Land Developer Facing Big Fines For Cutting Down Keller Trees
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KELLER (CBSDFW.COM) - A North Texas home developer is discovering how important trees are to one city. Now the mistake could cost the company, big time!
To prepare an area for a future residential addition, workers with Silveroak Land Development cut down more than 190 trees on the property, without a permit. Another 30 to 40 trees were taken out on a second property. The company president told CBS 11 News it was "just a mistake." Multiply the fines and occurrences and the penalty has now reached the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In order to make room for 20 homes in the future Oakbrook Hills addition in Keller, construction crews cleared pecan, cottonwood and oak trees.
Neighbors like Heather Rainey thought a lot of trees would stay, not only because it's ecologically responsible but fiscally positive. "I don't know what they're doing with it now. When you came in and took all the trees out, that's a lot of the price of land… when you get a wooded lot like that."
Any tree not in the way of a road or utility, was marked on a map as protected, or needing a permit to clear. The land and lot clearing happened across town in Keller too. That time the location was on property where Silveroak plans to build its headquarters.
City councilwoman Debbie Bryan said, "I was flabbergasted and irate." The move was even more surprising to Bryan because just months ago, Keller got tough about trees. To discourage developers cutting first and paying fines later, the city raised fines to $2,000 per tree. For Silveroak, that would equal an almost $400,000 penalty.
Councilwoman Bryan said, "I think it comes down to, how much profit they're going to make… or how quickly they might make that profit."
Silveroak Land Development president, Kelly Dykes, said the mistake was unintentional and that some of the clearing was done before the new rules and fine increases. Dykes told us his company wasn't the first to do it; just the first Keller wants to make an example of.
The developer, who wasn't immediately available for an on-camera interview, said he wants to come to an agreement with the City on all the citations. After meeting behind closed doors, leaders took the position that if the company wants to fight the fines, the fight will happen court.
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