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The Georgia-based Hull Group, amid its ongoing reimagining of the old Leigh Mall, removed 27 live oak trees last week along Old Aberdeen Road in front of the shopping center, now dubbed Columbus Place.
The city ceded a portion of Old Aberdeen Road to Hull Group in July, and Mayor Keith Gaskin said the company removed those trees as part of its effort to create a new entrance to Columbus Place and accommodate more outparcels. Will Spann, owner of S&S Landscaping, which cut the trees, said the majority of the oaks were unhealthy. Restricted root growth had caused heart rot in many of the trees because they weren’t planted in an adequate amount of soil.
What policies are in place to deal with tree removal in the city? What permits, if any, do you need in Columbus to cut down your own trees?
What are the ordinances for live tree removal?
For the most part, you can prune or cut down trees on your property in Columbus (or hire the work done) without a permit or any government interference, City Attorney Jeff Turnage said.
The one exception is if you live in the city’s Downtown Historic District, which includes several blocks around Main Street between Second and 17th streets. There, live trees – even on private property – “larger than six inches in diameter at a point five feet above the ground” are considered exterior features and are subject to review before they can be altered.
That means even to prune them, you are required to first obtain a permit, a process that starts with requesting one from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. That’s the letter of the law, anyway.
“I don’t believe anybody in the history of Columbus has ever asked (the city’s) permission to prune a tree,” Turnage said.
Columbus Place sits outside the historic district, so despite some protests on social media, Hull Group had the right to remove 25 of those live oaks at its discretion. Two may be subject to a dispute as to whether they were on Hull’s property.
What about the city’s tree board? What’s their role?
According to the code that establishes the tree board, its members deal only with public property.
Specifically, the board, in coordination with the city grounds supervisor, studies, investigates, counsels and develops a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, re-planting, removal or disposition of trees and shrubs in city parks, along streets and other public areas and front yard setbacks. The plan consists of recommended trees for planting, as well as spacing and maintenance requirements.
What resources are available to assess the health of trees on your property?
The Mississippi State University Extension Service website offers several publications for diagnosing and treating issues affecting tree health. Visit extension.msstate.edu for more information.
You can also contact Josh Tilley, the agriculture and natural resources agent with the Lowndes County Extension Office, at (662) 328-2111. Tilley said Extension also employs two certified arborists in the region that he can consult.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
