All cities recognize the vital importance  and value of trees, and have policies to protect and care for them. After all, they clean our air,  improve  mental and phsical health, sequester water,  and help prevent land from eroding and sliding. 

• •Historically, and in accordance with Olmsted’s historic landscape architecture theory, all prior PVE Tree Managment Policies (TMPs) state that all scenic views are equally desirable, including trees, golf course, ocean,  etc. No “type” of view took precedence over another in PVE. 

Util 2013, when a rewrite of the policy removed obstacles to destroying our community trees (not those on private property). These revisions created a False Dichotomy by diffentiating views into two groups: "ocean/scenic views" and "tree views."

The 2013 TMP rewrite did this by:

1. Virtually ignoring the fact that trees have always been considered part of “scenic views” 
2. Redefined the terms "views" and "scenic views”  to exclusively mean "ocean views”  
3. It called out “(ocean) view-related" tree removal requests as a special type of request, prioritizing it  above all others. 

• The tree management policy became an ocean view policy, in effect rendering trees nothing but disposable obstructions.

Allowing private homeowners to chop down  Community tress so they can make a quick buck is hardly fair to those of us who paid 30% more to live in a community with abundant trees, and amidst beautifully “undeveloped” Olmsted landscape architecture. 

• Currently, our Community has no legitimate means of saying “no" to opportunistic homeowners, flippers and realtors who want to cut down our green assets for their own gain, caring nothing for the long-term effects on the rest of us.

Because of this, requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. As a result, many of these disputes land in Council Meetings. Having clear, enforceable policy that considers the long-range welfare of the community would lessen that burden for Council , Parklands and residents  in this regard. 

• Right now, community tree removal is  a “gold rush” mentality with no thought to preserving our historic trees, or what our city will look like when they're done.

The “abundant trees”  is an implied promise, both in all the city literature and in the name of this city (Green Arbors Estates). Please manage trees responsibly, for everyone.