Long-Awaited Cherry Hill Tree Plan Gets Mixed Reviews From Residents

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A group of Cherry Hill residents asked the township council several months ago to come up with a plan to curtail the large number of trees being cut down in the township.

The council introduced an ordinance to address the residents' concerns on May 9. However, the ordinance seemed to get a thumbs down from residents who discussed it at the May 23 council meeting.

Cherry Hill's Director of Community Development Cosmas Diamantis said at the May 9 meeting that some of the major components of the proposed ordinance are:

• Requiring all commercial developers and certain residents to plant a tree for every tree removed. Those who do not (or will not) comply with this requirement must contribute to a fund dedicated to increasing the number of trees in Cherry Hill.
• Increasing the number of persons who can potentially be held liable when an illegal tree removal occurs and that those found guilty of illegal tree removal be required to pay fines or plant new trees.
• Mandating that all those wishing to remove trees, except for those deemed an "imminent threat," will need to file an application to do so.

A resident at the May 23 council meeting felt the proposed ordinance put too much responsibility on them as opposed to the developers who are cutting down most of the trees.

"It seems to place more of an onus on the homeowner," Carol O'Neill, a resident of Cherry Hill for 36 years said of the proposed ordinance. "It seems ... I would have to replace or donate and that is my concern from a private property perspective."

Another resident at the May 23 council meeting, Charles O'Donnell, who has lived in the township for 45 years, also felt the proposed ordinance was unfair.

"I don't mind taking [a tree] down. But I don't want to have to put up another tree and have my sidewalk and roots come up through the sidewalk again," said O'Donnell.

Council president David Fleischer explained to the meeting attendees that the ordinance was not intended "to be onerous on the individual residential homeowner." However, he did acknowledge the proposed ordinance contains "plenty of nuances" that the township is willing to address in one-on-one meetings with residents.

According to Fleischer, public comment on the plan is welcome between now and the vote on the ordinance, which is currently scheduled for June 13.

The new ordinance will take effect 20 days after its publication in a local newspaper, according to the draft of the ordinance.

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