Wilmington city officials were at the former Galleria shopping center Wednesday morning after at least two large trees were cut down without a permit, one of them a 40-inch diameter old-growth live oak. The trees were particularly prominent because they stood in the parking lot medians of the shopping center, which was torn down to make room for a mixed-use development.
Wilmington’s tree ordinance cannot prevent developers from cutting down protected trees, but it does require they outline the location of those trees on site plans and obtain a permit. For every old-growth tree cut, the developer must plant several smaller ones in its place — the exact number depends on the type and size of each tree cut.
Jeff Walton, an assistant city planner, said the city has not issued a tree removal permit. He was unaware the trees had been cut until the Lumina News notified him Wednesday morning.
“We have not issued approval to remove those trees,” Walton said. “The city had previously issued a preservation permit that specified those trees could not be cut down during demolition of the buildings that previously occupied the site.”
Developers who remove a tree without a permit are subject to fines and must replace the lost trees according to the ordinance. As of press time Walton did not know what fine may be levied or how many trees would have to be replanted.
The ordinance was intended to discourage clear-cutting and to preserve mature trees, particularly flowering trees and old-growth trees such as live oaks, which also grow slowly.
City arborist Aaron Reese was on site Wednesday morning, April 29 and planned to return later for a more thorough look at the damage. He did not yet have a count of how many protected trees were cut.
State Street Galleria LLC bought the 12-acre site in 2013 for $3.76 million. At the developer’s request, Wrightsville Beach de-annexed the former shopping center in June 2014, and it was annexed by Wilmington, subjecting it to all Wilmington city ordinances, including tree preservation regulations.
It has since been rezoned for urban mixed-use development. Walton said discussions with the project’s engineering firm, McKim & Creed, indicate plans for a hotel, shops and housing. A call made to the firm was not immediately returned Wednesday morning, and early attempts to contact the property owner were unsuccessful.
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