Sherwood, Oregon Development News

Sherwood Debates Tree Code Updates, Focusing on Heritage Tree Program and Development Preservation

During a work session, city council members and planning commissioners engaged in a detailed discussion regarding potential updates to the city's tree code, with a significant focus on implementing a heritage tree program. Key considerations included state requirements for clear and objective regulations on tree removal, preserving trees during development (especially in subdivisions), and the feasibility of a voluntary heritage tree designation versus a mandatory one. The council expressed a desire for clearer direction on whether to pursue a mandatory heritage tree program, a voluntary registry, or a 'heritage tree light' program. Discussions also touched upon defining heritage tree criteria (age, size, character, community value), potential impacts on property owners, administrative burdens, and integrating heritage trees into development incentives. The conversation also explored broader tree preservation strategies, including preserving large tree stands, preventing clear-cutting, managing tree mixes (evergreen vs. deciduous), and density transfers for preserved groves. Mitigation ratios for tree removal, the use of green infrastructure like subterranean cisterns and bioretention systems for rainwater capture, and the incorporation of solar-ready requirements in new construction were also briefly mentioned as future considerations for development codes.