How we got here
Development of the tree preservation ordinance began in August 2023 with a first draft presented to the council in October 2023, Director of Community Development Craig Meyers said in an interview Dec. 4.
The goal is to "preserve, protect and enhance existing trees and mitigate the effects of tree removal within the city,” the ordinance states.
“It's Tomball’s plan to try to preserve our community to the extent we can, preserve our natural resources, our environment, [and] try to keep the aesthetic feel that Tomball has had before all this massive growth, to keep it as a forested area that it once was,” Meyers said in a Dec. 4 interview. “We can't stop development, but we can do what we can to make sure that development is done in a way that preserves our natural landscape.”
What you need to know
The ordinance protects 45 tree types and requires city approval before removal of one of the protected tree types. No property will be grandfathered in and permits to remove trees will be required, according to the ordinance.
Developers will also have to submit a tree survey prior to development of land, according to the ordinance.
Stay tuned
The second and final reading of the ordinance should take place at council’s next meeting Dec. 16.
View the ordinance below.
