Longboat passes tree ordinance exemption for storm-damaged properties

Properties with trees impacted by storms can now remove them with no need to replace one tree with two new ones. 

The Longboat Key Town Commission voted 6-1 on May 5 to pass an amendment to the town’s tree ordinance. The objective of the change was to alleviate the pressure on certain properties by eliminating the two-for-one tree replacement requirement. 

Chapter 98 of the town’s code outlines the requirement for properties to plant two mature trees for every one tree removed. If replacement is not possible, the property must pay a fee of $300 per mature replacement. Those fees sit in a fund for planting trees on public property. 

The code exempted single-family lots from the requirement, meaning condominiums and commercial properties had to follow the ordinance. 

After hurricanes Helene and Milton, town commissioners received emails from property owners concerned the ordinance created a burden on those trying to recover and now needed to add in the cost of replacing every one tree with two mature trees. 

This led to the Planning and Zoning Board and Planning, Zoning and Building Department to craft the amendment that creates an exemption to the requirement for trees that are dead or severely damaged on properties that experienced a natural disaster. 

At the commission’s April 7 meeting, the commissioners gave a unanimous first approval to the amendment, thus forwarding it to the second reading which took place on May 5. 

District 1 Commissioner Gary Coffin expressed concern about passing the amendment and giving properties the ability to remove trees without replenishing the island’s tree canopy.

He recommended sending the amendment back to the PZB for further consideration, potentially making the amendment a one-for-one replacement rather than a complete exemption. Coffin also suggested giving properties a three-year timeframe in which they could plant the trees rather than an immediate replacement. 

“I just want to go on the record with that and say I think we should hold off on this ordinance,” Coffin said at the meeting. 

Terri Driver also spoke at the meeting on behalf of the Longboat Key Green Team. She agreed with Coffin’s suggestions. 

“We feel pretty strongly also that a one-to-one replacement would be great, and giving people three years is an excellent idea,” Driver said. 

Other commissioners felt the amendment was necessary as an immediate response to help properties in recovery, and commissioners reached a consensus to have the Planning and Zoning Board further evaluate the tree code altogether in the future.