Over 30 Trees Cut Down Without a Permit at 115 Strafford Ave (former Villa Strafford Restaurant)

Recently, more than 30 trees were cut down without a permit at 115 Strafford Ave (former location of the Villa Strafford Restaurant).

On 9/13 after hearing chain saws in the direction of the former Villa Strafford Restaurant located at 115 Strafford Ave. in Wayne, I asked the Rick’s Tree service workers if they had a tree removal permit.  The workers stated that their office had a permit but were unable to show it to me.  I then called Radnor’s Zoning department and was told that that no permit had been issued.  A Radnor zoning inspector visited the site and told the workers to stop cutting down trees.  By this point over 25 trees had already been removed including tall pine trees that were planted about 35 years ago at the request of the nearby residents by a previous owner in order to buffer the adjoining residential area on Farm Road from the restaurant.  Two of the pine trees cut were approximately 40’ tall and about 22” diameter.

On 9/20, again at the sound of chain saws, I found more trees being cut down.  Rick’s Tree workers said that they were authorized by the Township, but again they had no permit.  Once again, I reported this situation to the Township, and a Township inspector visited and shut down the tree removal.  After the Township inspector left, at least one or more additional trees were cut down.

At the 9/28 Radnor Shade Tree Commission (“STC”) hearing, the new owner, Mr. Bharat Luthra (who also owns The Kebob Factory in Rosemont and Khajuraho India in Ardmore), appeared and requested permission to remove the remaining six 40’ tall healthy pine trees.  Attached is the STC summary of that meeting.  I had no advance notice that this matter would be on the agenda, so I was unable to attend.  Below is the portion of the STC summary pertaining to Villa Strafford—

115 Strafford Avenue C 11-12 Tabled

Submit an arborist’s report detailing the condition of trees buffering the neighbors and Eagle Road.

Submit a landscape architect’s plan showing the proposed location of 28 replacement trees

Reappear at the October meeting with the above required document

In his testimony at the 9/28 hearing, Mr. Luthra significantly understated the number of trees that were removed.  In responding to questions from the STC, Mr. Luthra first stated that 4 trees had been removed.  After further questioning, Mr. Luthra increased the number removed to 10-12 trees.  He also stated that his contractor, Rick’s Tree Service, removed the larger trees without his authorization and that the seller of the property removed some trees as a condition of the property sale.  Radnor Township Engineer, Doug Meder, marked, numbered, and photographed 30 trees that had been removed.  In addition to the 30 trees, there are other trees that were recently cut down.

A video replay of the 9/28 hearing can be found at the following link:  http://www.radnor.com/egov/apps/document/center.egov?path=doc&id=2250&id2=1932&linked=0   (Note:  The 115 Strafford Ave. matter is the last item on the agenda, but it is not possible to fast-forward the video.)

Workers at the site told me that the owner wanted to remove the row of tall pine trees in order to enlarge the lawn area to accommodate outdoor dining events like weddings.  The workmen stated that grass would not grow under the pine trees.  Other residents have been told by Mr. Luthra or his contractors that the trees had to be removed so that there was a clear view from the rear of the building to the fence line that borders the rear yards of the homes on Farm Road due to “insurance” requirements.

In addition to the 30 trees already removed, some of the remaining large-diameter, 75-year old maples trees on the property will also have to be cut down due to their dangerous/diseased condition.  These trees border the Villa Strafford property line on the north side/next to the Strafford Office Center as well as along the east side/Farm property line.  For the last 40 years under various restaurant owners, these trees received little or no maintenance other than to remove obvious storm-damaged limbs.

Under Radnor Township Code, removal of one or more trees from a commercially-zoned property requires a permit.  Obviously, removal of 30 trees without a permit is an egregious offense.  Removing the remaining 6 mature tall pine trees in very good condition that took 35 years to grow in order to create “open space” would destroy the sight and sound barrier for nearby residents on Farm Road as well as the capacity of the root systems to absorb large amounts of storm water runoff.

Radnor Township’s tree replacement formula requires that each tree removed with a diameter between 1” and 23” be replaced with trees with a minimum diameter of 2” to 2.5.”    For example, if the average diameter of the trees removed is 13” (my calculation) and the average replacement size is 2,” only 15% of the diameter of trees removed will be replaced.  Even after complying with the Code-specified number and size of replacement trees, it will take many years for nature to recreate an effective sight and noise buffer from nearby Lancaster Avenue along with the restaurant operations and other businesses.

The area surrounding the 115 Strafford property is uphill from where storm flooding occurs downhill toward South Wayne.  The large reduction in trees on this 2-acre property will magnify the existing storm water flooding problem at the triangle on Windsor and Banbury next to the Wawa as well as South Wayne.  Several years ago, Radnor Township paid about $500,000 to install a storm water management/filtration system under the porous asphalt-paved parking lot at the Strafford Office complex (next to 115 Strafford) and at the Rosemont Business Campus in Rosemont.  Clearly, the Villa Strafford property is in the “hot spot” zone that should be targeted to detain storm water runoff.   Currently, the Township has been looking at ways to solve the South Wayne flooding problems—how about stopping the water where it originates uphill?

Despite the setback by the destruction of the 30 trees, we will continue our efforts to keep our Windsor/Farm neighborhood green and buffered from the noise of surrounding businesses and traffic on Lancaster Avenue.  In addition, we will work to minimize storm water runoff that originates in our neighborhood from adding to the flooding in the triangle area next to Wawa and South Wayne.

The next meeting of the Shade Tree Commission will be on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 7:30 PM.  The 115 Strafford property is on the agenda.  Please attend this important meeting.