(Bloomberg) Singapore is chasing a new tagline: It now wants to be a City in Nature.

To do that, its planting 1 million trees over the next 10 years double the current pace as it prepares for a world that is getting hotter. To cool itself, the city-state is not only seeking shade from trees, but also cutting emission of hydrofluorocarbons by restricting the supply of refrigerators, air-conditioners and commercial water-cooled chillers that use the chemical from 2022.

Some forms of HFCs trap a much larger amount of heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in Parliament Wednesday.

The newly announced plans come as Singapore readies a warchest of at least S$100 billion ($72 billion) to counter global warming and protect its coastlines against higher sea levels. The city-state has already been warming twice as quickly as the world average over the past six decades, according to the government weather service, and just notched its hottest decade on record.

Planting trees aside, it will also add 200 hectares of nature parks by 2030, two and a half times the size of the Botanic Gardens that has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said in Parliament Wednesday.

Over that same period, its also implementing species recovery plans for 70 more native and plant species, restore 30 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats and improve habitats in at least 50% of Singapores gardens, parks and streetscapes. We want to transform Singapore into a City in Nature to provide Singaporeans with a better quality of life, while co-existing with flora and fauna on this island, said Desmond Lee, the second minister for national development.

Read More: Singapore Prepares for a Far Hotter World Than Experts Predicted

With climate change seen as an existential threat, this is just Singapores latest attempt to counter what could become a crisis. It imposed a carbon tax and just days ago, it pledged to halve the amount of greenhouse gases it emits from an expected peak in 2030 within the following two decades.

The Southeast Asian nation expects the emissions ceiling to be 65 million tons of carbon dioxide around 2030. The plan is to cut that to 33 million tons by 2050. It has also set up a Coastal and Flood Protection Fund and plans to phase out vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2040.

Reducing emission of hydrofluorocarbons which could leak during installation, maintenance and disposal is a step toward that direction. As it moves to restrict products with that chemical, the government will provide grants for companies making an early switch to more climate-friendly commercial water-cooled chillers, Masagos said.

Halving its emissions may be an ambitious target given Singapore lacks alternative energy sources but, according to the minister, the city-state will continue to raise our ambitions.

Bloomberg.com

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Singapore to Target Air Conditioners That Make the World Hotter - Financial Post

in northeastern beijing, nearby the citys thriving 798 art zone, 123 architects has converted an old factory into a contemporary photography studio. the project, titled masquerade, respects the existing building fabric, while adding contemporary materials and architectural details in contrast to the original industrial feel of the factory.

the main faade

all images jin weiqi

the new program converted the first floor into a large double-height photography studio. on this level, there is also a welcoming entrance lobby and reception, and a bathroom and dining room. the second floor of the old factory has been transformed by 123 architects into a social activity and meeting space for VIPs, which includes a special VIP room and VIP bathroom.

first floor entrance lobby

the overall aesthetic of the renovation is described by the architect as rendering a surrealistic atmosphere. the design layers new elements within the backdrop of the industrial building, allowing visitors to see the past and present interlaced liked fingers. the interior has been envisioned to appear as an art gallery, one which stimulates the senses and invites people to explore the space and interact with one another.

first floor entrance lobby

the new faade makes reference to the existing structural framework with the use of brickwork, which speaks to the buildings former life as a factory. the organic surface curves away from the original elevation, creating space for a balcony at second floor level, and the arched elements forming a dialogue with the domed windows. the new faade is finished with silver paint, allowing the characteristics of the brick to be visible. in this way, the polished exterior already creates visual interest at street front, offering individuals visual cues of what they can expect on the interior.

first floor reception

the walls of the entrance lobby are vaulted, forming a domed space whose curved framework contrasts the existing industrial ceiling which is exposed above. their fluted surfaces reference the architectural details of classical columns. a bespoke star-shaped pendant light hangs from the centre of the lobby, anchoring the space. it provides a soft light that gently illuminates the interior, welcoming visitors into its warm, bright interior.

first floor photo studio

the reception area is a white room that complements the orange entrance lobby. it features a more restrained design composed of right angles and functions as a lounge. the photo studio is a more conventional design a white double-height space that visually and spatially connects with the balcony of the workspace on the second floor through arched cut-outs. curtains are used to divide the room offering functional flexibility that allows it to be used in tandem with the entrance lobby if required.

first floor bathroom

the dining area has been conceived to evoke the feeling of an exhibition space. lighting and mirrors are housed within classic picture frames, which are arranged along the walls, similar to an art gallery. a makeup room with a shower is located next door featuring classical details.

first floor dining

the entire second floor is dedicated to VIPs, with the primary program being that of a circular-shaped lounge. the walls are covered in a luxurious fabric that has been cut into bold graphic shapes. custom sofas that span the length of the room offer ample amounts of seating, while the eye is drawn upwards to an installation of convex traffic mirrors on the ceiling that form the focal point of the room.

second floor VIP floor

the second-floor VIP makeup room features lighting that dots the walls, like a constellation of stars. a built-in dressing table displays a scalloped edge that is reminiscent of a cloud formation, with the lighting fixture resembling a floating star, overall expressing an intergalactic minimalism.

second floor VIP room

next to the makeup room is a long, narrow, over-sized bathroom. the color and reflective qualities of silver serve as the inspiration for the room, with an installation of mirror balls above adding another dimension to the space. the silvery hue also relates to the new arched faade, effectively unifying the interior and exterior architectural expression.

second floor VIP bathroom

detail of the faade

diagram

project info:

project name: masquerade

location: beijing, china

architect: 123 architects

year: 2019

built area: 5167 ft2 (480 m2) / 2 floors

principal: kazushi miyamoto

project team: cao xiyangzi (project architect), aisha

contractor: beijing zhenbangyuanjing decoration engineering co., ltd

photography: jin weiqi

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readershere.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom

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123 architects applies arched silver faade to photography studio in beijing - Designboom

Inside the cavernous back room of Creative Arts Unlimited, an otherwise nondescript Pinellas Park warehouse with a 25-foot ceiling, creative director Roger Barganier is leading a walking tour of jigsaw puzzle pieces cut, lathed and polished wood, all shapes and sizes, stacked up neatly down each side of the corridor. Some are as tall as the building itself.

Here, Barganier indicates, are segments-in-progress of what will soon be some of the bay areas most visited hotspots: The J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Ybor City (among other things, theyre building a customized, walk-in humidor), the new exhibit for Winter the dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, sconces, doorways, an art deco bar and faade pieces for St. Petes re-imagined State Theatre, fully articulated sections of the interior of Teaki, one of the new restaurants going up at the St. Pete Pier.

If you can dream it, Barganier likes to say, his company can make it. Creative Arts work is in museums, libraries, hospitals, retail and restaurants, theme parks and corporate centers all over the world. Its a full-service firm design, build and installation of public spaces. Conceptual spatial design.

The company has 25 full-time employees, from designers art school graduate-types, hunched over computers and drafting tables in the upstairs offices to the skilled fabricators, woodworkers and finishers on the workshop floor.

We have a great collection of cabinet builders and woodworkers here, because they dont want to build boxes and normal things, Barganier says gleefully. Theyre only here because they get to make weird stuff every day. Thats the draw.

Every project starts with Barganier, a 59-year old native of Mobile, Alabama, trained as an illustrator at the Ringling School of Design in Sarasota.

Spatial design, or experiential design, as its known in the business, is all about telling a story, he says.

When youre a book illustrator, your read the script, use your imagination, make your image. We do the same thing. The environment is our book.

So everything we do thats a visual tells a story it may be a sculpture, it may be woodworking, or a painting or something else and its not just graphics, its motion design, its digital maps, its holograms. The best thing that you can do is get this seamless environment thats all about your vision, and all about that story.

And for 20-plus years, some of the most compelling three-dimensional spatial storytelling has come out of this boxy green building three blocks west of U.S. 19.

We have a setup here where we can create all those pieces for that story, says Barganier. Weve got a very wide range of skills, so within that were not just one flavor. We can put many flavors into that space, telling that story.

Before the Grand Staircase crafted for the Titanic Museum in Tennessee, before the holographic shipboard pirates at the Tampa Bay History Center, before the countless number of nature center exhibits, themed restaurants and hospital education centers, there was Maas Brothers.

After his 1985 graduation from Ringling, Barganier whod been a professional artist even before he went to the creative college was snapped up by the Florida department store chain (more than 40 stores statewide) to create its visual merchandising. Thats when they did fun sales promotions, he recalls. Id do Valentines Day, Halloween and Christmas, and have all kind of manufacturing and collateral done.

Dreaming up and fabricating themed environments wasnt exactly what he had in mind when he first took up the brush and the pencil, but Barganier found that he liked the work. Nobody that I know in the art field starts out wanting to do what they wind up doing, he explains. Thats not how it works. With retail, once you got in the door and you saw it, then you saw all the potential for it.

I liked to sell things, I liked the drama and theatrics of a retail setting, I liked the corporate-ness of it. I have never not worked on major national accounts, from the time I was 22 years old.

In the 1980s and early 90s, he stresses, it was a different world. This was all pre-internet. They had big, glamourous department stores every city had its retail palace. And when I talk to my 22-year-olds here (at Creative Arts), they have no clue what any of that was. If you dont have it, you dont miss it.

When his employers (strongly) suggested he leave his home in St. Petersburg to be closer to their South Florida headquarters, Bargainer married with a child on the way balked.

Instead, he became art director for the St. Pete-based Creative Foam Designs, with whom hed often contracted for custom shapes and pieces. Creative design, he explains, was no longer the domain of department stores and theme restaurants. Museums, theme parks, corporate designers, even retailers went to each others trade shows and exchanged ideas. The lines between design types were blurring and merging.

He designed and built the retail stores adjacent to Walt Disney World rides, then did some work at the parks resorts. Universal Studios sought him out next, for movie launch events. And this led to work in New York, California and elsewhere.

I had learned, over seven years, to apply what I know to the country that was department stores. And that went into theme parks, then into museums, and it spread out after that.

In 1993, Creative Foam Designs became Creative Arts Unlimited. Barganier is creative director and president (he says his business partner, Chuck Stanmore, is the left brain of the operation).

As an artist, Bargainer says, the starting point for any job Creative Arts is hired to do remains the same: Its just like going back to the illustrator thing: What tells the story best? Thats why you choose what you choose. Weve got a very wide palette.

So when the client comes in, you listen, and theyll tell you everything you need to know. Even though they dont know they know it. When they describe who their audience is, who the visitor is, all that determines what it looks like.

Kevin Chadwick bought St. Petersburgs historic-but-crumbling State Theatre in 2018, and immediately set out to locate a designer who could bring what he envisioned a stylish, art deco theater to fruition.

We were doing our research and found this company, Creative Arts, Chadwick recalls. Had no idea that they were right here in Pinellas Park. We were looking at some projects they had done in New York, and Washington, D.C. I said Thats the quality of work Im looking for lets look them up and see where we can find them.

Chadwick was stunned, he explains, to discover that Creative Arts was literally in his own back yard. He reached out to Roger Bargainer.

He may be one of the most creative guys Ive ever met, Chadwick says. He walked through it and immediately started visualizing what it could look like. I told him I really wanted to do an authentic art deco theater that will stand the test of time. And he graciously said Im in. I get it, lets do it.

Bargainer, too, is enthused about the State Theatre project, which could no promises be ready for a late-spring unveiling.

It was never like an opulent, old art deco theater, ever, he says. I think this is going to be more in the realm of the niceness of the Tampa Theatre, but for St. Petersburg.

In a section of the big warehouse, he points to a palette of ornate wooden sconces, cut and polished into shapes that suggest an old-time, Hollywood-style nightclub. They have yet to be stained, painted or embellished in any way.

Theres a lot of nice stained dark wood art deco-type shapes in the new State Theatre, he explains. Their accent pieces, like the bar and the sconces, are very much in the traditional, classic art deco motif but not overpowering. Not as ornate as Tampa. But you dont need that. Its a lot cleaner.

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Roger Bargainers Creative Arts: Everything we do tells a story - St Pete Catalyst

The artist Ana Vizcarra Rankin is sitting under a blanket of stars. From her vantage point, she can see both Orion and the Southern Cross. Polaris shines from its position in Ursa Minor and in the distance, there are the twinkling lights of Mexico City.

The Philadelphia-based artist, who was born in Uruguay, can almost hear the constant fireworks exploding in the night sky from the festival celebrating the Lady of Guadalupe from her spot on a floor pillow in the upper-level of the gallery at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

The blanket of stars above her is her piece Untitled Starmap (Mexico), which is part of Holding Space, an interactive installation, a mediation room with star art and pillows. Holding Space is part of Rankins Butterfly Effect exhibit, which runs at PCA&D through April 12.

By inviting people to gaze into the night sky of Mexico, she is playing with perspective. The viewer is in two places at once. Rankin is in Mexico in her mind and in Lancaster in her body. Rankin envisions the Holding Space as a place for students and visitors to let their thoughts drift.

Im a big advocate of just sitting around in the dark, Rankin says. Its super nice to sit outside and relax and not be staring at a screen. Enjoy the darkness, enjoy the silence.

The blanket of stars that hangs overheard on the gallerys ceiling represents the approximate location of the night sky from a trip Rankin and her husband took to Mexico. She made the work by sketching the night sky with her naked eye while in Mexico and using various star gazing apps to check her positions. Rankins work takes on vast subjects like the universe or the planet and makes them personal.

For instance, the night sky above her reminds her what she was looking at during her trip to Mexico. Constellations and single stars have long been used as a navigation tool. As an artist, Rankin uses the night skies to navigate her position in the world, as well as her memories and emotions.

Butterfly Effect features art based on star maps, world maps, changes in ocean temperatures, the amount of planes in a sky in a given location on a given moment in time and paintings of different nebulas. Theres plenty of room to think, explore and engender curiosity.

The Butterfly Effect is from chaos theory, Rankin says. Its this idea that a seemingly infinitesimal and inconsequential occurrence can affect its surroundings in ways that are extraordinary and supermassive. The guy that coined the term used as an example that a butterfly flapping its wings in the U.S. could cause a typhoon in the Pacific Ocean.

Rankin admits shes taken liberties with some of the scientific material, but shes allowed, she says. Shes an artist, not a scientist, and artists are allowed to be biased, she says.

One of her pieces, Warm Acid Bath, shows the change in ocean temperatures due to acidification.

These heat maps are all rainbow-colored, and I am particularly partial to the idea of the rainbow as a symbol of diversity and inclusiveness, Rankin says. Im using this imagery that is hopeful and positive even to indicate a lot of the things that are going wrong, because I think its not too late. I think we can dig ourselves out of this. Weve just got to plant more trees.

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She may be speaking as an artist and not a scientist, but shes about as close to a scientist as an artist can get. Her father is a professor of animal sciences and her mother a professor of literature.

Dinner conversations were like freewheeling lectures for Rankin and her family. There was often dry ice in the freezer. Rankin and her siblings would go to her fathers lab and gaze into the microscope at the tiny worlds on the slides. Her mothers influence drew her into making art about mythology.

I have always been an artist from when I could speak, Rankin says. Theres a little Super 8 film of me going Yo quiero ser una artista! My hands on hips saying I want to be an artist!

Rankin moved with her family from Uruguay to Oklahoma when she was 11. Later, she moved to Philadelphia and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Temple University and her Master of Fine Arts from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Her work in Butterfly Effect offers a chance to view our world through a different perspective. For example, her piece El Sur is an inverted world map.

You think about your position on the planet and if youre always on the bottom and suddenly it gets flipped, it changes the way you think of yourself and where you are with respect to the rest of the world, Rankin says. I mean, you have to think of the world in some way, and it makes sense to homogenize things to a certain degree, but I think theres a danger to this idea that everything has to be so standardized.

The standardization of things is something Rankin is obviously fond of playing with.

I think one of the biggest disservices we do to ourselves is this idea of standardization up to a point where you dont even know the questions you are not asking, Rankin says. The more you are bombarded by the same image over and over again, the less you even consider that an alternative is possible. So, as an agent of chaos, I can be like Hey, but what if, this were quote-unquote upside down. And its not even upside down. Theres no upside down in space.

Here she pauses.

Thats what I love about making this kind of art, Rankin says. Every day is like an existential conundrum.

What: Butterfly Effect.

Where: Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, 204 N Prince St.

When: Through April 12. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Cost: Free.

pcad.edu/gallery-exhibit/butterfly-effect-by-ana-vizcarra-rankin.

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Artist Ana Vizcarra explores a sense of being from a personal perspective and scientific observations - LancasterOnline

The five-star hotel is close enough for those all-important business meetings, but feels a satisfying world away when it's time to unwind

Apparently you should never mix business with pleasure however, a truly exceptional five-star hotel does exactly that.

The Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai is located at the edge of Dubais Downtown district and it does both rather well. Located just moments beyond the low-rise Arabian architecture of the areas exclusive Old Town neighbourhood, the hotel, which opened its doors just over two years ago, is close enough for access to those all-important meetings, with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) just a short taxi journey away.

And yet its setting, on the edge of the Dubai Water Canal, where joggers and cyclists breeze by without a single care in the world, appears a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

There is an air of calm as soon as you pass through the revolving doors, where you are greeted by an art installation of Dubais impressive skyline; a hand-blown chandelier lends the space an impressive majesty.

Locally inspired art features throughout reception and into the elevators, with natural wood finishes and Arabesque patterns offering a touch of style that references the local culture and artistic heritage.

The hotel is large enough to feel a sense of privacy, but intimate at the same time to experience the personal touch from staff. It boasts 166 king rooms and 65 suites including 32 corner suites, 15 deluxe, 13 executive suites, four VP suites and one presidential suite. The deluxe suite is huge at 65 square metres and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning views. A striking feature is Picassos camel sketch above the bed, re-interpreted into a 3D iron rod sculpture, it brings a sense of personality and avoids the anonymity that often pervades even five-star hotel rooms.

For those looking to burn off some energy there is the option to use the hotel bicycles and join the cyclists around the canal, or visit the gym on the third floor, which boasts a selection of Technogym equipment, weights and striking images of Burj Khalifa.

Indulgence beckons at the Six Senses Spa which is located on level five and features six treatment suites that are each dedicated to a different sense skilled therapists will knead and massage away the last of your business traveller fatigue, instilling a sense of profound contentment and relaxation.

And in terms of food, there is more than enough to satisfy your appetite.

Enjoy the sunset view with live entertainment and shisha at Bhar, with flavours from Chef Mohanad Al Shamali and sample his trademark Black Cod Syadieh, as well as other creations such as Crispy Soft-Shell Crab Saj with garlic mayo and harissa and duck fat chips. Basta! the brainchild of celebrity chef David Myers, combines the feel of a Roman trattoria, Florentine steakhouse and Neapolitan pizzeria into one restaurant. The new brunch is another highlight.

The Renaissance is also home to Chef Masaharu Morimotos first UAE outpost of his famed-eponymous restaurant.

And then theres the signature restaurant, award-winning Bleu Blanc. A creation of Myers, it combines French chic with the warmth of a farmhouse and is considered something of a gastronomic destination by the citys food cognoscenti.

While its location on the edge of Business Bay leads one to conclude it is a business hotel, the truth is the property is much more. It ticks all the boxes in that respect, but also offers free shuttle services to Dubai Mall, Kite Beach and La Mer and it is just a five-minute walk to Downtown, the citys de facto entertainment and lifestyle centre.

Renaissance-hotels.marriott.com

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Combining business and pleasure at The Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai - ArabianBusiness.com

Beginning Thursday, tree removal work on Bridge Avenue will require the intermittent closure of Bridge Avenue to allow the safe removal of large trees, according to a press release. The tree removal contractor will work in the general area between Hawthorne Avenue and Marshall Street on Bridge Avenue.

The public is asked to honor the detour and follow the signed route to ensure the safety of both the public and the crew working on the trees.

The road closures will be lifted at the end of each working day so that Bridge Avenue is open to traffic in the evenings and overnight. The work will take about a week and half, weather permitting.

Anyone with questions about the closures or nature of the work can contact Phil Wacholz, assistant director of Public Works, at 507-377-4378.

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Tree removal work begins on part of Bridge Avenue - Albert Lea Tribune - Albert Lea Tribune

GENESEE COUNTY, MI The removal of trees as part of preparation for a road widening project will impact a section of Hill Road for several days.

The Genesee County Road Commission announced trees will be removed beginning Monday, March 2 in the right-of-way on Hill Road, between Saginaw and Center roads in Grand Blanc Township.

Daytime lane closures are scheduled from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 2 and Tuesday, March 3.

Motorists are advised to slow down and allow additional time to reach their destination.

The same portion of road will be fully closed to all thru traffic from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day beginning Wednesday, March 4 for approximately one week, per the county road commission.

Motorists will need to seek an alternate route.

Gerrad Godley, the county road commissions construction department manager, said the widening project is scheduled to begin in April and be completed by end of August.

He noted the work is being done as the portion of Hill Road is heavily traffic, a main thoroughfare for Grand Blanc Community Schools, two cemeteries in the area, and experiences a high volume of commuter traffic to and from Interstate 475.

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Tree removal to impact traffic along Hill Road in Grand Blanc area - MLive.com

Dear Editor:

I am deeply upset and disturbed by the removal of numerous trees recently on the lot at the corner of Glenside Road and Route 22 in Scotch Plains. Many residents in the neighborhood, which is also my neighborhood, have approached me and asked why these trees were removed, as they had been there for as long as we could remember and provided a sound barrier from the Route 22 traffic.

The answer, provided by the state, is that ONE person complained about visibility. I am confused as to how one persons complaint can result in the removal of dozens of trees that have been there for decades. While I acknowledge that there were some downed trees from storms in the past, I dont know why so many had to be cut down, and the tree stumps are still on that lot as of March 1, 2020. I understand that the state is possibly changing landscaping contractors, but I implore you to provide us with trees for that lot as soon as possible, and we, the residents of Scotch Plains, will plant them ourselves.

Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust.

We do not want to have to wait until the DOT approves a new landscaping contract this fall. In Scotch Plains, we have an active Green Team that is committed to educating residents on how to incorporate more sustainable habits into daily living, and planting trees and conserving our green space (especially near highways) is near the top of the list. Not only do trees absorb the noise from the highway, but they also turn the harmful emissions from vehicles into clean air for all of us to breathe. Having the state come in and remove so many of our trees is contradictory to our mission.

In fact, I was planning to reach out to the state about providing more trees along the adjacent state property that surrounds the gas station. Additionally, we have many deer in the area that rely on the small regions of open space and now that is one less area for them to inhabit.

In the future, I hope that the state will reach out to the Township of Scotch Plains ManagerAl Mirabellabefore infringing on such fragile space. Please advise as to when the stumps will be removed and when we can expect to receive new trees for us to plant in that area. Thank you.

Elizabeth Stamler (and other concerned residents)CouncilwomanScotch Plains

Editor's Note:This letter was sent to the NJDepartment of Transportation advising them of Councilwoman Stamler's (and her neighborhoods) concernwhen trees were removed along Route 22. It was sent on March 2, 2020, via email to Christopher Tomlin, Executive Director of the North region, DOT.

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I Am Deeply Disturbed by The Removal of Numerous Trees in Scotch Plains - TAPinto.net

Ship Bottom officials arent letting any grass grow under their feet, so to speak. For the second consecutive meeting, the governing body has taken steps to strengthen beach and dune protection in the borough after a clear cutting of dune vegetation at a new build on 17th Street, set to play out in municipal court this week.

At the councils Feb. 25 meeting, the council unanimously passed Ordinance 02-2020 C after a public hearing that netted no public comment. The ordinance sets the maximum fine for anyone violating or failing to comply with the boroughs beach protection and bulkhead law at $2,000.

The maximum fine is set by state authority, not local. Ultimately, the monetary fine in a court proceeding is determined by the municipal court judge, Borough Solicitor Christopher J. Connors said during the meeting.

Currently, the monetary fine is set at no more than $1,000, with the possibility of imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days or community service not to exceed 90 days, or a combination of the three as determined by the municipal judge. Imprisonment, community service and the discretion of the municipal judge remain the same in the proposed measure.

Prior to the passage of Ordinance 02-2020C, the council discussed putting into play tree trimming regulations similar to those Barnegat Light has established.

I want an ordinance, Mayor William Huelsenbeck said of tree trimming regulations, not a memo.

Councilman Tom Tallon said if the boroughs code enforcement officer needs to be onsite for a tree trimming, then a permit fee should be included in any proposed measure.

Kathleen Flanagan, borough coordinator, said the tree cutting incident on 17th Street was a situation where too many trees were removed than were permitted to be eliminated.

In Ship Bottom, if trees are dead, they can be removed as long as the homeowner or landscaper has the permission of the borough engineer, according to Flanagan.

Someone said he said yes to the clear cutting, Flanagan said of Frank Little, borough engineer.

In January, Judge James Liguori adjourned the case of the cutting of dune vegetation until March 5, allowing the appropriate parties time to develop and submit a plan to restore dune vegetation. Under municipal code, dune restoration requires an application be made that includes a description of the activities to be performed, the equipment to be used and any other information the borough engineer deems necessary to properly review the proposed work. Restoration work cannot begin until a permit has been issued by the borough. The work must then begin within 10 days and be completed within 30 days unless otherwise approved by the governing body, according to municipal code.

At the Jan. 16 court date, the only individual present on the matter was a contractor, who said his sign was on the property, but he didnt remove the dune vegetation. The homeowner and any other individual party to the removal of dune grasses and trees were expected to be issued summonses to appear in municipal court on charges they violated Ship Bottoms beach and dune maintenance laws.

In Ship Bottom, preserving the beach-dune system is the responsibility of the property owner if or when maintenance is necessary on private property, according to the boroughs municipal code. Should the property owner fail to begin or complete the work within the approved time frame, the borough has the right to perform the work. The cost would be assessed to the property owner as a lien and levied as a tax on the land, under municipal code. Restoration work must be finished by May 15 and cannot begin any earlier than Oct. 15 unless approved by the borough council.

Gina G. Scala

ggscala@thesandpaper.net

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Ship Bottom to Consider Ordinance to Regulate Tree Cutting - The SandPaper

Cutting trees can be costly especially if theyre in town open space.

The Board of Selectmen has accepted a $43,000 settlement from property owners and their contractor held responsible for cutting trees on town open space land the third monetary settlement of tree-cutting on open space in eight years.

Together the three settlements have brought the town $153,000 most of it flowing into the towns open space fund, with perhaps $30,000 or $35,000 going to legal fees, Conservation Commission chairman James Coyle estimated.

The cutting down of trees that have been standing for decades has serious and far reaching repercussions, Coyle said to The Press. Trees serve functions in our ecosystem that no other organism can entirely match. Among other functions they reduce CO2, provide oxygen, moderate temperature, provide habitat for wildlife, and reduce erosion. And last but not least, they are beautiful to look at and soothe our souls.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi viewed the legal action that led to the settlement as a stand by the town in defense of its open spaces.

You cant go on town property and cut trees, Marconi said. You should know where your property lines are.

Marconi spoke as the most recent settlement, stemming from tree-cutting in open space off Peaceable Ridge Road, was being considered by the selectmen before their 4-to-0 vote to approve it on Wednesday night, Feb. 19.

In the settlement agreement the property owners deny any knowledge of the removal of such trees until being notified by the Town of Ridgefield Conservation Commission of an open space violation.

Marconi noted that the town had reached settlements in two other cases of tree-cutting in open space one for about $23,000 off Barrack Hill Road and another for $80,000 off North Salem Road.

Coyle said there was more than money to the settlement.

An integral part of this is the property owners agree to clean up the mess they made, Coyle told the selectmen.

But the money is part of it.

Well take part of that settlement and do some replanting, Coyle said.

He gave The Press the background that led to the agreement.

The settlement at Peaceable Ridge Road relates to the cutting down of five large (16- to 24-inch diameter) trees on the towns West Mountain/McManus Section open space, Coyle said. The cut trees were spotted by a Conservation Commission member in the spring of 2019.

The property owner had hired a landscape contractor to do some clearing on his property. Unfortunately the contractor did not respect the property boundary and the five trees were on town open space.

A Notice of Violation pursuant to the Ridgefield Open Space Use Ordinance Chapter 262 was issued in June 2019 for the unauthorized cutting of trees and placement or dumping of waste materials, including cut trees.

Discussion at the selectmens meeting revealed that the contractor was paying $27,500 of the settlement, and the homeowners were paying $15,500.

Colye told the selectmen a lot of negotiating went into the agreement.

We went around and around and did a little compromising, Coyle told the selectmen.

Selectman Sean Connelly asked if the $43,000 was a sufficient amount to discourage similar violations in the future.

Someone says Im going to get a really nice view here. Is that enough of a deterrent? he asked.

Coyle said the value of the trees cut was assigned in accordance with the latest revision of The Guide for Plant Appraisal, as published by the International Society of Arboriculture, Urbana, Illinois which he described as a manual in its ninth of tenth edition.

A lot of factors help determine the trees monetary value.

Its a function of the diameter of the trees, the location of the trees, Coyle said.

This is a number accepted by the courts, he added.

The courts have at times imposed penalties exceeding the value of the trees cut, according to Coyle.

Had this violation proceeded to trial, he told The Press, the judge would have been able to apply a penalty of up to five times the value of the trees cut down.

In one of the largest settlements to date in Connecticut (a court decision relating to a property in Old Lyme), the judge applied a penalty multiplier of 3.5 to the calculated amount (the State Law allows a judge to apply a penalty multiplier of 1-5). This resulted in damages and court costs of $650,000, he said.

Coyle described for The Press the two other significant settlements in Ridgefield concerning tree cutting.

In 2016 a property owner on North Salem Road cut down five trees on town-owned open space property allegedly to improve his lake views. A nearby homeowner informed the Conservation Commission, the cutting was stopped, and an investigation conducted. The town went to court and reached a settlement in 2017 for $85,000.

The tree-cutting on Old Sib Road happened in 2012 and involved the loss of about a dozen trees.

This was settled out of court for around $25,000,. Coyle said.

The Conservation Commission takes great pride in our vast network of open spaces in Ridgefield, he said. We both maintain those open spaces and enforce our Open Space Use Ordinance to protect them.

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Ridgefield tree cutting leads to $43000 settlement - The Ridgefield Press