Though dismayed that a developer clear-cut a grove of century-old trees, a plan to build 126 town homes at Lake Marian and Oak Ridge Roads was approved recently by the Carpentersville Village Board.
The 7-0 vote came reluctantly after board members realized the problem was a weak tree ordinance and what they considered poor communication by village staff and the developer, Westchester-based Town & Country Homes.
The loss of the mature oak, maple, cherry and walnut trees occurred after the developer was given approval to grade the 17-acre parcel before final plans were approved by the village.
“Based on what the staff had indicated, I believe the developer was not in any violation,” Village Manager Kevin O’Donnell said at the meeting.
Mayor Cheryal Callahan blamed O’Donnell for not understanding what the developer intended, but agreed Carpentersville’s tree preservation ordinance is far from clear.
“This is the first time we’ve used the tree ordinance, so I have to cut (the administration) a little slack,” Callahan said before the meeting. “But the way it reads, it is very contradictory and ambiguous.”
Said resident William Rouleau at the meeting: “I feel that the property value has been depreciated by the mass removal of all those trees. I would like the village to consider certain measures to be taken in order to make things right for the landowners that border that site.”
Rouleau said he bought a vacant lot near the site two days before the trees came down.
The board voted last month against approving the townhouse plan, believing the developer had violated the tree ordinance. The more recent vote was grim acceptance of the need to strengthen the measure.
To that end, officials are seeking the help of neighboring communities, including Barrington, a town known for having strict rules regarding trees.
“Trees define this community, it’s as simple as that,” said Michael J. Szymanski, Barrington forester and building and grounds maintenance supervisor.
He said developers in Barrington are required to hire an arborist to rate trees on a site slated for development by species and condition. Based on an International Society of Arborists rating system that defines “key trees” — those considered superior because of their condition and value to the site — the village decides what percentage of trees must be preserved.
Because Barrington is not a home-rule community, officials cannot tie a dollar amount to the penalty for removing a tree without permission, but can ask the developer to plant a replacement.
Still, some suburban officials, including Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder, said even with the most stringent rules on the books, they can be shocked to see what a site looks like after grading.
“Sometimes village officials are out of town on business and they do not have the time to do a field trip out to the site,” Mulder said. “These things can slip through the cracks, but a motivated community can always go back and rewrite an ordinance.”
That’s what Carpentersville officials said they will begin doing, but residents near the former wooded site are not mollified. Bob and Lisa Thelen, whose back yard borders the site, said they have hired an attorney and are prepared to take legal action against both the village and Town & Country.
John McFarland, director of planning for Town & Country, said at the meeting that 1,564 shrubs, 336 evergreen and shade trees and 2,872 small perennial plantings will be placed at the site.
