By Barry Kolar

With centuries-old oak, maple and hickory trees being cut down by the dozen to make room for giant new houses, residents of the West Meade neighborhood have been scrambling to find a way to protect the tree canopy that defines the West Nashville neighborhood of about 2,000 residents. 

Few options have been available through metro zoning and construction statutes, and efforts to develop a tree ordinance that would protect this natural resource have stalled. So this summer, leaders in the West Meade Neighborhood Association came up with a new strategy, launching the Save Our Trees Initiative, a strategy that relies on education and cooperation with builders. 

"We wanna work with the developers,” neighborhood association president Paul Garland told the News Channel 5. “We don't want to stop them from working. We couldn't do that anyway if we tried." 

With that in mind, Garland and association board member Hans-Willi Honegger crafted a memorandum of understanding that they are presenting to builders and developers in the neighborhood. The MOU lays out the details of mutual agreement, giving cooperating builders a “Seal of Approval” to their work in West Meade. Those signing will have their company highlighted on the westmeade.org/ website, in the association newsletter and at community meetings. The website will also list builders who are tree un-friendly or do no respond to the initiative.

“We thought this was the only way we could interact with the developers,” Honegger said. “Maybe these agreements will help us save some really valuable trees.”

Among the considerations asked for in the MOU are: 

(1) Prior to construction, to inventory and assess the health of all trees currently existing on the property, in order to preserve, to the maximum extent possible, those that are mature and healthy. (A Certified Arborist, and/or Licensed Landscape Architect can assist with the inventory.)

(2) To, in good faith, share this inventory and a building plan with the WMNA board members in advance of destruction or removal of trees and plant life.

(3) To grant permission for experts of the WMNA or invited experts to enter the property in order to remove native plants prior to development.

(4) To establish safety areas around the drip line (at least 10 feet to either side of the tree by fencing) of remaining trees to protect their trunks and roots from being damaged by construction equipment and to avoid compacting the soil above their root system.

(5) To replant with mature native trees and bushes (caliper of at least one inch for trees), in order to replace heritage and other large native trees which had to be removed for a new dwelling on the site and to ensure the newly planted trees are watered for the first 2 years to aid their growth and replace those trees which did not survive the first year after planting

(6) To use only native trees and bushes for new landscaping.

(7) To require that contractors and builders under the employ of, or contracted by, owner/developer are aware of posted road speed limits and parking requirements and are cognizant of the fact that most of West Meade / Hillwood does not have sidewalks, and that residents with children and dogs often walk on the side of the street.

So far the effort has had mixed success. Some builders have signed on, but it has been difficult for the association to make contact with the builders before trees have been taken down. “We don’t have great leverage,” Honegger said. “We just have to depend on their good will. It’s a slow process, but I think it is a start.”

In addition to the MOU, the association is working to educate builders and realtors on the value of a healthy tree canopy for keeping the neighborhood attractive to buyers; building an identity for the neighborhood based on its natural resources; and helping residents learn best practices for growing and maintaining the tree canopy. So far this effort, led by Blair Tramel, has resulted in the distribution of signs that say “West Meade (Hearts) Our Trees. Help Protect Our Canopy and Our Wildlife.” Also in planning are resource packets for residents, new arrivals and real estate agents that would include information from the Smart Yards program, Root Nashville, UT Extension and others.