Rehoboth denies St. Edmond request to cut down 12 trees

The Rehoboth Beach Parks & Shade Tree Commission voted unanimously against a request by St. Edmond Catholic Church to remove 12 American lindens from its property.

The vote came during an appeal hearing July 22, after the city had originally denied the request.

The trees are located primarily on King Charles Avenue, and all 12 are considered heritage trees. City code defines a heritage tree as an existing tree that has a diameter of 20 inches or more at breast height.

Liz Lingo, former city arborist who now consults for the city, said all 12 trees appeared to be in good to excellent condition.

Included in the information packet for the commission to consider was a letter from Taryn Davidson, Delaware Forest Service’s urban and community forestry coordinator. She said the trees could use some minor pruning, but otherwise they are in good condition.

The church submitted a report of its own in advance of the hearing from Phillip Jackson of Jackson’s Tree Care. His report says all the trees present a major hazard to pedestrians using the sidewalk and to the vehicles that park under them.

All the commission members and all but one member of the public spoke in favor of saving the trees. The general consensus was that the trees be pruned, thinned and then maintained into the future.

Stockley Street property owner Frances Kelleher was the lone person who spoke in favor of removing the trees. She said she’s got a huge linden in her backyard and frequently has to pick up large sticks and limbs after big storms. In the name of pedestrian safety, and in advance of something happening, she said she was in favor of the trees coming down.

Ultimately, the commission denied the request.

This was the shade tree commission’s first meeting in a year and the first meeting using the city’s new tree code, which was adopted in July 2023 after years of rewriting.