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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Council Denies Appeal To Save Downtown Tree Over Liability Issue

OCEAN CITY — Despite an impassioned plea from the property owners, resort officials this week denied an appeal that might have saved a decades-old pine tree in the south end of town that hangs over the public sidewalk.

On Tuesday, the Mayor and Council heard an appeal from property owners Frank and Dee Rubinic, whose pine tree in front of their house on St. Louis Avenue in the area of 1st Street partially hangs over the sidewalk. The tree’s upper branches have been trimmed back on multiple occasions by the property owners, but the thick trunk is crooked and bends toward the sidewalk closest to the property line.

Responding to a complaint, the Recreation and Parks Department inspected the tree and found it to be in violation of tree encroachment over the sidewalk impeding the public right-of-way for passage. The city’s guidelines call for trees overhanging public sidewalks to have a seven-foot clearance, but because of its crooked trunk that bends toward the walkway, achieving the seven-foot clearance would likely force the property owners to remove it.

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18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where are the tree huggers?

Anonymous said...

WHo made the 'complaint'

Anonymous said...

Trees are an endangered species downtown. And why would some busybody whined take the time to file a "complaint"??

Anonymous said...

A brace when the tree was little would have prevented this.Trees are like people,whereas growth straightness issues can be corrected when addressed at a young age.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Cut it down,cut it down,cut it down!

Anonymous said...

This might be one for the head bangers.

lmclain said...

Life must be good when the biggest problem in your life is the fact that you might have to walk a little to the left on a sidewalk for about three feet.
Whoever complained probably did it "anonymously".
They knew everyone else would label them as a sissy little B***H.
Which would be accurate.

Anonymous said...

Really.....save a tree move the city. The tree looks much better than the city. Some of the things drunks do they surely can bump their head on this beauty unscathed. Where is the outcry? Move that sidewalk! I'm not being sarcastic, the city leaders have more on their plate than mess with a life long tax paying resident.

Anonymous said...

Concentrate your energy on the increased crime rate in O.C. and leave the tree alone.

Anonymous said...

you can see in the picture, the tree impedes nothing.

Steve said...

God forbid we can have any shady spots along the way! Kill everything that could possibly provide happiness to anyone.

Anonymous said...

The tree adds character to the area.

Anonymous said...

It's shame there aren't more trees in Ocean City. That is one big difference I noticed when we traveled to the Outer Banks. As soon as you cross the bridge, you see trees everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Leave the tree and if the city touches it, retain any mouthpiece to sue. Mr. Ayres has some good partners...Lol

Unknown said...

That tree being 60+ years old has been there before any regulations were made. The city can "grandfather" other things and property, why not this tree? I agree with 7:40, make the sidewalk wider and fence off the tree area.

Anonymous said...

Move the sidewalk and the street!

Zorro said...

Builders love to tear down nature to make a concrete village...allot of cities are made thst way....ass-wipes...the tree is not impeading movements