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■ FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, December 14, 2003
Conservation group honors couple for century-old oak
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The Forsyth Forest
Conservation Group —a
group formed last January to
preserve trees and natural set
tings in Forsyth County
issued an award to Cheryl and
Jim Riddle Thursday night for
a tree in their yard that’s more
than 100 years old.
The tree, a white oak, was
planted in 1860. Its base
measures 18.5 feet in circum
ference.
Group founding member
and chair Patty Durand said
the tree was found in a search
that was conducted throughout
the county. It’s the first time
the group has issued such an
award, and she said plans are
Experience with developer prompts call for tree protection
By Mary Pitman
For the Forsyth County News
The century-old tree in
Ginny Deal’s back yard had a
death sentence from a devel
oper. Two arborists and an
attorney got a stay of execu
tion.
County commissioners are
scheduled to vote Monday on
a proposed tree ordinance that
will help save mature trees in
the county.
At first glance, Deal’s
nearly bare white oak looks
dormant. But a longer look
reveals it is cloaked by a flurry
of activity.
The leaves that remain give
the breeze a voice; those that
fall give the breeze shape.
Each flight downward is as
different as snowflakes.
Leaves from as high as 100
feet land on the ground
unharmed. Tiny puddles of
rain collect in the discarded
foliage.
Birds chirp from their lofty
perch in the tree. They swoop
down to the bird feeder for a
nibble, then frightened by a
sound, hurry back, safely cam
ouflaged. They venture down
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to make it an annual event to
acknowledge distinguished
trees throughout the county.
Preferably, county resi
dents will begin submitting
trees to the group to attempt to
win the award, Durand said.
To help preserve county
trees, she said the group hopes
to send applications to the
Georgia Urban Forest Council
on behalf of residents who
would like to ensure their trees
will be around in the future.
GUFC designates trees as
historic, and that designation
is recognized by the Forsyth
County Tree Ordinance which,
Durand said, imposes a signif
icant fine if such trees are
removed.
”Our county recognizes
their landmark and historic
<6
If the county is going to pay for an
arborist and if we are in the develop
mental corridor for Atlanta, then it is
up to the county commission to protect
the trees.
99
again to drink from the pud
dles of rainwater.
In the summer, when lush
with leaves, the tree keeps the
home cool and provides shade
for the many family activities
on the deck. It adds beauty
and value to the yard.
It’s hard to imagine the
gentle giant was the result of
an acorn that fell a century
ago.
The old growth trees on the
lot were a major reason Ginny
Deal and her husband,
Richard, bought the
Brookwood Lake home in
south Forsyth seven years ago.
While the Deals have enjoyed
the trees and the white oak in
particular, they have pretty
much gone day-to-day assum
ing they will always be there.
Deal, involved in real
tree designation,” she said. “If
they designate it as a landmark
or historic tree, then our coun
ty protects it.”
The fine costs SI,OOO per
caliper inch —a tree trunk
measurement.
The massive population
growth Forsyth County has
been experiencing is drawing
more attention to natural areas
and preserving some of the
county’s wilderness.
Regulations are already in
place requiring large scale
’ developments to maintain a
certain amount of their land as
open space. There is also a
tree ordinance to prevent the
total clear cutting of land.
Revisions to the tree ordi
nance are scheduled to come
before the board of commis-
estate and the former editor
for a local home magazine,
knows that the huge trees add
value to her home.
Dan Darnell, a real estate
appraiser with Pendley &
Pendley in Cumming, said
they look at trees each time as
if they might lead to a court
fight.
"We might say a tree is
worth $5,000, a jury might say
SIO,OOO. I’ve had juries award
more than what I said. I’ve
never had a jury appraise it
less," said the 12-year veteran..
Peachtree Residential
Properties got 20 acres behind
the Deals' property rezoned.
Deal said she was heartbroken
to see masses of trees
removed. Peachtree, developer
of Windemere, River Mist,
Hearthstone, Lake Forest and
sioners during Monday's pub
lic hearings that will be appli
cable to more developments
because it is enforced on land
disturbance applications
instead of zoning applications
that were submitted later than
1998, Durand said.
She said the new tree ordi
nance is a start, but more
needs to be done.
“We need to bring it in line
with DeKalb’s tree ordinance
which requires that a certain
number of mature trees be
saved,” Durand said. “Our
ordinance right now encour
ages that but does not require
it.”
The Forsyth Forest
Conservation Group can be
reached via email at forsyth
forest@bellsouth.net.
Liberty in Forsyth County,
approached Brookwater’s
Homeowners Association
about hooking into the sewer
system. To do that, they would
run a sewer line through the
empty lot next to the Deals.
"The thing that distressed
us, was the builder said, ‘lf we
have to, we’ll just cut that tree
down.’ There was never any
discussion. No question about
it," said Deal. The tree is on
the property line and therefore
apparently is at least partially
Deal’s, she said.
She called the county engi
neering department. She
called the county arborist. She
called county commissioners.
"Sorry, we can’t help you.
It’s not covered under the tree
ordinance," she says was the
consistent reply. The present
tree ordinance does not apply
to any property that was zoned
prior to its adoption in 1998.
If adopted as written, the
new tree ordinance will close
that loophole. It will apply to
any property in which a land
disturbance permit is issued
regardless of when the proper
ty was zoned.
In addition, a second loop-
Photo/David McGregor
Cheryl Riddle, left, speaks after Patty Durand, right, of
the Forsyth Forest Conservation Group gave her an
award honoring Riddle and her husband for a century
old tree on their Keith Bridge Road property.
hole will close if the proposed
ordinance is adopted.
Currently, residential develop
ments have to abide by the
tree ordinance up until the
developer who takes the
raw land and makes it build
able turns the project over
to the builder who builds the
homes. Once he takes posses
sion of the project, the builder
can clear cut the land and
remove any or all trees saved
by the developer.
"It started out good, but
then was gutted at the last
minute," said Patty Durand of
the current ordinance. Durand
is chair of the Forsyth Forest
Conservation Group that sup
ports the new proposal.
"In all of the neighboring
counties the tree ordinance is
applicable whenever the land
is disturbed. We will be in line
with our neighbors if this ordi
nance is adopted."
Durand added that county
arborist Dan Moore estimates
that half of the property that’s
been zoned for development
does not have to abide by the
current ordinance.
"There’s a tremendous
amount of potential tree loss,"
she continued. "If we really
want to save our trees, we
need to model ours after
DeKalb County. Their tree
ordinance was challenged by
the Greater Atlanta
Homebuilder’s Association
and developers all the way to
the state supreme court where
it was upheld.
"But this is a good first
step."
Deal said Peachtree has
been cooperative and has
agreed to bore beneath the
tree. They are in the final
stages of negotiations. She
doesn’t have a final bill but is
certain it will be "thousands."
"If the county is going to
pay for an arborist and if we
are in the developmental corri
dor for Atlanta, then it is up to
the county commission to pro
tect the trees," Deal said.
"This has made me realize that
you have very few property
rights and your trees have no
rights. If the county doesn’t
set the standard, we’ll lose all
the old trees.
Calls to Mike Ruland,
president of Peachtree
Residential Properties, were
not returned.