Carl Westmoreland Quoted in Fulton County Daily Report
"Architects eye stricter protection for trees - Lawyer helps draft preservation easement to go beyond city's rules"

Carl Westmoreland was quoted in the June 22, 2009 Fulton County Daily Report article, "Architects eye stricter protection for trees - Lawyer helps draft preservation easement to go beyond city's rules." The article discussed the response for Atlanta's tree laws by developers and homebuilders, taking into account development costs. Carl, who advises developers on land-use and zoning issues, observed, "The recompense fees can become a financial burden on developers." The article stated that fines can reach the tens of thousands of dollars for large homes or large developments. Carl noted that developers also have concerns about the ordinance's rules for taking down trees that are not located in a specifically designated buildable area. According to Carl, healthy trees located inside a buildable area can be taken down, if the developer also replants another tree elsewhere or pays the recompense fee. If a tree is outside the buildable area, and the developer wants to remove it, he must obtain a dead, dying, diseased or hazardous permit, "which is always difficult," he said. Violators are fined and for a large development, that savings can add up, Carl concluded.