Elected officials in Leland seek to tighten language related to the town’s purchasing guidelines following a highly contentious, well-publicized investigation into one of their own.

The Leland Town Council voted Wednesday night to direct the town attorney to consult with the North Carolina Local Government Commission about the town’s procurement policies and ask for suggestions on amending those policies with respect to the role of elected officials.

The unanimous vote was cast in a special-called meeting to discuss a legal advisory opinion the town’s attorney released following his investigation into Councilman Frank Pendleton, a relative newcomer to the town board.

Attorney Steve Coggins determined in his 175-page report that Pendleton’s effort earlier this year to expedite the delivery of a laptop the town signed off on buying him did not break any laws.

But Pendleton’s attempt did violate the town’s policies, Coggins concluded, telling council members Wednesday night that the matter was a “learning lesson.”

After he highlighted his findings to the council, Coggins thanked Pendleton for taking the time, one-on-one, to explain his side of the story.

“I appreciate it very much his willingness to do that and his candor with that,” Coggins said. “It certainly made this most unpleasant task more palatable and for which I extend my gratitude for that, as well as to staff who spent time in educating me.”

Pendleton, who asked for an opportunity to speak when the mayor asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting, did not reciprocate, instead rebuking Coggins and Town Manager David Hollis.

“When you look at this entire situation, if it weren’t for the fact that this process has needlessly wasted a huge amount of time and, more importantly, a great deal of taxpayer monies, it would be laughable,” he began. “This entire situation speaks volumes to the professionalism on the part of this council, the council attorney and especially the town manager.”

Pendleton refuted various points Coggins identified as undisputed facts in his report, disputing he called the laptop vendor on Jan. 21 to try and expedite the time in which the laptop would be delivered. When he made that call, he was under the impression that the delivery time would be up to 13 weeks.

“I called simply to verify the lead time from the vendor and to see if the town manager had lied to me,” Pendleton said. “As it turned out, someone was lying because the vendor told me that the computer would be delivered between January 30 and February 4, which would have been two weeks from the delivery date or from the order date. So, someone was indeed lying. Either the town manager was lying to me, or the vendor was lying to the staff.”

“What actually happened, but was conveniently left out,” of the report, he continued, “was that the vendor called me back two days later on January 23 to tell me that the delivery would actually be pushed back two additional weeks. This would put it at four weeks from the original date, not 13-plus weeks.”

Pendleton said he did not ask or attempt to authorize canceling the town’s laptop order.

“The question that should have been asked when the town manager was made aware of the conversations between myself and the vendor, why didn’t he handle this situation like the CEO he claims to be?” he continued. “Why didn’t he act like a man and pick up the phone and call me? He could have said, ‘Mr. Pendleton, you shouldn’t be speaking with the vendor and, going forward, please director those questions to me.’ Why didn’t he tell me about the procurement policy that applies to town employees regarding purchases when he provided me the name of the vendor and the specs on the computer? No, he chose to attempt to discredit me by implying that I did something that I didn’t do. It certainly appears that this was a case built on entrapment, political meddling, violations of employee code of ethics and insubordination on the part of the town manager.”

Meeting attendees sitting in the council’s chambers broke out in applause when Pendleton, who was sworn in last December to serve his first term on the council, finished speaking.

They jeered when his fellow Councilman Bob Campbell fired back, “I absolutely agree somebody was lying. And, in my opinion, just from what I read, sounds more like you.”

Mayor Brenda Bozeman repeatedly hammered her gavel to quiet the audience as other council members questioned Pendleton about his actions.

“I was hoping this was going to be put to bed tonight,” Bozeman said. “I’m tired of it. It’s an issue we need to get rid of.”

Councilwoman Veronica Carter reminded the board of a previous discussion it had about how, in the town’s 37-year history, nothing like this issue had occurred until now.

“I think we all want it to end, but we don’t want it to come back to bite us later,” Carter said. “We haven’t put it to bed if we haven’t come up with any change.”

Whether its a nature hike, a stormwater tour at North Carolina’s premiere coastal university, or helping a town’s staff permanently mark storm drains, there’s something for nearly everyone during Cape Fear Creek Week.

Creek Week kicks off on Sunday and goes through March 21, offering opportunities to connect with, celebrate, and care for local waterways of the Cape Fear Region.

Throughout the week, participants are invited to play Cape Fear Creek Week virtual bingo by completing activities for a chance to win a swag bag.

The events lineup starts Sunday with a birding walk from 10-11 a.m. in Leland, where participants will be given tips on how to identify local and migrating birds. Registration for this event is through the town of Leland.

On Monday, gather beneath cypress trees in Wallace Park at 2110 Market St. in Wilmington for a scavenger hunt from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. The Alliance for Cape Fear Trees will have resources on hand to share tips on how to properly plant and care for trees.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is hosting that afternoon a behind-the-scenes tour of its stormwater-control measures, including rain gardens, permeable pavement systems and other sustainable features that reduce runoff and support healthier waterways. This event will be held 2-3 p.m. Monday at 4935 Riegel Road. Registration is required.

On Monday evening, discover ways to diagnose and restore wetland habitats through Habitat Fixer Uppers with Fort Fisher Aquarium, a program scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. at 1212 Magnolia Village Way in Leland. You may register here.

Tuesday, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority will host a tour of its Southside Water Reclamation Facility, 3436 River Road in Wilmington. Registered participants must be age 5 or older.

Events for Wednesday include a bird hike at Burnt Mill Creek 8-9:30 a.m., an opportunity to work alongside employees of Leland’s engineering department 4-5:30 p.m. to permanently mark the town’s storm drains, a children’s scavenger hunt 5-6 p.m. at Cypress Cover Park in Leland, and resilient coastal communities program public meeting drop in between 5p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Skyline Center in downtown Wilmington.

Events later in the week include a golden hour guided tour by paddleboat in Greenfield Lake Park, a walking tour at Pages Creek, a sustainability brewery tour at Mad Mole Brewing (for those 21 and older), a Brunswick Nature Park tour in Winnabow, and a cleanup at Greenfield Lake Park.

Details, including all dates, times and locations, are available on the N.C. Cooperative Extension website.

Cape Fear Creek Week is a collaboration between the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wilmington’s Heal our Waterways, Leland, Cape Fear River Watch, New Hanover County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, Coastal Land Trust, Cape Fear Birding Observatory, Plastic Ocean Project, Mad Mole Brewery, UNCW Sustainability, and Alliance for Cape Fear Trees.

Alliance for Cape Fear Trees is hosting its next tree giveaway in Leland on Saturday.

The Wilmington-based nonprofit will be giving away 1,000 native trees at the event, which is scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon, while supplies last, at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way.

Tree stewards and arborists will be available to help people choose trees best suited for their properties. There is a limit of two trees per household.

Available trees species will include Satyr Hill American holly, persimmon, flowering dogwood, Dura Heat river birch, blackgum, Princeton American elm, white oak, and southern live oak.

Saturday’s tree giveaway is being sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and Enterprise Mobility.

Brunswick County commissioners have approved the purchase of about 380 acres to be used as a future raw water reservoir near its Northwest Water Treatment Plant.

Following a closed session Wednesday morning, commissioners unanimously agreed to the more than $8.7 million price tag, which includes $241,778 for the timber on the property so that it will remain wooded.

The land in the Leland area is the former site of a quarry, which, coupled with its location to the water plant, “makes it an ideal location for a water reservoir,” according to the county.

“This is a forward-thinking, long-term investment to bolster and secure our county’s access to our most important resource on earth,” Commissioner Chairman Mike Forte said in a release. “Having a water reservoir means that in the event of an unforeseen emergency, drought, or temporary water shortage, we will have back-up water supply for all our residents and businesses.”

The tract includes about a 50- to 60-acre lake of the old quarry site and is largely forested.

The county plans to keep the wooded area intact as it transitions to a reservoir site.

“Because of the growth and development in this particular area of the county, this property may have one day been developed into a major planned unit development,” County Manager Steve Stone said in the release. “Instead, this location will be used to support important public health and quality of life needs while preserving its natural identity.”

Infrastructure including pumps and pipes will need to be installed before the reservoir is placed into service.

The future raw water reservoir will allow the county to continue supplying water to the Northwest Treatment Plant if the Kings Bluff raw water transmission system or pump station goes out of service, maintain the county’s water supply in the event of a contaminant spill in the Cape Fear River, supplement the county’s water supply in drought conditions, and stabilize the raw water supply from the Kings Bluff transmission system, which will help increase the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer system capacity from peak to average daily capacity of 96 million gallons per day.

This project is the latest in the county’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand water service.

Work continues to double capacity at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant from 24 million gallons per day to 48 MGD. And, a new low-pressure reverse osmosis system is being installed to treat and remove regulated and unregulated materials such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from raw drinking water supplies.

That project is expected to be completed by September.

The Brunswick County Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted an open burning ban placed last week on unincorporated areas of the county.

The ban, issued last Thursday, was effective as of 5 p.m. Monday. Leland also lifted its town-wide ban in conjunction with the county.

Brunswick Fire Marshal Andrew Thompson issued the Oct. 23 ban because the weekend forecast called for windy, dry conditions.

Now that the ban is lifted, open burning within 100 feet of an occupied structure in unincorporated areas of the county is permissible.

Only natural vegetation, including leaves, tree trimmings and yard debris, may be legally burned within 100 feet of an occupied structure. Outdoor burning within 100 feet from a structures requires a North Carolina Forest Service permit.

The public is asked to be vigilant and use caution when burning.

County officials urge those who hold a forestry burn permit to contact the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 910-253-2505 to let them know when they plan to burn.

Contact the Brunswick County Fire Marshal’s Office for information or questions about burn bans, open burning, fireworks, fire inspections, fire investigations, or the North Carolina Fire Code, at 910-253-2041 or visit brunswickcountync.gov/323/Burn-Ban-Open-Burning.

The practice of burning as a way to clear land has been banned in Leland.

During a special-called meeting on Monday, the town’s council unanimously enacted the ban, citing growing concerns about smoke and air quality impacts from recent burns, according to a release.

The ban “does not affect other forms of open burning permitted under state law,” the release states.

The town will host an open burning workshop next month with a focus on educating residents about state regulations on opening burning and how those apply within the town’s limits.

Town staff will be joined by officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality and North Carolina Forest Service in giving brief presentations on existing regulations, enforcement, and applicability in the Brunswick County town.

Those presentations will be followed by a public comment period, after which time Leland Town Council members will discuss the information presented, public input, town policies, practices, and ordinances.

The workshop, which will be held as a special meeting of the town council, is set for 3 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way.

An undeveloped park that will include access to two popular waterways in Leland has received a major funding boost to build a public boat dock and boardwalk.

The Brunswick County town has received a $443,108 North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, or PARTF, grant for construction of water access amenities to be included at the planned Sturgeon Creek Park.

The boardwalk will be Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and guide visitors to a boat dock, reduce foot traffic in fragile areas and safeguard wildlife habitats within the more than 78-acre tract.

The park project builds on goals outlined in the Sturgeon Creek Park Master Plan and will “provide greater access to outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, and wildlife observation,” according to a town release.

Under the grant program, the town is required to contribute half of the total project cost.

Construction on the park is slated to begin early next year, with phase one of the project completed by January 2027.

Alliance for Cape Fear Trees is hosting its first big tree giveaway of the season in Leland.

The giveaway will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way. The event will end at noon or until the nonprofit organization runs out of trees to give away.

Available trees include oaks, river birches, magnolias, red maples, serviceberries, and blackgums.

All trees are hand-selected to support local wildlife, provide shade, and boost biodiversity, according to the organization.

“And these native species are champions of resilience in the Lower Cape Fear region’s climate and soil,” the organization stated.

Residents are encouraged to browse the species list in advance of the tree giveaway to decide which type of tree may be best suited for their yards.

Train volunteers and tree stewards will also be on hand to offer tips for selecting trees, planting guidance, and care instructions.

Leland’s long-term project to resurface roadways within town limits began this week and is expected to continue for several months.

The project follows a 20-year life cycle to resurface up to 5% of the town’s roadways each year. About 5 miles of roads will be resurfaced this year, according to a town release.

Construction has begun on Grandiflora Drive near Kobus Court in Magnolia Greens and will progress toward Lanvale Road through Wyland Court, Stanfield Court, Greymoss Lane, Pine Harvest Drive, Parkmore Court, Alba Lane, Tommy Jacobs Drive, Sunburst Way, Carolina Avenue, Westport Drive, Eric Court, Potomac Court, and Avenbury Court.

Construction is expected from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through the fall. Residents should expect some delays and asked to use caution when traveling through the construction zones.

The Leland Town Council earlier this year awarded a $1.76 million construction contract for the project, which includes milling, full-depth patching where needed, asphalt overlay, new pavement markings, and new street signs.

Survey and design plans are underway for the next round of road resurfacing scheduled to begin next year.

Additional information about Leland’s resurfacing program is available on the town’s website.

A proposal to strengthen and expand building rules in Leland’s flood zone will not be indefinitely sidelined, proponents of the changes say.

“I’m not going to let this die,” said Leland Councilmember Veronica Carter. “I will bring this up at every single meeting until we get some sort of ordinance.”

Carter, who also sits on the board of directors of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, and fellow Councilmember Bill McHugh in telephone interviews last week expressed disappointment after a majority of the council on July 17 voted to table proposed updates to the town’s flood damage prevention ordinance.

Suggested amendments to the ordinance included extending building regulations to land within the 500-year flood zone, which includes nearly 280 acres, restricting residential construction fill to elevate property out of a flood zone, limiting density in a flood zone to two units per acre, and increasing freeboard, or the height added to base flood elevation, from 2 to 4 feet.

The town’s planning board unanimously supported the amendments, but the proposed changes were met with fierce pushback from pro-development groups, including builders and real estate agents.

The nonprofit Business Alliance for a Sound Economy in a letter reported in Port City Daily last month argued the proposed ordinance amendments would undermine property values, limit homeowners from making improvements to their houses, and impose “major new costs to home ownership in Leland” while doing “virtually nothing to reduce the impact of flooding.”

“Were one of them (houses) to be significantly or completely destroyed for any reason, the homeowner would be personally responsible for the major added expense of elevating the home to the new standard,” the letter states.

But building in a flood zone is in and of itself an inherent risk, one that is being exacerbated by the strings of coastal storms in recent years that have dumped historic levels of rainfall in the area, proponents of the measure say.

Next month will be the one-year anniversary of the unnamed storm that dumped up to 20 inches or so of rainfall in southern portions of New Hanover County down through Brunswick County over a two-day period.

That storm, widely called Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, surprised the area with flash flooding that washed out roads and inundated homes.

The National Weather Service said the storm approached an event expected to occur, on average, once every 1,000 years.

“It was ugly and if we’re seeing that kind of catastrophic event happening outside of a major hurricane, just some random summer day, I think we need to take a serious look at where and how we’re building and developing in this zone because, let’s not kid ourselves, the more impervious (surface) that you’re building, the more you push that water out,” McHugh said. “Not taking any action to mitigate that risk, to me, is just wildly irresponsible. The idea that these events are remote and rare and some sort of lottery occurrence is just disingenuous.”

As a result of the unnamed storm, areas outside of Leland’s flood zones were swamped, including Stoney Creek Plantation.

“We all know that the bottom line is things are flooding that have never flooded before,” Carter said. “Our flood maps from the federal government are woefully inadequate and outdated.”

Amendments proposed for the town’s flood prevention ordinance do not halt building in flood zones, she said.

“We’re just saying if you’re going to do it, you’re going to take into account it’s going to flood,” she said.

The coastal storm has been just one of a seemingly growing number of significant rain events hitting the state in recent years and exposing more and more flood-vulnerable areas.

Brunswick County officials are also taking notice. The county is commissioning a study on whether to create a stormwater utility. More than 28,000 structures are within the county’s flood zones.

Strengthening building rules within flood zones, McHugh said, is a moral issue, one where elected officials must ensure they are not creating a situation that puts everyone from property owners to emergency personnel in danger.

“When things flood, when things get damaged, the cost of everyone’s insurance goes up. So, if we limit development in danger zones we limit the risk in an area from hurricanes,” he said. “I remain hopeful that we’re going to pass some sort of meaningful change to flood zone development and I think that this is a matter of critical importance to public safety, to the safety of our first responders, to the insurability of the region, and to these folks who are making the largest investment of their lives, which are their homes. You should be able to trust that a home you buy in Leland is built somewhere safe.”

Both councilmembers said the town might benefit from hosting a workshop, one where residents and special interest groups may come together and share their suggestions.

The council is expected to discuss next steps on the proposed amendments during its Aug. 18 agenda meeting. The council’s regular meeting is scheduled Aug. 21.

Leland will have a ribbon-cutting and community event to celebrate the grand opening of its new StoryWalk 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the Westgate Nature Park, 1260 West Gate Drive.

StoryWalk includes 18 panels along the Westgate Nature Park trail, each featuring a page from a children’s book. The first story is “The Traveling Coin” by local author Kevin Kirk.

Visitors can walk the 0.3-mile trail to read the full story. This project is designed create movement, reading, and creativity.

The stories featured on the StoryWalk will be changed each quarter.

The ribbon cutting will be followed by crafts, face painting, and a meet and greet with Kirk.

The event is free and open to the public. Though parking at Westgate Nature Park is limited, a free shuttle will be running from the Leland Cultural Arts Center at 1212 Magnolia Village Way.

The StoryWalk is presented by the North Brunswick Kiwanis Club and cosponsored by the Town of Leland and First Bank.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk is a registered service mark owned by Ferguson.

Developers looking to build a trio of high-rise condominiums on the Cape Fear River’s west bank across from downtown Wilmington have withdrawn their zoning and annexation requests they had submitted to the town of Leland.

Kirk Pugh of KFJ Development Group said the group had decided to wait and see how things shake out in New Hanover County, where commissioners are expected to hold a second work session to discuss the future of the west bank, according to local media reports.

Leland’s town clerk has verified that the group’s annexation petition is valid and sufficient and staff recommend council accept a certificate of sufficiency for the annexation request, according to information posted on the town’s website.

Information included on the council’s April 14 agenda includes a staff recommendation that the town schedule a public hearing on the annexation request at the board’s May 19 meeting.

A town spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment in time for this report Friday.

New Hanover County commissioners in January tabled KFJ’s request to create a new zoning district and rezone the property, known as Point Peter, within that district. Instead, commissioners decided to hold work sessions to talk about future development of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers.

KFJ took its request to Leland, which is across the river in Brunswick County. In February, the town’s planning board members voted 4-3 to recommend the developers’ request to create a River Urban Mixed-Use zoning district and annex the land.

New Hanover County commissioners held their first work session March 31, where local, state and federal officials and geologists addressed their questions about the west bank.

The more than 8-acre site is situated just north of the Battleship North Carolina at the confluence of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers.

KFJ is eyeing the site to build a mixed-use development that would include a trio of high-rise condominiums.

Opponents of that proposal argue the property — and the entirety of the west bank — lies within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, flood plain and is particularly vulnerable to the impending effects of sea level rise.

Developers say the west bank, much of which is zoned industrial, is an eyesore.

KFJ received a Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, minor permit to remove large debris from Point Peter, the former site of a longtime marine repair and salvage operation. So far, about 400 tons of trash and other material has been moved off the site.

The Leland Planning Board in a split decision Tuesday voted to create a new zoning district on land that a majority of board members also recommend annexing into the Brunswick County town.

The board’s 4-3 vote on both the addition of a Riverfront Urban Mixed-Use District to the town’s zoning districts and annexation of the property is a step forward for a controversial proposed development on the Cape Fear River’s west bank in New Hanover County.

Leland’s town council last week voted to direct the town clerk to investigate a petition for voluntary annexation of a little more than 8 acres of land referred to as Point Peter, which sits at the confluence of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers.

The land does not abut Leland’s town lines.

Related: Leland council approves action on annexation petition

Developer KFJ Development Group LLC wants to build a complex of three high-rises that would consist of apartments, retail, commercial and hospitality space, and a luxury hotel just south of the Battleship North Carolina.

The proposed development is facing heavy opposition, including that of a coalition made up of several environmental, civil rights and historic preservation organizations.

Point Peter is in a Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated floodplain, an area that is especially vulnerable to sea level rise, opponents argue.

Sensitive river habitat rests on both sides of the property and the land has historic and cultural significance.

KFJ took its plans to Leland after New Hanover County commissioners tabled a decision in January on whether to add a new zoning district to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance and rezone the property into that new district.

The property is currently zoned industrial.

New Hanover commissioners have scheduled a study session March 31 to discuss development along the Cape Fear River’s west bank adjacent to downtown Wilmington, according to the Wilmington Star-News.

The proposed annexation and new zoning district will now go to the Leland Town Council for approval. A public hearing must be held by that board before it votes on the annexation request.

Town council members in Leland voted Thursday to direct the town clerk to investigate a petition for voluntary annexation of about 8.34 acres in neighboring New Hanover County.

The petition was submitted by a company called DBDL, LLC, one of the owners of property where developer KFJ LLC, proposes to build a condominium project with 550 units in three high-rise towers along with 300 apartments, retail, commercial and hospitality space and a luxury hotel.

Related: Leland board to consider resolution on annexation request

Town officials, in what they described as acting in the interest of transparency, had removed the planned action from the consent agenda, under which multiple items are typically approved or denied in a single up-or-down vote and with minimal discussion.

“This resolution is the second step in a voluntary annexation process, the first step being the receipt of the petition itself,” said Leland Planning Director Ben Andrea. “Typically, these resolutions are part of the consent agenda and approved along with other items, as the council just did. In an effort to be transparent and to inform the public about the annexation process, in general — not just pertaining to this annexation in particular — this item was removed and presenting to you some additional information tonight.”

The board’s action Thursday was a step required by the state in determining whether the annexation request was legal to consider, not a vote on whether to annex the parcel. If the town clerk’s investigation finds the petition meets legal requirements such as the petitioner’s ownership, town officials would then schedule a public hearing and vote on the annexation request. Public notice of the hearing is required.

The request drew numerous public statements of opposition during the portion of the meeting provided for public comments. Those who spoke described the proposed project as environmentally unsound and in conflict with the town’s land use policies. One said it was an example of “greed and reckless development.” Another said it would change the character of the town. Multiple speakers said it would exacerbate flooding issues and cited examples where developers had in the past walked away from flooding problems they created. Others said transportation would be adversely affected.

Roger Shew, a geologist with the University of North Carolina Wilmington who owns land in Brunswick County, said the project would have “catastrophic” results.

“This will definitely be a stormwater management issue, and the loss of the marsh along the shoreline will lead to the loss of primary nursery grounds. Channel deepening of the Cape Fear will lead to higher waters and higher-salinity waters, as well. In fact, more saline waters tend to break down organic soils that will lead to more compaction and subsidence,” Shew said. “And what about aesthetics? a 300-foot structure will be like a wall on the river and dwarf any other structure, including the battleship.”

LELAND – Officials in this Brunswick County town are proposing new rules to protect trees from clear cutting during land development and ensure that the right kinds of trees are planted where required.

Benjamin Andrea, director of planning and inspections with the town, told Coastal Review Online Tuesday that Leland does not have any tree removal or retention regulations nor does the town provide guidance on tree species for plantings for landscaping and buffers required by landscape standards in its code of ordinances.

“We have requirements for landscaping for parking lots and also requirements for landscaping for screening/buffering between land uses, but the ordinance currently doesn’t dictate what types of species can be used,” Andrea said, adding that proposed language would mandate that trees used in required landscaping be from an approved species list.

“These types of regulations have been discussed over the years, and shortly after I began with the town in December, town council brought the idea back up and asked me to look into it. I gave a presentation to them in April about different types of tree regulations and how Leland’s ordinances are deficient in most regards for tree preservation or mitigation,” Andrea said.

According to the meeting minutes, council members were worried about the large number of trees lost during Hurricane Florence and the need for the town to recover from that vegetative loss, as well as preventing new vegetation planted in rights-of-way to avoid infrastructure issues.

Andrea also told the council that ordinances should include language about indigenous trees and plants and address in the nuisance code trees that intrude upon power lines.

The town council directed staff to draft regulations for tree retention and planting requirements. Staff researched ordinances from other jurisdictions and drafted the regulations, according to the information in the agenda packet for the June 25 meeting, “to prevent clear cutting of lots, require trees defined as significant to be retained or mitigated, and require trees that are planted as part of required parking lot or screening plantings be from a new Landscape Species List.”

The planning board is to review the staff recommendations during a meeting set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“Leland is growing incredibly rapidly. We permit over 40 new single family houses per month. We have around 9,000 residential units approved in planned developments that haven’t been constructed yet,” Andrea said. “The town regularly sees voluntary annexations for residential development. We lost a lot of tree canopy in the area as a result of Hurricane Florence, and that and the rapid pace of development have culminated (in) the need for tree retention regulations.”

Andrea said clear-cutting lots, which is common for development projects in the town, is not wrongdoing by developers. “They just did what was allowed by the town’s code,” he said.

New language would prohibit clear cutting, define “significant” trees and require approval for their removal, either as part of a development plan or as a standalone application if the site is already developed or no development is proposed.

Andrea said that the significant tree removal regulations, as drafted, would apply to lots larger than 20,000 square feet, with the intention to exclude the typical residential subdivision lot and tailor the retention requirements to larger lots that have potential for development or redevelopment.

The language as drafted would also require mitigation for removal of significant trees based on twice the total diameter of significant trees removed, Andrea explained.

Mitigation would consist of either replanting onsite or, if new trees can’t be accommodated there, making a payment to the town. “The payment in lieu would fund tree plantings in public spaces such as parks or street rights-of-way near the site where they were removed,” Andrea said.

Protective fencing would have to be installed around trees that are to be retained onsite during the development project.

Andrea said the approved landscape tree list mostly includes trees native to the region that offer habitat benefits while requiring less irrigation and maintenance to thrive.

According to planning board documents, other recommendations include creating regulations that would make approval of significant tree removal a part of the site plan approval process or as an independent application if there is no proposed development. Language would clarify that the landscape plan is required for site plan review or when a significant tree is proposed to be removed.

Andrea explained that the draft language will go first to the planning board for discussion Tuesday and, after revisions based on feedback received, staff will present the proposal again during the board’s July meeting. If approved, the town council could consider adopting the changes during its August meeting.