Politics & Government
Board of Ed Not Subject to Tree Removal Laws, Boro Official Says
Any expansion of the parking lot at Washington Avenue School, however, is subject to the Chatham Borough Planning Board.
Over a week after trees were cut down from the front of Washington Avenue School, Chatham Borough Construction Official Vincent J. DeNave confirmed the Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams is not subject to borough laws regarding tree removal.
DeNave emailed Patch Tuesday and said the borough's attorney, James Lott, said the school board is not subject to the Tree Removal permit process because they are a public agency.
According to the exemptions stated in the borough's Tree Protection Ordinance, "any tree located on publicly owned land and removed by the public agency or its representative" does not need to file a permit for removing trees.
This is DeNave's first response to this newspaper as to whether the Board of Education needed to file or did file a permit to remove trees.
DeNave went on to say that any plan to pave the wooded area and expand the school's parking lot was subject to the Chatham Borough Planning Board's capital review. The Board of Education will have to appear before the Planning Board, and the parking lot will be subject to a public review.
If and when the school district goes before the Planning Board, residents will have the chance to give their input to the board.
As of Tuesday, DeNave said, "We have received inquiries as to the information that will be required for the [Planning] Board hearing, but no formal submission."Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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