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Health & Fitness

115 Strafford Ave Trees Removed Without Permit--Wednesday 11/30 Shade Tree Commission

115 Strafford on agenda at this Wed., 11/30, 7:30 PM Shade Tree hearing. 30 trees removed without permit. This property in "hot spot" of where storm water runoff originates.

Question:  Where does the storm water runoff that sometimes results in life-threatening conditions and floods basements and the area next to Wawa on Lancaster/Banbury and in South Wayne originate? 

Answer:  Runoff originates uphill including the vicinity of 115 Strafford Avenue. 

Radnor Township has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars installing storm water detention/capture facilities in the Strafford Office Complex parking lot that adjoins the 115 Strafford property as well as on nearby Francis Avenue—just behind Wawa.  Additional millions of taxpayer dollars were spent to build a new, “dry” Middle School that would not be flooded by storm water.

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The owner of the 2-acre 115 Strafford property recently removed 30 (some counts indicate as many as 40-45) trees without a permit.  The removed trees absorbed many thousands of gallons of storm water runoff—for free.  The storm water previously absorbed by the 30 trees will now WORSEN the already dangerous conditions that threaten life and property in Wayne.

If Radnor Township officials require that the 30 trees cut down with an average diameter of about 13” be replaced in strict accordance with the Code-specified tree replacement formula, the net biomass loss of trees will be about 98%.  According to Radnor Township Manager Bob Zienkowski, the owner is facing a potential fine of $2,000 for each tree removed without a permit. 

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In addition, the owner of the 115 Strafford property wants to remove 6 tall pine trees that were planted many years ago to prevent the headlights of autos in the restaurant parking lot from shining in the bedroom windows of nearby residents on Farm Road.  Even though these trees were planted as a condition of a prior zoning variance to buffer the Farm Road residents and after hearing the concerns of both Shade Tree Commissioners and the residents, the owner still wants to remove these trees “in order to create open space.”

Solutions to these problems include:

  1. Stop the removal of additional trees including the 6 tall pines until there is an effective replacement buffer.
  2. Replace the tree buffer already removed by the owner's cutting the bottom 10 feet of branches from the tall pine trees.
  3. Comply with the Radnor Storm Water Code, since this property is in the “hot zone” of where storm water originates in this area of the Township.
  4. Stop the large amount of soil erosion into Radnor's storm sewer due to the inadequate ground cover on this property and aggravated by the recent removal of so many trees.  Provide for the future maintenance of the storm water grate on the northeast corner of the property.
  5. Replace the trees removed with more than the extremely small number of trees required under the Code.
  6. Enforce Radnor Township laws providing fines for removal of trees without a permit by the owner and his contractor.
  7. Give the citizens of Radnor the "benefit of doubt" caused by the owner removing trees without a permit.  In previous Shade Tree hearings, the owner claimed that the previous owner removed some trees as a "condition of sale."  In addition, the owner claims that his contractor removed trees without his authorization.  If there is any confusion as to who removed trees, this confusion solely resulted from the owner's failure to comply with Radnor laws and oversee the work performed by his contractor.

Please attend this important meeting on this Wednesday, 11/30, that begins at 7:30 PM at the Township building. 

Thanks,

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