GILLETTE, Wyo. -- A certified arborist took exception to a proposed city landscape ordinance on Monday, saying it simply "won't work."
"We need a landscape ordinance, but this isn't it," Al Padova told the Gillette City Council on Monday. He is owner of CJ's Landscaping & Maintenance and has worked in commercial landscaping and maintenance in Gillette for more than 20 years.
The ordinance passed its second reading unanimously, but Padova said it needs to be revised before the third and final vote on July 6.
He pointed to several specifications that are too restrictive and may result in unhealthy and "ugly" landscaping.
These included the limited species of trees allowed, which are defined in the City of Gillette Landscape Standards, a compiled list of trees and shrubs that grow successfully in Gillette.
The problem is most of these are considered high-hazard, which means they commonly drop large branches when they are mature, Padova said.
But the specifications of the ordinance produce no more risk than any other planting that has occured in Gillette, said George Haines, public works director.
Plus, these are still the best choice for Gillette's short growing season because they are faster maturing, according to city arborist Roy Holdeman.
Padova also didn't like the proposal's minimum tree size and planting requirements. The six-foot minimum size requirement for evergreen trees will eliminate some dwarf species from the already limited options.
"We don't want everything to look exactly the same," he said.
Landscaping similar to natural forest growth looks "nicer than having the same size tree throughout the entire city," he added.
Padova said the planting requirement, which mandates a minimum of two trees or one tree and five shrubs in the first 100 feet of street-side areas, is "ridiculous." The small space can restrict root growth, as well as increase breakage and the spread of insects and disease among plants, he said.
This ordinance is not designed to produce carbon-copy landscaping, but to work with the business owner's creativity, Haines said.
"I don't believe the ordinance is written as a number of absolutes," he said, but the city will encourage dialogue about design and work through a give-and-take process until there's an agreement.
Local attorney Felix Sowada told councilmen there may be some problems with the ordinance, but he said he'd "prefer to have landscaping to asphalt," and the process can be as simple as "digging a hole and sticking (a tree) in."
Sowada highlighted a few landscaped areas in town that require limited maintenance but still add to the beautification of Gillette. Planting trees or shrubs and adding a drip system are something people can do without much trouble.
"(It's) just the kind of thing that can make an enormous difference in what the city of Gillette looks like," he said.
"I think we can improve it if there are defects in it," he said. "It's important to me to have a landscape ordinance."