At the request of Mayor George Bray, the Paducah Tree Advisory Board held a called meeting on March 29 to start the conversation about how to enhance the relationship between the Board and the community. This called meeting was initiated due to several development projects in Paducah that have led to or are expected to lead to the removal of trees. Currently, regulations are in place related to trees in commercial developments but not in residential developments.
Mayor Bray and City Manager Daron Jordan attended the meeting along with several members of the community including representatives from the Paducah Garden Club and the Paducah Civic Beautification Board.
Mayor Bray said, “One of the Tree Advisory Board’s purposes is to promote urban forestry. I asked for the Board to hold this special meeting so that we can start educating the community about our tree canopy. We want development and new housing, but at the same time, we want to make sure that Paducah continues to have a wide range of healthy trees.”
Tree Advisory Board Chairman, Jonathan E. Perkins, who also is a landscape architect, said, “Currently, the Tree Advisory Board makes recommendations regarding trees on the city rights-of-way and public parks. Plus, there are Paducah ordinances for managing trees on commercial property. However, we want to increase our presence in the community through educational opportunities and by reviewing how we can provide additional input to the planning and development process, particularly as it relates to residential development.”
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