Chapel Hill homeowners accuse town of not following its tree protection rules
INTO COLLECTIONS CAN READ ALL
OF OUR REPORTING RIGHT NOW ON
WRAL DOT COM. BRIAN, THANK YOU.
A MONTHSLONG FIGHT IS UNDERWAY
IN CHAPEL HILL BY NEIGHBORS
WHO CLAIMED THE TOWN IS NOT
FOLLOWING ITS OWN RULES FOR
TREE PROTECTION. THEY SAY IT'S
PUTTING THEIR LIVES AND
PROPERTIES AT RISK. THE BUREAU
INVESTIGATES SARAH KRUEGER IS
ASKING THE TOWN FOR ITS
PERSPECTIVE.
>> A LOT OF TIMES WE DO STORIES
ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS AND PEOPLE
ARE UPSET ABOUT THE TYPE OF
BUILDING COMING IN OR THE
NOISE.
>> WELL, THAT'S NOT THE
SITUATION HERE. AND THIS CASE,
THEY ARE UPSET ABOUT THIS.
HOW THEIR ROUTES TO THEIR TREES
WERE CHOPPED OFF, LEAVING THEM
TEETERING ON THE EDGE.
>> AFTER 39 YEARS WAKING UP TO
THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW, THE CHANGE
OF SCENERY IS A HARD PILL TO
SWALLOW.
BUT WHAT DALE ROBERTS MISSES
EVEN MORE THAN THE VIEW IS THE
SENSE OF PEACE. SHE ONCE FELT
HERE. IT'S SCARY ALL THE TIME.
SHE AND OTHERS WHO LIVE ON
LITTLE JOHN ROAD AND CHAPEL
HILL ARE UNITED IN THAT FEAR.
NOT KNOWING WHEN THE NEXT BLAST
MIGHT HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU'LL
JUST BE SITTING IN THE HOUSE
AND YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE WHERE
ADAMS WILL EVERYTHING FALLS OFF
THE WALLS?
>> OR EVEN SCARIER TO THEM WHEN
THE NEXT TREE WILL FALL.
A GIANT 60 FOOT TREE FELL ON MY
HOUSE AND IT CAME CRASHING DOWN
MY HOUSE AND DAMAGED THE ROOF.
>> AND STRUCK THE WINDOW OF MY
NURSERY ANYTIME. THERE'S A
STORM NOW WE FEEL WE HAVE TO
GET OUR PETS TOGETHER AND HIDE
IN THE STRONGEST PART OF THE
HOUSE. WE ALL KNOW DEVELOPMENTS
GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WE CAN'T
STOP THAT.
1000 FOLD WORSE IS THAT THEY
ARE DESTROYING HER PROPERTY.
THESE HOMEOWNERS SAY THE
FALLING TREES THAT HAVE BEEN
COMING DOWN ONE BY ONE SINCE
APRIL ARE BECAUSE OF THIS THAT
SOLID FOREIGN FENCING. FENCING.
AND WHEN THEY PUT THAT IN THE
TRENCH IN AND THEY CUT ALL THE
ROOTS OF THESE TREES.
>> ON THE TENSION SIDE, WHICH
IS SUPPORTING THESE TREES AND
NOW THEY'RE FALLING OVER.
THAT'S ARBORIST. CRAIG NISHI
MOTO WHO SAYS THE TOWN IS NOT
FOLLOWING ITS OWN TREE
PROTECTION ORDINANCE. THE
ORDINANCE AS CERTAIN TREE
SHOULD BE PROTECTED BASED ON
THEIR SPECIES AND SIZE. AND IT
SAYS PROTECTIVE FENCING.
SHE'LL BE INSTALLED ACCORDING
TO TOWN STANDARDS.
>> THOSE STANDARDS EXPLAIN THAT
THE FENCING NEEDS TO BE A
CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM TREES,
ROOTS. THAT'S WHERE NISHI MOTO
SAYS HE SEES A VIOLATION OF
PEOPLE WATCHING MIGHT SAY,
LIKE, WELL, THESE HOMEOWNERS
HIRED YOU. THAT'S WHY YEAR,
YOU KNOW, TAKING THEIR SIDE
ON THIS 10 TIMES. I'VE BEEN
OUT HERE.
>> I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY.
THEY DON'T PLAN TO CHARGE
ANYBODY. NISHI MOTO AND
HOMEOWNERS SAY THEY'VE
CONTACTED THE TOWN FOR MONTHS
WITH NO PROGRESS. NISHI MOTO
BELIEVES IF THE TOWN HAD TAKEN
SWIFT ACTION, SOME OF THE TREES
COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED. THIS IS
JUST COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NOWHERE
TO GO. SO I WROTE TO THE TOWN
ASKING IF IT DID VIOLATE ITS
OWN ORDINANCE AND IF IT COULD
EXPLAIN THE WHY BEHIND ITS
ANSWER.
>> A SPOKESPERSON DID NOT FULLY
ANSWER THAT SECOND PART ONLY
SAYING STAFF HAVE REVIEWED THE
MATTER AND DETERMINED THAT THE
DEVELOPER IS MEETING THE TOWN'S
LAND USE MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE
FOR TREE PROTECTION SAYING THAT
ORDINANCE REQUIRES TREE
PROTECTION, FENCES NOT
RESPONDING, THOUGH, TO MICHIE
MOTOS POINT THAT THE FENCING
SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM TREES,
ROOTS.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR? WHAT'S A
GOOD SOLUTION? I THINK A GOOD
SOLUTION IS ALREADY OUT.
THE WIND.
>> A SOLUTION THAT WOULD HELP
WOULD BEFORE THEM TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATE
US FOR HAVING TO HAVE THE TREES
TAKEN DOWN. THE HOME OWNERS.
TELL ME WHAT THEY REALLY WANT
IS SOME SENSE OF
ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> SO THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO
ANYONE ELSE. SARAH KRUEGER,
WRAL, NEWS IN
CHAPEL HILL.
>> THE NEIGHBORS WE SPOKE WITH
MOSTLY TAKE ISSUE WITH THE TOWN
AS OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPER.
WE DID REACH OUT TO THE
DEVELOPER, NORTHWOOD RAVEN FOR
THEIR PERSPECTIVE. THEY TOLD
US THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH
THE TOWN ORDINANCE. THEY SAY