Forest Hill Road in Macon, GA

see also the 2012 letter

printable copies of the letter:
http://www.macon-bibb.com/FHR/Mayor-FHR-TreeComm2.doc

http://www.macon-bibb.com/FHR/Mayor-FHR-TreeComm.rtf

Text version of the letter:

FHR

December 26, 2010

Honorable Robert Reichert
Mayor, City of Macon
700 Poplar Street
Macon, GA 31201

Dear Mayor Reichert,

The Macon Tree Commission wants to express some thoughts for your consideration on the Forest Hill Road redesign where scores of mature trees will be removed to make way for a wider road. Significant loss of mature trees associated with this project can have long term negative impacts for the economic, esthetic and environmental quality of life in our community. Any landscaping that is included in the design will take decades to partially restore the lost canopy and we are disappointed that the city forester was not consulted in order to assure that appropriate species are used.

This project has not broken ground and there is still time to reconsider the design.   I would like to share some information that was provided at the 2009 Georgia Urban Forest Council conference where the theme was Transportation and Trees. Eric Dumbaugh, PhD, a traffic planning expert with Texas A&M University and Kathleen Wolf, PhD, a research scientist with the University of Washington, College of Forest Resources were the guest speakers. Participants learned that the last 40 years of urban road design is based on the interstate design model which has proven very safe for high speed, long distance traffic. However, when this wide, straight, treeless shoulder interstate design is used for urban roads, it contributes to more accidents with higher degrees of human and property damage. Eighty three percent (83%) of accidents on urban and suburban roads designed using this model were due to driving too fast to react to turns onto side roads. Urban roads must accommodate cross traffic which necessitates lower speeds to react in time to constantly changing traffic conditions not experienced on interstates. Research has found that this older design model encourages excessive speeds because the visual clues indicate higher speeds are safe despite posting of lower speed limits and other warnings. The speakers also discussed new design guidelines that use roundabouts and narrower roads and easements that are less intrusive on existing neighborhoods which the research shows are safer for urban/suburban vehicular traffic. In addition to psychologically calming drivers, narrower, tree lined streets provide visual clues that one should drive slower. Other interesting data showed that these livable streets had significantly fewer crashes with less personal injury and death and that crashes involving trees only accounted for 2% of serious accidents.
More information from the conference can be found at http://www.gufc.org/resources/presentations/.

We learned that newer road design guidelines are backing away from the interstate inspired model. Macon can be a leader in Middle Georgia by using newer design guidelines. On behalf of your Tree Commission, I urge you to ask the MATS to reconsider the current design in favor of one that limits the loss of trees while mitigating existing traffic problems and accommodating future growth.

Very truly yours,
Carol Salami-Goswick

FHR

TREE COMMISSION
City of Macon
P.O. Box 247
Macon, GA 31202-0247

COMMISSIONERS

Appointed members

Carol Salami-Goswick
Chairman
Citizen-at-large

Vacant
Citizen-at-large

Donna English
Secretary
Master Gardener

Heather Bowman-Cutway
Citizen-at-large

Rob Apsley
Historic District

Willie Battle
Developer

Brian Stone
Professional Forester

Ex-officio members

Karol Kelly
Bibb County Extension Office

Dale Dougherty, Director
Macon-Bibb Parks and Recreation

Beryl Budd
Georgia Forestry Commission

Jon Lewis
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission

Rick Shannon
Georgia Power

Ben Hamrick
Macon-Bibb Parks and Recreation

Randell Hunt
City Forester

James P. Thomas
Planning & Zoning Commission

From: "Carol" <CSGoswick@cox.net>
To: <Nadine.Simonds@macon.ga.us>
Cc: "Rob Apsley" <raps4la@aol.com>,
"randell hunt" <randell_hunt@yahoo.com>,
"Holliday Dental" <teeth@mindspring.com>
Subject: Forest Hill Road follow-up
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 09:52

Hi Nandine,

Please share the attached letter with Mayor Reichert acknowledging the Tree Commission’s follow-up with Van Etheridge re: his letter on the Forest Hill Road project.

Thanks for your help,
Carol Salami-Goswick
478-746-2247, 478-714-3042c

"Each generation takes the earth
as trustees.”
J. Sterling Morton

March 2, 2011

Van Etheridge, Program Manager
Macon-Bibb County Road Improvement Program
111 Third Street, Suite 230
Macon, GA 31201-0502

Re: Forest Hill Road – Landscaping Plans

Dear Mr. Etheridge:

Thank you for taking time to show me the landscaping plans for the Forest Hill Road project. The Tree Commission did not receive a report from Peter Ranalet during his time as City Forester or his successors and I was pleased to hear that you have taken the City of Macon Tree Ordinance into consideration in developing the landscape plans.

During our meeting you offered to provide the Commission with a copy of the plan and provide a comparison of the trees removed versus the replacement trees to be planted. The Commission appreciates and accepts your offer. To be consistent with the provisions of the ordinance, the comparison should include caliper removed and caliper restored.

The Commission looks forward to receiving and reviewing your report with the current City Forester, Randall Hunt.

Very truly yours,

Carol Salami-Goswick,
Immediate past chairman

Cc: Mayor Robert Reichert
      Rob Apsley
      Randell Hunt
      Lindsey Holliday

COMMISSIONERS

Appointed members

Rob Apsley
Chairman
Historic District

Carol Salami-Goswick
Citizen-at-large

Hampton Dowling
Citizen-at-large

Donna English
Secretary
Master Gardener

Heather Bowman-Cutway
Citizen-at-large

Willie Battle
Developer

Brian Stone
Professional Forester

Ex-officio members

Karol Kelly
Bibb County Extension Office

Dale Dougherty, Director
Macon-Bibb Parks and Recreation

Beryl Budd
Georgia Forestry Commission

Jon Lewis
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission

Rick Shannon
Georgia Power

Ben Hamrick
Macon-Bibb Parks and Recreation

Randell Hunt
City Forester

James P. Thomas
Planning & Zoning Commission

	(EA) - Environmental Assessment - Errorsronmental
	Stormwater Runoff The EA incorrectly lists the FHR branch tributary of Savage Creek as intermittent, but it is a perennial stream This stream is easily observed where it flows under a bridge/driveway at 744 Forest Hill Road - residence address. Several hundred feet of this stream will be heavily impacted. Mitigation has not been properly calculated for this constant-flowing stream.


Macon, Ga
- The Forest Hill Rd Neighborhood Mediation Team: - Carol Lystlund <clyst@att.net> 730 Forest Hill Rd. Macon 31210 - Lindsay Holliday <teeth@mindspring.com> 744 Forest Hill Rd. Macon 31210 - Susan Hanberry Martin <shanberry@stratford.org> 4831 Guerry Drive Macon 31210 - Dan Fischer <FISCHER_DP@Mercer.edu> 489 Ashville Drive Macon 31210 - Alice Boyd <dmbx1@cox.net> 540 Forest Hill Rd Macon 31210

The 1994 "Road Improvement Program" SPLOST - grossly mis-mannaged - threatens to destroy the Forest Hill Neighborhood.

- CAUTION Macon -

Forest Hill Road