Vanishing Trees

Crews are cutting down old oak trees in a North Raleigh neighborhood. Residents want to know why.

BY JASMINE GALLUP jgallup@indyweek.com

Matt Stanwick, who lives in a townhome community in North Raleigh with his wife, was walking his dog River through the neighborhood on a rare sunny day in mid-January when he noticed there weren’t as many trees as there used to be.

Where dozens of oak trees once stood in small pockets around townhomes, there were now just scattered saplings, dogwoods, and pines standing among the many stumps hidden by fallen leaves. In some areas, about a quarter of the trees had been chopped down. In others, up to half of the trees were gone, according to Stanwick.

For the renters of homes located in Edwards Mill Townhomes and Apartments, the neighborhood is a rare pocket of serenity in the ever-changing, ever-growing North Raleigh—at least, it used to be. Since January 12, dozens of trees in the quiet, secluded community have been cut down, leaving wood chips scattered across the parking lot and tree limbs and trunks sliced into pieces on the side of the road.

Stanwick, who has lived in Edwards Mill for about a year, knew crews had been at work doing tree trimming and removal—the buzz and rattle of chainsaws and wood chippers was almost nonstop for at least a week, he says. But he, like many of the residents, had no idea why the trees were coming down when work first started.

“We assumed they were just kind of doing cleanup, but it was pretty quickly obvious that it was more than that, [with] as much as they were cutting,” Stanwick says. “It wasn’t until probably a few days in that we received an email from management.”

Even that email was frustrating, Stanwick says, because it didn’t fully explain why the trees were coming down but simply threatened to tow cars that were in construction zones. Another email from the new management company—ZRS Management—explained the tree-trimming and removal project was set to take a total of three to four weeks. By the end of January, who knows how many trees will be left.

Why cut down the trees?

Explanations about the tree removal have varied. Stanwick says he recalls a property manager saying they wanted to “let more sunlight in.” That’s an explanation several other residents say they have heard, including one anonymous social media user who posted a lengthy protest on Reddit.

“I understand needing to cut trees because of danger to property if they fall, or roots getting into foundations, or into plumbing,” the resident wrote. “That’s not what’s happening here. They literally told me they want to ‘open it up’ and ‘make it brighter’ so anything with a particular diameter is being cut down.”

On the other hand, ZRS has also sent emails to residents stating the tree removal is for safety reasons. Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation from the management company, forwarded this explanation from ZRS:

“[Work] is being completed due to the structural damage as the roots and branches are overgrown,” the statement read. “As the roots grow, they damage sidewalks, foundations, and underground piping around the community. Also, the overgrown branches are causing damage to the rooftops of the buildings. We are trying to prevent structural damage to the community and other issues that could cause water intrusion later on. We do apologize that the communication was not sent out when this project started to let residents know.”

That same resident, who has lived in Edwards Mill since 2008, refuted this claim, saying he and his partner have not seen roots breaking up the parking lot or sidewalk and that most of the trees and branches being cut are healthy.

When asked about the tree-cutting, ZRS property manager Emilia Wright told the INDY she had “no comment.” In a follow-up email, regional manager Katie Schane reiterated that sentiment, writing, “I am unable to provide you with any comment at this time.”

The consensus among residents is that they understand the need for tree trimming from time to time—especially of expansive, overhanging, or sick or dead trees—but the kind of clear-cutting that’s happening now is unacceptable.

“I’m disgusted,” says 64-year-old Steve Austin, who has lived in Edwards Mill for about six years. “All my animals are gone. All my squirrels, all my chipmunks, all my birds are gone. It looks like a natural disaster kind of a scene.”

Austin, who is retired, says he spends a lot of time in his front- and backyard shadowboxing. His unit is one of the few with an expansive lawn, which was mostly forest up until two weeks ago. Austin also does a lot of walking in local parks, so he says he understands that tree maintenance has to be done. If the trees are sick or at risk of falling on his house, “by all means, remove them,” Austin says.

“If it’s something that had to be done, that’s one thing,” he adds. “I mean, some of the trees are leaning in a precarious position to the house … but from what I heard, the original deal when they sold the property was that the trees were supposed to stay.”

That natural landscape is one of the reasons Austin moved into Edwards Mill in the first place.

“Now a lot of the shade is gone,” he says. “My car was always in the shade. Now it’s not. My house was nice and cool in the summer. Now it won’t be.”

Chainsaws and wood chippers

The buzz and rattle of chainsaws and wood chippers has been nonstop in Edwards Mill since early January, residents say. It starts as early as 8 a.m. and can last all day, according to some who work from home.

It’s unclear who made the decision to cut down the trees. The property has changed hands a few times since it was expanded in the 1990s, but no drastic changes happened until it was sold this year to Covenant Capital Group, based in Nashville, Tennessee, according to Wake County records.

The former owner, RK Properties in Florida, sold the 37-acre property for $56.5 million on January 5, according to records. The new owner also brought on a change in management, with ZRS Properties moving into the leasing office. Tree removal started just seven days later.

Property owners are generally allowed to do what they like within the boundaries of their land, including cutting down trees, says Justin Rametta, a zoning administrator with the City of Raleigh. They are bound by certain rules, including the city’s tree conservation ordinance, which took effect in 2005. Essentially, the ordinance requires that 10–15 percent of trees on properties bigger than two acres must be preserved when a property is being developed or redeveloped.

Since Edwards Mill was built before this law took effect, the owners weren’t bound to it, says Rametta. But they may still be bound by other parts of zoning law, which requires natural buffers on the edges of the property.

Due to the complaints from residents, the City of Raleigh opened an investigation into the tree cutting on January 18, which is meant to determine whether the property owner is violating any city codes by cutting down certain trees. If found in violation, the owner could face thousands of dollars in fees, depending on how many trees were illegally removed. An inspection was scheduled for January 24, after the INDY went to print.

“Basically, part of that investigation entails looking into whether any of the trees that were moved are required [by the city] or violated any of the city’s tree protection ordinances,” Rametta says. “There are some protections that apply to trees around the perimeter of the property.”

Tree conservation

The city’s tree conservation rules are designed to protect the environment by preventing clear-cutting, preserving the tree canopy, and protecting existing mature trees. In addition to preserving animal habitats, protecting trees can prevent stormwater runoff and flooding, a common complaint among city residents. The merits of trees in urban areas have been extensively documented: not only do they provide shade, potentially lowering utility bills, but they absorb heat and greenhouse gas emissions, reduce noise pollution, and provide habitats for wildlife.

As climate change worsens, urban residents have pushed for better environmental protections. The environment was a significant talking point in Raleigh’s elections last year, when environmentalists Jane Harrison and Mary Black-Branch were elected. Even before the election, however, the city council was considering expanding tree protections.

“Tree conservation policies in Raleigh are woefully inadequate for the development pressures we are facing,” Harrison wrote in an email. “It’s common to see small properties clear-cut and minimal tree protections for larger developments. We need a real plan to preserve forest cover or it will be lost. We must plant and maintain tree canopy cover if we value the beauty, shade, cooling effects, water filtration, and carbon sequestration trees provide.”

The city council is currently considering expanding tree protections, an initiative that started last year before the elections. The new policy proposes tree conservation requirements for properties under two acres, as well protections for “champion” trees and planting requirements for smaller lots.

It “has the potential to protect native species to the Piedmont such as oaks, basswoods, and hickories. It’s a step in the right direction,” Harrison wrote.

“Basically what [the city council has] asked staff to look into is potential ways to reduce the threshold for tree conservation … from two acres to one acre,” says Rametta. “[We’re also] exploring other ways we might be able to increase tree protections on lots that are even smaller than one acre.”

Tree preservation is just one part of a larger initiative by the city to increase sustainability and take action on climate change, Rametta says.

“We’re working with Wake County … on a tree canopy study to scientifically determine exactly how much tree canopy exists today and where we might focus on preserv[ing] that canopy,” he says. “The city has adopted a climate action plan. These tree conservation rules are just one small piece of a larger initiative the city has regarding trees in general and environmental health.”