ROPO HOPES THIRD TIME A CHARM FOR LAND USE GUIDELINES
By Michael Reed, River Oaks Examiner, April 4, 2005

The River Oaks Property Owners recently released a third and final draft revamping and consolidating land use restrictions, with the hope it will be approved by almost all of the community.

The organization needs 75 percent of the owners to vote in favor of the changes to make the restatement effective, but said in a letter to property owners it hoped for the endorsement of 95 percent of voters.

"We intend to work to get it (overwhelming support)," stated the document, signed by Chairman David Hearney and 10 residents making up the organization's officers and board of directors. The letter did not include a deadline for voting.

Among the most anticipated amendments is one concerning preservation of trees in the subdivision.

Resident Jane Dale Owen and the group Citizens League for Enironmental Action recently sent a letter to Hearney suggesting a rule that any owner who removes a healthy, mature tree be required to replace it with two trees. The latest guideline addresses only tree removal related to new construction or substantial additions, and then "authorizes the board to require an owner to replace a tree that is not dead." The ROPO proposal only applies to certain circumstances concerning front property lines.

The amendment does not mention Owen's request that a licensed arborist conduct an inventory of River Oaks' healthy trees to assess the viability of the existing canopy.

The entire 28-page document can be viewed at www.ropo.org.