04/08/25 City Commission meeting on the Tree revisions CLICK HERE
For a copy of the Staff report for the 04/22/25 meeting on the Tree Ordinance Revision, CLICK HERE
For the video excerpt from the 04/22/25 meeting, CLICK HERE.
Please review the above and our comments and come ot the Workshop and voice your desire to retain the property rights over your own private property!