(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Arcadia at Silverleaf residents against needless destruction of trees.)
By Melissa Rosequist | Your Valley
The residents of DC Ranch’s Silverleaf at Arcadia neighborhood received a win from the city of Scottsdale in August when officials unanimously denied the HOA’s request to remove hundreds of Sissoo trees.
While the city’s Development Review Board denied the project, board members voiced feelings of confusion and frustration as they felt like they were being asked to settle a private matter.
The DC Ranch Home Owners Association sought to remove 670 trees when potential root damage was identified, which DC Ranch officials believe may get worse.
“The biggest problem I have with this is the tone and the communications with the residents of the community,” said Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield, who was chairing the DRB board. “You have a lot of very unhappy residents regarding these trees, and you’re asking us as a board to vote against the wishes of your residents to remove and replace these trees, in mass, when they don’t want to.”
Board member William Scarbrough questioned why it wasn’t a private matter between the HOA and the neighborhood.
“I hear the right to do maintenance and install trees, but what I struggle with is understanding how 670 trees being removed is considered maintenance? It feels like a wholesale change. It’s one of the things I’m struggling with,” Scarbrough said. “I’m trying to understand why this is actually in front of us at this point and not just being handled by a maintenance program.”
Board member Jeff Brand agreed, giving a humanistic look at the volunteers on the DRB.
“If I’m being very, very honest and just down to earth, this case is frustrating,” Brand said. “I’ve heard a lot of personal stories, but as a person with two children who’s volunteering on a board, and hoping to share my architectural expertise and 20 years of design work to volunteer for my community — this feels a lot like we are brought before this case as a discrepancy of proper representation of designs of an HOA board.”
