Good News: Fritz Says Title 11 in Desperate Need of An Overhaul

On Nov. 13, founding members of Trees For Life Oregon and others testified before the City Council to extend the “Big Tree Amendment” that requires developers to pay mitigation fees for cutting down trees 36 inches DBH or greater. This amendment is set to expire on Dec. 31. Read testimony from Trees For Life Oregon members Bruce Nelson and Catherine Mushel.

Both Chloe Eudaly and Amanda Fritz offered support for extension, and, in fact, for an “amendment of the amendment,” in Eudaly’s words, to extend the provision for not just two years but until 2050. The city attorney pointed out that extending it beyond the two years—the amendment under current discussion—would require more time for public input. The mayor said that the Council would vote on this item on December 5, which would allow time for public input into the 2050 date and would be able to capture the votes of Nick Fish and Jo Ann Hardesty, who were absent from the Nov. 13 hearing. Dec. 5 is the hearing date for a second tree code amendment, one that would eliminate current mitigation fee exemptions for developers of properties in industrial/commercial zones.

Amanda Fritz called for “a comprehensive review” of Title 11: “We have found through the years various things that do or don’t work—this [the mitigation fees sunset] is the latest glitch. I do think that on Dec. 5 we need to have a conversation about how we are going to fund in the next budget a desperately needed overview. It doesn’t get any easier if all we do is keep kicking the can or cutting the trees.”

Amen! Trees For Life Oregon strongly supports a comprehensive overhaul of Title 11. We hope the aim is to match the rhetoric of Portland’s stated canopy goals with tree preservation regulations that are robust and effective enough to help us meet those goals.

To watch the hearing discussion about the tree amendment, skip to 2:53:40 here.