Kiawah Island Town Council is considering final approval of new Landscape and Tree Preservation Standards for all properties within the Town of Kiawah Island's municipal boundaries at their March 5 Town Council meeting. These standards were created to consistently preserve and enhance Kiawah's natural environment and to protect significant trees and forests for present and future generations.
Background: This process began when the Planning Commission established a subcommittee to focus on formalizing tree preservation standards for the Town. This subcommittee set a priority to focus on tree preservation standards for the first phase of the effort, with the intent to also develop landscape standards in the next phase of this proposed ordinance. The subcommittee considered existing tree preservation community concerns, the overall permitting process, staff resources, implementation of the ordinance, and the development process timeline, as a part of this review. Kiawah's Grow Native program was also an important factor considered, as promoting native species benefits Kiawah's wildlife. Town Council will be reviewing these standards and having their final reading on March 5, 2024. The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at Town Hall.
Town Council will consider the following at the March 5 meeting (these are subject to change based on that review):
- Draft Ordinance 2024-01 Landscape and Tree Preservation Standards
- Draft Resolution 2024-01 Landscape and Tree Preservation Board Chapter
- Draft Resolution 2024-02 Landscape and Tree Preservation Board Planning Fee Schedule
One important component of these standards includes the establishment of the Town of Kiawah Island Landscape and Tree Preservation Board.