Greenwich P&Z Devotes 20 Minutes Saving a Single Oak Tree
The Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission recently drew a hard line in the topsoil: a developer’s request to remove a single, healthy 24-inch oak tree at 40 West Way in Old Greenwich was officially rejected.
The tree sits on the site of a sprawling new 7,559-square-foot single-family home. During the September 15 meeting (which you can watch in the video replay), commissioners spent over 20 minutes debating the fate of this solitary oak. Their ultimate consensus? The property owner was advised to hire an arborist to preserve and maintain the tree—and sternly warned against any "draconian" over-pruning.
Local blogger Christopher Fountain captured the community's collective eyebrow-raise on For What It's Worth, asking the obvious common-sense question: "Should the P&Z Really Have the Authority to Control the Placement of a Single Tree on Private Property?"
Between the Lines: While we love our trees, especially the sturdy oak, there has to be some limit to regulation here. What’s next—requiring a special permit and an arborist's report before you can move your patio furniture?