CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Discussions continued Monday on how Charlotte should address rezoning requests, including their impact on nature.
In a transportation, planning and development committee meeting, city leaders considered how development could impact Charlotte's trees, as they adjust rezoning rules established under sweeping new regulations in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
According to the city, the UDO considers nearby trees when new homes and businesses are proposed and requires a permit to remove certain ones.
The goal is to protect Charlotte's famous tree canopy and the environmental benefits amid rapid growth.
The regulations have caused some confusion among Charlotteans as City Council considers rezoning requests.
“It’s painful to see what is in my case a 50-acre tract of land with one house on it, that otherwise is covered with trees and residents in my district look at our tree save policy and say, what the heck is that," City Councilman Ed Driggs said.
The city is working with nonprofit TreesCharlotte to conduct an updated study to help protect Charlotte's trees in a way that aligns with development.
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“The purpose of the study is to help us make planning, policy, regulatory and planting decisions in the future," Charlotte Planning Director Alyson Craig said.
A 2019 study by TreesCharlotte found the city is losing about three football fields of tree canopy a day.
Those trees are used to help with air, water quality, wildlife habitats and can even help reduce electric bills, according to the nonprofit.
As discussions continue, Krysten Reilly with TreesCharlotte said they'll have to get creative to find a solution that works best, even considering green roofs where buildings are partially covered with vegetation.
“It’s easy to say like, oh, it’s just a tree. It’s not a big deal, but if we can work with nature then we can preserve a lot of those eco-environmental benefits while also helping grow and develop as well," Reilly said. "It just takes a lot of ingenuity, and it takes some creativity to be able to do so, but there are cities all across the world that are dealing with the same sorts of issues and people are finding really creative ways.”
The study is expected to be completed sometime this fall.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.