Proposed changes in the village’s building codes may increase the percentage of green space on a developer’s plan and impose a fine against a builder who recklessly cuts down trees for construction.
The stricter guidelines generally formalize the long-held views of village leaders who have placed a premium on open space. The amendments to the Land Development Code will be reviewed by the Plan Commission later this month before the Village Board votes on them.
The tree fine, for example, gets tough with developers who sometimes clear a parcel of land without regard to tree preservation.
If the penalty is enacted, violators will pay a fine related to the size and number of trees that were unnecessarily eliminated, said Plan Commission Chairperson Shirley Fazio. The fine structure is still being written, but the tentative proposal calls for a fine equal to $100 per diameter inch of any tree that is lost.
