atmosphereandproposestoremovealargenumberoftreesfromthetopofCapitalHill.The <br />remainingtreeswilllikelynotsurvivewhenexposedtohighwindsontheridgelineasdiscussed <br />inmoredetailinCriteria4. <br />TheApplicationimproperlyclaimsthatHendricksParkwillscreentheproposedCHPUDonthe <br />northernboundary,wheninreality,theApplicationproposescreatingnewlotsthatwillabut <br />directlyagainsttheParkboundary.ThetreecuttingproposedbytheCHPUDwouldcause <br />windthrowonthesouthernboundaryofHendricksParkthatwillovertimespreadintothePark. <br />TheApplicationclaimsthattheplantingofnewtreeswillcompensateforthefellingoflarge, <br />stabletrees,whichismisleading,asthetreepreservationplanproposesreplacinglargemature <br />treesupto60inchesindiameterwithasmalltreehavingadiameterof1.5inches. <br />TheApplication'sTreePreservationPlanproposesextensivetreeremovalasfollows: <br />Of867totaltreeswithinthesite,466willeitherberemovedwiththeconstructionof <br />theROW(rightofway)orarelistedas"discretionary",meaningtheyarewithinthe <br />buildableareaofthelotsandmayberemovedbythenewowneronceindividual <br />homeconstructionstarts. <br />ManyofthelargestfirtreesontheproposedCHPUDsite,someinexcessof40 <br />inchesindiameter,willbedestroyedfortheROWconstructionorhomeconstruction. <br />Atotalof257treesarelocatedabove901'.Onlyfourofthesetreesareconserved. <br />Justoneofthefourisaconiferoustree-afirtree. <br />Thesitecurrentlyhasatotalof82verylargetrees(36inchesindiameterorgreater) <br />existontheproposedsite.Ofthese,19wouldbeconserved.Theproposalsindicates <br />justone36inchesorlargerwouldbeproposedontheridgelineabove901'.(TreeNo. <br />41535inlot4) <br />Aswewilldemonstrateinourdiscussionof EC9.8320(4),69%ofalltrees21inches <br />orgreaterindiametermayberemoved. <br />TheApplicationdescribes401treesconservedonsite.Thevastmajorityofthesearein <br />"conserved"areasonprivatepropertyfardownontheeasternslopenexttotheRibbonTrailor <br />withintheHOAConservationArea. <br />TheApplicationTreePreservationPlanfailsto“assurepreservationofsignificanton-site <br />vegetation,topographicfeatures,andotheruniqueandworthwhilefeatures”asdefinedinthe <br />LaurelHillPlan.InadoptingtheSouthHillsStudystandards,theLaurelHillPlanrecognizesthe <br />importanceofthe“evergreen”ridgelineasanimportanttopographicalfeaturethattheCHPUD <br />applicationwouldnotprotect. <br />IntheTreePreservationsectionoftheApplication’sWrittenStatementregardingtree <br />preservation,theapplicationstates(p.36of67),“\[the\]portionofthiscodecriterionthatneeds <br />dueconsiderationisthephrase‘consideringthebasezone.’”TheApplicationimproperly <br />concludesthatthebasezoneabrogatestherelevanceandimportanceoftherefinementoverlay <br />zonesandstudies,i.e.,theLaurelHillPlanandtheSouthHillsStudy.However,refinement <br />zoneswerecreatedtofurtherdefine—orrefine—theneedsofspecificareaswhenthecodesfor <br />thebasezoneareinadequatetoprotecttheparticularneedsofcertainareas.Asstatedabove,and <br />32 <br /> <br />