Protecting older trees, more trees in shopping areas, subdivisions are aim of new rules.
By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 14, 2009
More trees would be planted and more older trees would be preserved under proposed rules the Austin City Council will consider today.
The rules would require developers to plant more trees in new subdivisions and in the parking lots of commercial projects, such as shopping centers and office complexes. The rules would also prevent landowners and builders from cutting down large, older trees unless they first sought a variance from the city.
"Trees serve the community in many ways - through things like carbon sequestration and adding to our sense of well-being - and we need to protect them," said Carolyn Palaima, former chairwoman of a city task force that recommended ways to strengthen the city's tree rules.
It would be the first major change to the city's tree rules in 25 years, said Pat Murphy, the environmental officer in the city's Watershed Protection Department. The rules are part of an ongoing effort, begun in 2005, to reduce the effects of urban heat islands, areas that are warmer because of heat generated by paved and developed spaces.
Trees seem to generate especially strong feelings in Austin.
The public protested angrily last year when developers cut down large, old pecan trees at Shady Grove RV Park to make way for a condo project. And a recent proposal by the Parks Department to cut down 29 large trees at Barton Springs Pool elicited outrage.
Currently, landowners who want to cut down any tree with a trunk at least 19 inches in diameter must seek the city arborist's approval. If given the go-ahead, the owners, in some cases, must plant replacement trees or pay money into a city tree-planting fund.
But the current process does not identify the most significant trees and species for protection and does not include clear criteria for the city arborist to consider, Murphy said.
The new rules would continue to require city approval to cut down trees with 19-inch or greater trunks but would go further and require property owners to seek a variance to cut down "heritage trees" - trees of certain species whose trunks are at least 24 inches wide.
A variance is a higher standard to meet because the landowner would have to prove there was no way to save the tree, Murphy said.
In most species, a tree with a 24-inch-wide trunk is at least 50 years old, City Arborist Michael Embesi said.
Many of the 29 trees proposed to be cut down at Barton Springs are probably heritage tree size, Murphy said. But the new rules would exempt trees that are badly damaged or are safety hazards, and parks officials have said the Barton Springs trees are in poor health and pose safety risks to park visitors.
In 2007, the most recent year for which numbers are available, the city identified 25,000 trees on commercial development applications whose trunks were 8 inches or wider. Of those, 650 had trunks that were at least 24 inches wide, and permission was given to cut down 157 of them.
The city arborist would still have the final say on whether to grant a variance for heritage trees. A property owner could appeal the decision to a city land-use board.
People who cut down protected trees without the city's approval can face a maximum fine of $2,000 per tree.
The heritage tree rules would apply to 19 species.
Sylvia Benini, a West Austin neighborhood activist who keeps a close eye on the city's tree policies, said the list should be expanded to include other native species whose trunks never grow as wide as 24 inches.
City rules now require developers of commercial projects to build a median with trees for every three bays, or long strips, of parking. The new rules would require one tree-filled median for every two bays of parking. The city hasn't analyzed how much that would cost developers.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
What: Medical office building
Where: The building will be connected to Seton Medical Center Hays, now under construction at Interstate 35 and Kyle Parkway in Kyle.
Who: BremnerDuke Healthcare Real Estate, a division of Duke Realty Corp., is the developer. GSR Andrade Architects is the designer.
When: The groundbreaking was Friday. The building is scheduled to be completed in spring 2010; the adjoining medical center is expected to be ready for occupancy this October.
Details: The 96,829-square-foot office building will house an ambulatory surgery center and office space for physicians. An enclosed walkway will connect the second floor of
the building with the first floor of the hospital.
Seton Medical Center Hays will be the largest medical facility in Hays County, with a capacity of 144 licensed beds and an outpatient surgery center. The center is expected to have more than 210 patient beds after all phases are complete.
Green style guru Danny Seo, author of the Simply Green book series shows us how to create one-of-a-kind items out of things you might consider disposable, and points out some of his favorite sustainable $25-and-under store finds.
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What's worth the extra cost, what's not, and how to save in other ways.
With all the news about rising food costs, you may be wondering if the organic milk you've been putting in your cart is worth the extra cash. It is. Organic food is more expensive, but when it comes to the staples of your diet, organics are a worthwhile investment, with payoffs that might surprise you. The benefits influence your health today-and long-term. Here, why certain foods are worth the splurge, plus tips to save you money while keeping your diet nutritionally and ecologically sound.
1. They have more nutrients
Reports of organic food not being better for you are outdated. A brand-new analysis of about 100 studies, including more than 40 published in the past 7 years, found that the average levels of nearly a dozen nutrients are 25 percent higher in organic produce.
2. There may be weight benefits
Research in rats found that those fed an all-organic diet (versus conventional food) had lower weight, less body fat, and a stronger immune system. Plus, the "clean diet" animals were calmer and slept better.
3. You consume fewer toxins
Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables exposes you to about 14 pesticides a day. A study supported by the EPA measured pesticide levels in children's urine before and after a switch to an organic diet. After just 5 days, the chemicals decreased to undetectable levels.
The number-one barrier that prevents shoppers from taking advantage of these benefits: cost. These are the top organic picks on which to spend your food dollars.
Produce
The most important fruits and vegetables you should buy organic are those with the greatest pesticide residues, and the ones you eat most often. Government lab tests show that even after washing, certain fruits and vegetables carry much higher levels of pesticides than do others. Between 2000 and 2005, the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed the results of nearly 51,000 tests for residues on produce. Based on the data, they created a "dirty dozen" list of the most contaminated fruits and veggies. Top offenders include peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes (imported), spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. Always buying these foods organic is ideal, but if you can't, focus on those you eat all the time.
Shop smart tips:
Even before President Obama signed the economic stimulus package, I had decided that I could wait no longer. The situation is too dire. Someone must act swiftly and decisively. If the government can't act, the Green Cheapskate must.
The nearly $800 billion package Congress passed strikes me as a tad high, but I did come up with a little over eight bucks in loose change from around the house. I loaded my coinage into a spare athletic sock and headed off to the dollar store. Here's what's in my $8, eco-friendly, economic stimulus package:
Window Insulating Strips: This easy-to-apply insulated adhesive tape will seal up that drafty window in our bedroom in a jiffy. I'll sleep better at night without that chilly breeze blowing on me, and I'll dream of the energy and money I'm saving. Goes well with draft snakes.
Baking Soda & Plain White Vinegar: (A one pound box and a one quart bottle, respectively.) The King and Queen of the Green Cheapskate's cleaning closet. Individually or combined, you can green clean most everything in your house -- and most parts of your body -- with these super cheap, environmentally saintly products.
Refillable Water Bottle: I don't buy bottled water (heck, I don't even buy bottled wine), although my dear wife occasionally imbibes. She admits that it's a matter of convenience, not taste, as our tap water is pure and delicious. Hopefully this refillable bottle will help her break the habit, keep all those throwaway bottles out of the landfill, and save us at least a couple hundred dollars a year.
Lentils (1 pound, dried): I said in an interview in the Boston Globe recently that I consider lentils to be the perfect food -- healthful, delicious, and cheap; a perfect example of the joys of eating lower on the food chain. Another Globe columnist then decided that my lentil worship was worthy of public ridicule. But based on reader response to his op-ed, he learned a painful lesson: Hell hath no fury like the scorn of Lentil Lovers.
Reusable Grocery Bag: My favorite grocery store takes five cents off my bill every time I use one of my own bags, so this investment is a no-brainer.
Vegetable Seeds: I chose a packet of cherry tomato seeds. I'll start them in my kitchen window in a few weeks, a cheerful reminder that gardening season is on its way, and I'll enjoy their economical bounty all summer long. Viva la Victory Garden!
Best of the Three Stooges DVD: Now that my 401K balance would barely buy a fast food value-meal, I could use a good laugh. And think of how much this one DVD will save me in movie tickets, not to mention the gas to drive to the theater. (Plus, with each passing year, my resemblance to stooge >Larry Fine becomes increasingly uncanny.)
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Being a member of the Austin community since 1989, I have fulfilled my passion to serve the public in many ways. Recently I decided to go into business for myself and joined RE/MAX's winning team!
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